Chopra: “Life is a field of unlimited possibilities.“
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Success in life could be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals. Success is the ability to fulfill your desires with effortless ease. And yet success, including the creation of wealth, has always been considered to be a process that requires hard work, and it is often considered to be at the expense of others. We need a more spiritual approach to success and to affluence, which is the abundant flow of all good things to you. With the knowledge and practice of spiritual law, we put ourselves in harmony with nature and create with carefulness, joy, and love.
All of creation… everything that exists in the physical world, is the result of the unmanifest transforming itself into the manifest. Everything that we behold comes from the unknown. Our physical body, the physical universe — anything and everything that we can perceive through our senses — is the transformation of the unmanifest, unknown, and invisible into the manifest, known, and visible.
The physical universe is nothing other than the Self curving back within Itself to experience itself as spirit, mind, and physical matter. In other words, all processes of creation are processes through which the Self or divinity expresses Itself. Consciousness in motion expresses itself as the objects of the universe in the eternal dance of life.
The source of all creation is divinity (or the spirit); the process of creation is divinity in motion (or the mind); and the object of creation is the physical universe (which includes the physical body).
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These three components of reality — spirit, mind, and body, or observer, the process of observing, and the observed — are essentially the same thing. They all come from the same place: the field of pure potentiality which is purely unmanifest.
The physical laws of the universe are actually this whole process of divinity in motion, or consciousness in motion. When we understand these laws and apply them in our lives, anything we want can be created, because the same laws that nature uses to create a forest, or a galaxy, or a star, or a human body can also bring about the fulfillment of our deepest desires.
Now let’s look over The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success and see how we can apply them in our lives.
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In the beginning there was neither existence nor non-existence.
All this world was unmanifest energy . . .
The One breathed,
without breath, by Its own power.
Excerpts from
The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success
by Deepak Chopra
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Success in life could be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals. Success is the ability to fulfill your desires with effortless ease. And yet success, including the creation of wealth, has always been considered to be a process that requires hard work, and it is often considered to be at the expense of others. We need a more spiritual approach to success and to affluence, which is the abundant flow of all good things to you. With the knowledge and practice of spiritual law, we put ourselves in harmony with nature and create with carefulness, joy, and love.
All of creation, everything that exists in the physical world, is the result of the unmanifest transforming itself into the manifest. Everything that we behold comes from the unknown. Our physical body, the physical universe — anything and everything that we can perceive through our senses — is the transformation of the unmanifest, unknown, and invisible into the manifest, known, and visible.
The physical universe is nothing other than the Self curving back within Itself to experience itself as spirit, mind, and physical matter. In other words, all processes of creation are processes through which the Self or divinity expresses Itself. Consciousness in motion expresses itself as the objects of the universe in the eternal dance of life.
The source of all creation is divinity (or the spirit); the process of creation is divinity in motion (or the mind); and the object of creation is the physical universe (which includes the physical body).
These three components of reality — spirit, mind, and body, or observer, the process of observing, and the observed — are essentially the same thing. They all come from the same place: the field of pure potentiality which is purely unmanifest.
The physical laws of the universe are actually this whole process of divinity in motion, or consciousness in motion. When we understand these laws and apply them in our lives, anything we want can be created, because the same laws that nature uses to create a forest, or a galaxy, or a star, or a human body can also bring about the fulfillment of our deepest desires.
Now let’s look over The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success and see how we can apply them in our lives.
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In the beginning there was neither existence nor non-existence.
All this world was unmanifest energy . . .
The One breathed, without breath, by Its own power.
Nothing else was there . . .
— Hymn of Creation, The Rig Veda
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Thanks for visiting.
Eric
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If you like this, you’ll love this: I previously published more detailed posts.
Discover your divinity, find your unique talent, serve humanity with it, and begin to experience your life as a miraculous expression of divinity — not just occasionally, but all the time. You are to know true joy and the true meaning of success — the ecstasy and exultation of your own spirit.
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Everyone has a purpose in life
….
a unique gift
or special talent
to give to others.
And when we blend this unique talent
with service to others,
we experience the ecstasy
and exultation of our own spirit,
which is
the ultimate goal
of all goals.
When you work
you are a flute
through whose heart
the whispering of the hours
turns to music.
And what is it to work with love?
It is to weave the cloth
with threads drawn
from your heart,
even as if
your beloved were to wear that cloth
….
— Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
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This is the seventh Deepak Chopra law for success from his book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.
If you’d like,
open the series
from its beginning point
or continue along from here.
Each skill builds on the previous skill.
If you want to make maximum use of the Law of Purpose, then you will make several commitments. The first commitment is: I am going to seek my higher self, which is beyond my ego, through spiritual practice.
The second commitment is: I am going to discover my unique talents, and finding my unique talents, I am going to enjoy myself, because the process of enjoyment occurs when I go into timeless awareness. That’s when I am in a state of bliss.
The third commitment is: I am going to ask myself how I am best suited to serve humanity.
According to this law, you have a unique talent and a unique way of expressing your specific talent. There is something that you can do better than most anyone else in the world — and for every unique talent and unique expression of that talent, there are also unique needs. When these needs are matched with the creative expression of your talent, that is the spark that makes you right to fulfill your purpose.
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I will put the Law of Purpose (Dharma) into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps:
(1) Today I will pay attention to the spirit within me that animates both my body and my mind. I will awaken myself to this deep stillness within my heart. I will carry the consciousness of timeless, eternal Being in the midst of time-bound experience.
(2) I will make a list of my unique talents. Then I will list all the things that I love to do while expressing my unique talents. When 1 express my unique talents and use them in the service of humanity, I lose track of time and create abundance in my life as well as in the lives of others.
(3) I will ask myself daily, “How can I serve?” and “How can I help?” The answers to these questions will allow me to help and serve my fellow human beings with love.
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Summary of the 7 Laws The universal mind choreographs everything that is happening in billions of galaxies with elegant precision and unfaltering intelligence. Its intelligence is ultimate and supreme, and it permeates every fiber of existence. Everything that is alive is an expression of this intelligence.
Every cell has its birth in the Law of Pure Potentiality. DNA is a perfect example of pure potentiality; in fact, it is the material expression of pure potentiality. The same DNA existing in every cell expresses itself in different ways in order to fulfill the unique requirements of that particular cell. Each cell also operates through the Law of Giving. A cell is alive and healthy when it is in a state of balance and equilibrium. This state of equilibrium is one of fulfillment and harmony, but it is maintained by a constant give and take. Each cell gives to and supports every other cell, and in turn is nourished by every other cell. The cell is always in a state of dynamic flow and the flow is never interrupted. In fact, the flow is the very essence of the life of the cell. And only by maintaining this flow of giving is the cell able to receive and thus continue its vibrant existence.
The Law of Cause and Effect is exquisitely executed by every cell, because built into its intelligence is the most appropriate and precisely correct response to every situation as it occurs. The Law of Least Effort is also exquisitely executed by every cell in the body: it does its job with quiet efficiency in the state of restful alertness.
Through the Law of Intention and Desire, every intention of every cell harnesses the infinite organizing power of nature’s intelligence. Even a simple intention such as metabolizing a molecule of sugar immediately sets off a symphony of events in the body where precise amounts of hormones have to be secreted at precise moments to convert this molecule of sugar into pure creative energy.
Of course, every cell expresses the Law of Detachment. It is detached from the outcome of its intentions. It doesn’t stumble or falter because its behavior is a function of life-centered, present-moment awareness.
Each cell also expresses the Law of Dharma. Each cell must discover its own source, the higher self; it must serve its fellow beings, and express its unique talents. Heart cells, stomach cells, and immune cells all have their source in the higher self, the field of pure potentiality. And because they are directly linked to this cosmic computer, they can express their unique talents with effortless ease and timeless awareness. Only by expressing their unique talents can they maintain both their own integrity and the integrity of the whole body.
The internal dialogue of every cell in the human body is, “How can I help?” The heart cells want to help the immune cells, the immune cells want to help the stomach and lung cells, and the brain cells are listening to and helping every other cell. Every cell in the human body has only one function: to help every other cell.
By looking at the behavior of the cells of our own body, we can observe the most extraordinary and efficient expression of The Seven Spiritual Laws. This is the genius of nature’s intelligence.
In the series, I used descriptions and text from Chopra almost exclusively — because his work works as he wrote it. I just want to add this:
This is the language of God. If you begin with this and prayers and meditation to build a positive inner serene peaceful outlook then you are on your way to a deep understanding of the profound mysteries in life. The miracles — the seemingly supernatural occurrences — are natural — not really so unusual; not at all. If your science or if your education tells you otherwise, let it go — it may be flawed. You don’t need it if it isn’t bringing you inner peace, happiness, joy, and freedom to be who you are intended to be. The realization that you can be, do, and have the genuine you is extraordinary and exhilarating. Listen to your heart and when it tells you to get more positive, do that. You are meant to know your maker. This series is only about love. Do it that way.
Deepak Chopra observes in his book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, that desperate striving isn’t necessary or even desirable. To the contrary, this law says that in order to acquire anything in the physical universe, you have to relinquish your attachment to it.
This doesn’t mean that you must give up the intention to create your desire.
You give up your attachment to the result.
This is a very powerful thing to do.
The moment you relinquish your attachment to the result, combining one-pointed intention with detachment at the same time, you will have that which you desire. Anything you want can be acquired through detachment, because detachment is based on the unquestioning belief in the power of your true Self. Attachment comes from poverty consciousness, because attachment is always to symbols.
From his book, “The 7 Laws of Spiritual Success“ — Chopra lays out another of seven laws of spiritual success — The Law of Detachment — one each day is recommended.
If you’d like, open the series from its beginning point or continue along here, the sixth day in the series. Each skill builds on the previous skill.
Detachment is synonymous with wealth consciousness, because with detachment there is freedom to create. True wealth consciousness is the ability to have anything you want, anytime you want, and with least effort.
In detachment lies the wisdom of uncertainty . . . in the wisdom of uncertainty lies the freedom from our past, from the known, which is the prison of past conditioning. And in our willingness to step into the unknown, the field of all possibilities, we surrender ourselves to the creative mind that orchestrates the dance of the universe.
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Put the Law of Detachment into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps:
1. Today I will commit myself to detachment. I will allow myself and those around me the freedom to be as they are. I will not rigidly impose my idea of how things should be. I will not force solutions on problems, thereby creating new problems. I will participate in everything with detached involvement.
2. Today I will factor in uncertainty as an essential ingredient of my experience. In my willingness to accept uncertainty, solutions will spontaneously emerge out of the problem, out of the confusion, disorder, and chaos. The more uncertain things seem to be, the more secure I will feel, because uncertainty is my path to freedom. Through the wisdom of uncertainty, I will find my security.
3. I will step into the field of all possibilities and anticipate the excitement that can occur when I remain open to an infinity of choices. When I step into the field of all possibilities, I will experience all the fun, adventure, magic, and mystery of life.
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December is self-improvement month at this blog — let’s all get in touch with our best true selves and make this our month to end the year at our best. I’ll feature lots of content to improve the inner and outer us. Check back frequently.
“We have more than five senses, and not everything meets the eye.“
~ Roman Krznaric
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PDF: How Should We Live?
by Roman Krznaric
Publisher: Bluebridge
(December 1, 2013)
Book Description
Twelve universal topics including work, love, and family; time, creativity, and empathy are explored in this book by illuminating the past and revealing the wisdom that people have been missing. Looking to history for inspiration can be surprisingly powerful. In How Should We Live?, cultural thinker Roman Krznaric shares ideas and stories from history each of which sheds invaluable light on decisions made every day. There is much to be learned from the ancient Greeks about the different varieties of love, for example, from the Renaissance about living with passion and facing the realities of death, from various indigenous cultures on bringing up our children, and from Japanese pilgrims on the art of travel. History is usually read for pleasure or for insight into current affairs, but this book is practical history showing that history can teach the art of living, using the past to think about day-to-day life. note: A survey is required to get the free PDF book. .
Probably the greatest investment that I’ve personally made in myself is to work on and develop, deeply, empathy skills. Here is an outstanding video and article that I think you’ll enjoy
The Six Habits of Highly Empathic People
We can cultivate empathy throughout our lives,
says Roman Krznaric — and use it as a radical
force for social transformation.
If you think you’re hearing the word “empathy” everywhere, you’re right. It’s now on the lips of scientists and business leaders, education experts and political activists. But there is a vital question that few people ask: How can I expand my own empathic potential? Empathy is not just a way to extend the boundaries of your moral universe. According to new research, it’s a habit we can cultivate to improve the quality of our own lives.
But what is empathy? It’s the ability to step into the shoes of another person, aiming to understand their feelings and perspectives, and to use that understanding to guide our actions. That makes it different from kindness or pity. And don’t confuse it with the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” As George Bernard Shaw pointed out, “Do not do unto others as you would have them do unto you — they might have different tastes.” Empathy is about discovering those tastes.
The big buzz about empathy stems from a revolutionary shift in the science of how we understand human nature. The old view that we are essentially self-interested creatures is being nudged firmly to one side by evidence that we are also homo empathicus, wired for empathy, social cooperation, and mutual aid.
Over the last decade, neuroscientists have identified a 10-section “empathy circuit” in our brains which, if damaged, can curtail our ability to understand what other people are feeling. Evolutionary biologists like Frans de Waal have shown that we are social animals who have naturally evolved to care for each other, just like our primate cousins. And psychologists have revealed that we are primed for empathy by strong attachment relationships in the first two years of life.
But empathy doesn’t stop developing in childhood. We can nurture its growth throughout our lives — and we can use it as a radical force for social transformation. Research in sociology, psychology, history — and my own studies of empathic personalities over the past 10 years — reveals how we can make empathy an attitude and a part of our daily lives, and thus improve the lives of everyone around us. Here are the Six Habits of Highly Empathic People!
Habit 1: Cultivate curiosity about strangers Highly empathic people (HEPs) have an insatiable curiosity about strangers. They will talk to the person sitting next to them on the bus, having retained that natural inquisitiveness we all had as children, but which society is so good at beating out of us. They find other people more interesting than themselves but are not out to interrogate them, respecting the advice of the oral historian Studs Terkel: “Don’t be an examiner, be the interested inquirer.”
Curiosity expands our empathy when we talk to people outside our usual social circle, encountering lives and worldviews very different from our own. Curiosity is good for us too: Happiness guru Martin Seligman identifies it as a key character strength that can enhance life satisfaction. And it is a useful cure for the chronic loneliness afflicting around one in three Americans.
Cultivating curiosity requires more than having a brief chat about the weather. Crucially, it tries to understand the world inside the head of the other person. We are confronted by strangers every day, like the heavily tattooed woman who delivers your mail or the new employee who always eats his lunch alone. Set yourself the challenge of having a conversation with one stranger every week. All it requires is courage.
Habit 2: Challenge prejudices and discover commonalities We all have assumptions about others and use collective labels — e.g., “Muslim fundamentalist,” “welfare mom” — that prevent us from appreciating their individuality. HEPs challenge their own preconceptions and prejudices by searching for what they share with people rather than what divides them. An episode from the history of US race relations illustrates how this can happen.
Claiborne Paul Ellis was born into a poor white family in Durham, North Carolina, in 1927. Finding it hard to make ends meet working in a garage and believing African Americans were the cause of all his troubles, he followed his father’s footsteps and joined the Ku Klux Klan, eventually rising to the top position of Exalted Cyclops of his local KKK branch.
In 1971 he was invited — as a prominent local citizen — to a 10-day community meeting to tackle racial tensions in schools, and was chosen to head a steering committee with Ann Atwater, a black activist he despised. But working with her exploded his prejudices about African Americans. He saw that she shared the same problems of poverty as his own. “I was beginning to look at a black person, shake hands with him, and see him as a human being,” he recalled of his experience on the committee. “It was almost like being born again.” On the final night of the meeting, he stood in front of a thousand people and tore up his Klan membership card.
Ellis later became a labor organizer for a union whose membership was 70 percent African American. He and Ann remained friends for the rest of their lives. There may be no better example of the power of empathy to overcome hatred and change our minds.
Habit 3: Try another person’s life So you think ice climbing and hang-gliding are extreme sports? Then you need to try experiential empathy, the most challenging — and potentially rewarding — of them all. HEPs expand their empathy by gaining direct experience of other people’s lives, putting into practice the Native American proverb, “Walk a mile in another man’s moccasins before you criticize him.”
George Orwell is an inspiring model. After several years as a colonial police officer in British Burma in the 1920s, Orwell returned to Britain determined to discover what life was like for those living on the social margins. “I wanted to submerge myself, to get right down among the oppressed,” he wrote. So he dressed up as a tramp with shabby shoes and coat, and lived on the streets of East London with beggars and vagabonds. The result, recorded in his book Down and Out in Paris and London, was a radical change in his beliefs, priorities, and relationships. He not only realized that homeless people are not “drunken scoundrels” — Orwell developed new friendships, shifted his views on inequality, and gathered some superb literary material. It was the greatest travel experience of his life. He realized that empathy doesn’t just make you good — it’s good for you, too.
We can each conduct our own experiments. If you are religiously observant, try a “God Swap,” attending the services of faiths different from your own, including a meeting of Humanists. Or if you’re an atheist, try attending different churches! Spend your next vacation living and volunteering in a village in a developing country. Take the path favored by philosopher John Dewey, who said, “All genuine education comes about through experience.”
Habit 4: Listen hard—and open up There are two traits required for being an empathic conversationalist.
One is to master the art of radical listening. “What is essential,” says Marshall Rosenberg, psychologist and founder of Non-Violent Communication (NVC), “is our ability to be present to what’s really going on within — to the unique feelings and needs a person is experiencing in that very moment.” HEPs listen hard to others and do all they can to grasp their emotional state and needs, whether it is a friend who has just been diagnosed with cancer or a spouse who is upset at them for working late yet again.
But listening is never enough. The second trait is to make ourselves vulnerable. Removing our masks and revealing our feelings to someone is vital for creating a strong empathic bond. Empathy is a two-way street that, at its best, is built upon mutual understanding — an exchange of our most important beliefs and experiences.
Organizations such as the Israeli-Palestinian Parents Circle put it all into practice by bringing together bereaved families from both sides of the conflict to meet, listen, and talk. Sharing stories about how their loved ones died enables families to realize that they share the same pain and the same blood, despite being on opposite sides of a political fence, and has helped to create one of the world’s most powerful grassroots peace-building movements.
Habit 5: Inspire mass action and social change We typically assume empathy happens at the level of individuals, but HEPs understand that empathy can also be a mass phenomenon that brings about fundamental social change.
Just think of the movements against slavery in the 18th and 19th centuries on both sides of the Atlantic. As journalist Adam Hochschild reminds us, “The abolitionists placed their hope not in sacred texts but human empathy,” doing all they could to get people to understand the very real suffering on the plantations and slave ships. Equally, the international trade union movement grew out of empathy between industrial workers united by their shared exploitation. The overwhelming public response to the Asian tsunami of 2004 emerged from a sense of empathic concern for the victims, whose plight was dramatically beamed into our homes on shaky video footage.
Empathy will most likely flower on a collective scale if its seeds are planted in our children. That’s why HEPs support efforts such as Canada’s pioneering Roots of Empathy, the world’s most effective empathy teaching program, which has benefited over half a million school kids. Its unique curriculum centers on an infant, whose development children observe over time in order to learn emotional intelligence — and its results include significant declines in playground bullying and higher levels of academic achievement.
Beyond education, the big challenge is figuring out how social networking technology can harness the power of empathy to create mass political action. Twitter may have gotten people onto the streets for Occupy Wall Street and the Arab Spring, but can it convince us to care deeply about the suffering of distant strangers, whether they are drought-stricken farmers in Africa or future generations who will bear the brunt of our carbon-junkie lifestyles? This will only happen if social networks learn to spread not just information, but empathic connection.
Habit 6: Develop an ambitious imagination A final trait of HEPs is that they do far more than empathize with the usual suspects. We tend to believe empathy should be reserved for those living on the social margins or who are suffering. This is necessary, but it is hardly enough.
We also need to empathize with people whose beliefs we don’t share or who may be “enemies” in some way. If you are a campaigner on global warming, for instance, it may be worth trying to step into the shoes of oil company executives—understanding their thinking and motivations — if you want to devise effective strategies to shift them towards developing renewable energy. A little of this “instrumental empathy” (sometimes known as “impact anthropology”) can go a long way.
Empathizing with adversaries is also a route to social tolerance. That was Gandhi’s thinking during the conflicts between Muslims and Hindus leading up to Indian independence in 1947, when he declared, “I am a Muslim! And a Hindu, and a Christian and a Jew.”
Organizations, too, should be ambitious with their empathic thinking. Bill Drayton, the renowned “father of social entrepreneurship,” believes that in an era of rapid technological change, mastering empathy is the key business survival skill because it underpins successful teamwork and leadership. His influential Ashoka Foundation has launched the Start Empathy initiative, which is taking its ideas to business leaders, politicians and educators worldwide.
The 20th century was the Age of Introspection, when self-help and therapy culture encouraged us to believe that the best way to understand who we are and how to live was to look inside ourselves. But it left us gazing at our own navels. The 21st century should become the Age of Empathy, when we discover ourselves not simply through self-reflection, but by becoming interested in the lives of others. We need empathy to create a new kind of revolution. Not an old-fashioned revolution built on new laws, institutions, or policies, but a radical revolution in human relationships.
I worked during December 2013 to post content for self-improvement. In January 2014, I’ll begin posting on how we can improve the world. I hope you’ll come back often — there is more to be discovered.
From his book, “The 7 Laws of Spiritual Success“ — Chopra lays out another of seven laws of spiritual success — The Law of Intention — practicing one each day is recommended.
If you’d like, open the series from its beginning point or continue along here, the fifth day in the series.
Everything we do and think affects the people in our lives and their reactions in turn affect others. Getting every day grounded in a solution for my whole self is essential, I think. Thus, I declared for myself that December is a month for self-improvements. Thanks for looking in on my blog. I hope this post is helpful for you personally or someone that you know.
There is always abundant energy and information necessary for creating. We are so fortunate of being capable to accept training of our minds to become consciously aware of the abundance of energy and information. The lesson today is about tuning toward this energy and information to accept the tremendous enlightenment of effortless living in abundance.
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The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
The seven spiritual laws aren’t difficult or mysterious but are easy to understand and to apply. Dedicate each day of the week to one of the seven spiritual laws. Develop a daily practice in which you meditate or take a few moments to quiet your mind, and then read the spiritual law of the day and practice applying it throughout the day.
The Law of Intention (and desire) Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment . . . intention and desire in the field of pure potentiality have infinite organizing power. And when we introduce an intention in the fertile ground of pure potentiality, we put this infinite organizing power to work for us.
This law is based on the fact that energy and information exist everywhere in nature. A flower, a rainbow, a tree, a human body, when broken down to their essential components are energy and information. The whole universe, in its essential nature, is the movement of energy and information. The only difference between you and a tree is the informational and energy content of your respective bodies. You can consciously change the energy and informational content of your own quantum mechanical body, and therefore influence the energy and informational content of your extended body—your environment, your world—and cause things to manifest in it. Intention lays the groundwork for the effortless, spontaneous, frictionless flow of pure potentiality.
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Put the Law of Intention into effect making a commitment to the following steps:
1. I will make a list of all my desires. I will carry this list with me wherever I go. I will look at this list before I go into my silence and meditation. I will look at it before I go to sleep at night. I will look at it when I wake up in the morning.
2. I will release this list of my desires and surrender it to the womb of creation, trusting that when things don’t seem to go my way, there is a reason, and that the cosmic plan has designs for me much grander than even those I have conceived.
3. I will remind myself to practice present-moment awareness in all my actions. I will refuse to allow obstacles to consume and dissipate the quality of my attention in the present moment. I will accept the present as it is, and manifest the future through my deepest, most cherished intentions and desires.
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Mind Body Spirit Wellbeing Longevity and Health with Deepak Chopra The Atlantic Meets the Pacific 2013
Steve Clemons (re book: Super Brain)
conference interview (begins at 2:10)
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December is self-improvement month at this blog — let’s all get in touch with our best true selves and make this our month to end the year at our best. I’ll feature lots of content to improve the inner and outer us. Check back frequently.
This post continues to cover another of Chopra’s seven laws of spiritual success that are detailed in his book, “The 7 Laws of Spiritual Success“ — practicing one each day is recommended. If you’d like, open the series from its beginning point or continue along here, the fourth day in the series.
Many of us grew up with the belief that achieving success requires relentless hard work, grim determination and intense ambition. As a result, we may have struggled for years and even reached some of our goals but wound up feeling exhausted, our lives out of balance. Such desperate striving isn’t necessary or even desirable. In the natural world, creation comes forth with ease. A seed doesn’t struggle to become a tree―it simply unfolds in grace.
The seven spiritual laws aren’t difficult or mysterious but are easy to understand and to apply. Dedicate each day of the week to one of the seven spiritual laws. Develop a daily practice in which you meditate or take a few moments to quiet your mind, and then read the spiritual law of the day and practice applying it throughout the day.
The Law of Least Effort Nature’s intelligence functions with effortless ease . . . with carefreeness, harmony, and love. And when we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love, we create success and good fortune with effortless ease.
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Put the Law of Least Effort into effect making a
commitment to the following steps:
1. Practice Acceptance. Today I will accept people, situations, circumstances, and events as they occur. I will know that this moment is as it should be, because the whole universe is as it should be. I will not struggle against the whole universe by struggling against this moment. My acceptance is total and complete. I accept things as they are this moment, not as I wish they were.
2. Having accepted things as they are, take responsibility for any and all those events that seem to be problems. I know that taking responsibility means not blaming anyone or anything for my situation (and this includes myself). I also know that every problem is an opportunity in disguise, and this alertness to opportunities allows me to take this moment and transform it into a greater benefit.
3. Today my awareness will remain established in Defenselessness. I will relinquish the need to defend my point of view. I will feel no need to convince or persuade others to accept my point of view. I will remain open to all points of view and not be rigidly attached to any one of them.
December is self-improvement month at this blog — let’s all get in touch with our best true selves and make this our month to end the year at our best. I’ll feature lots of content to improve the inner and outer us. Check back frequently.
I like this onion-layers concept — a protection gets hardened into a layer covering vulnerability and becomes a character defect — interesting. It isn’t always painful, I think. In fact, I often enjoy getting attuned with a softer-gentle kinder me.
This post covers Chopra’s Law of Cause and Effect from his seven laws of spiritual success that are detailed in his book, “The 7 Laws of Spiritual Success“ — practicing one each day is recommended. If you’d like, open the series from its beginning point or continue along here, the third day in the series.
Law of Cause and Effect This is commonly understood even in the West as Karma. “Karma” is both action and the consequence of that action; it is cause and effect simultaneously, because every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in kind.
Everyone recalls the expression, “What you sow is what you reap.” If we want to create happiness in our lives, we must learn to sow the seeds of happiness.
We must become consciously aware that the future is generated by the choices we are making in every moment of life.
Do this on a regular basis, making full use of this law. The more you bring your choices into conscious awareness, the more you will make those choices which are spontaneously correct — both for you and for those around you.
The energy flow of life is a harmonious interaction of all the elements and forces that structure the field of existence — that maintain reality. Because your body and your mind and the universe are in constant and dynamic change, stopping the circulation of energy is like stopping the flow of blood. Whenever blood stops flowing, it begins to clot, to stagnate. That is why you must give and receive in order to keep anything you want circulating in your life. Thus, the more you give, the more you will receive.
Deepak Chopra defines success as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals. This definition is quite different to society’s rules for success, which is almost always connected to material gain or external recognition. Although these things are often the result of success, it is by no means the cause or even the definition of success.
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The abundance of the universe is circulating in our lives. When choosing actions that bring happiness and success to others, the result is that happiness and success abound.
Here are three steps for putting the Law into effect:
1. Today I will witness the choices I make in each moment. And in the mere witnessing of these choices, I will bring them to my conscious awareness. I will know that the best way to prepare for any moment in the future is to be fully conscious in the present.
2. Whenever I make a choice, I will ask myself two questions: “What are the consequences of this choice that I’m making?” and “Will this choice bring fulfillment and happiness to me and also to those who are affected by this choice?”
3. I will then ask my heart for guidance and be guided by its message of comfort or discomfort. If the choice feels comfortable, I will plunge ahead with abandon. If the choice feels uncomfortable, I will pause and see the consequences of my action with my inner vision. This guidance will enable me to make spontaneously correct choices for myself and for all those around me.
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The Secret of Creativity
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Program Description
Deepak Chopra explores the dynamics of a creative life and relationship of creativity and age (we don’t have to lose imagination as we grow older). How do you keep your creative spirit alive even as you progress further into adulthood? Rediscover plasticity.
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You’ll possibly enjoy the debate and comments in “what danger?” where Chopra and Dawkins debate on consciousness and the origin of mankind and so on.
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December is self-improvement month at this blog — let’s all get in touch with our best true selves and make this our month to end the year at our best. I’ll feature lots of content to improve the inner and outer us. Check back frequently.
Check this out. I have two programs today that can help you spot lies. I’m using them. Its interesting that some folks lie for no apparent reason — or — maybe I’m taking these tips too exactly as is and there is some more to it (there is). I hope these tips are helpful though. Welcome to a Beginning Guide in the Study of Body Language, part one.
Program Description This video will show you how to read other people’s body language, and even to use yours to succeed in a variety of situations. Robert Phipps, TV’s Body Language expert and author of Body Language will help you to decode body language.
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Program Description Everybody is dishonest sometimes, find out some ways to spot those who tell the truth and those who don’t in 10 signs that someone is lying.
This post covers Chopra’s Law of Giving from his seven laws of spiritual success that are detailed in his book, “The 7 Laws of Spiritual Success“ — practicing one each day is recommended.
If you’d like, open the series from its beginning point or continue along here, the second day in the series.
Law of Giving Energy exchange appears to be the single most important and central law of all because everything directly or indirectly needs appropriate exchanges or transfers of energy for either sustainability or to grow/expand. The universe operates through dynamic exchange — flow of matter and energy.
The flow of life is nothing other than the harmonious interaction of all the elements and forces that structure the field of existence. Because your body and your mind and the universe are in constant and dynamic change, stopping the circulation of energy is like stopping the flow of blood. Whenever blood stops flowing, it begins to clot, to stagnate. That is why you must give and receive in order to keep wealth and affluence—or anything you want—circulating in your life. Thus, the more you give, the more you will receive.
Deepak Chopra defines success as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals. This definition is quite different to society’s rules for success, which is almost always connected to material gain or external recognition. Although these things are often the result of success, it is by no means the cause or even the definition of success.
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The following are Chopra’s three steps for the willingness to give that which we seek — the abundance of the universe that is circulating in our lives.
1. Wherever I go, and whomever I encounter, I will bring them a gift. The gift may be a compliment, a flower, or a prayer. Today, I will give something to everyone I come into contact with, and so I will begin the process of circulating joy, wealth and affluence in my life and in the lives of others.
2. Today I will gratefully receive all the gifts that life has to offer me. I will receive the gifts of nature: sunlight and the sound of birds singing, or spring showers or the first snow of winter. I will also be open to receiving from others, whether it be in the form of a material gift, money, a compliment or a prayer.
3. I will make a commitment to keep wealth circulating in my life by giving and receiving life’s most precious gifts: the gifts of caring, affection, appreciation and love. Each time I meet someone, I will silently wish them happiness, joy and laughter.
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You’ll possibly enjoy the debate and comments in “what danger?” where Chopra and Dawkins debate on consciousness and the origin of mankind and so on.
December is self-improvement month at this blog — let’s all get in touch with our best true selves and make this our month to end the year at our best. I’ll feature lots of content to improve the inner and outer us. Check back frequently.
There is always abundant energy and information necessary for creating joy and happiness, peace and serenity. We are so fortunate of being capable to accept training of our minds to become consciously aware of this abundance.
From Deepak Chopra’s book, “The 7 Laws of Spiritual Success“ — this is the first of the seven laws of spiritual success — The Law of Pure Potentiality — practicing one each day is recommended.
If you’d like an
introduction,
the series begins here: Spiritual Laws
Law of Pure Potentiality This law is based on the fact that we are, in our essential state, pure consciousness. Pure consciousness is pure potentiality; it is the field of all possibilities and infinite creativity. When you discover your essential nature and know who you really are, in that knowing itself is the ability to fulfill any dream you have, because you are the eternal possibility, the immeasurable potential of all that was, is and will be. One way to access the field is through the daily practice of silence, meditation and non-judgment. Spending time in nature will also give you access to the qualities inherent in the field: infinite creativity, freedom and bliss.
Deepak Chopra defines success as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals. This definition is quite different to society’s rules for success, which is almost always connected to material gain or external recognition. Although these things are often the result of success, it is by no means the cause or even the definition of success.
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1. I will get in touch with the field of pure potentiality by taking time each day to be silent, to just Be. I will also sit alone in silent meditation at least twice a day for approximately thirty minutes in the morning and thirty minutes in the evening.
2. I will take time each day to commune with nature and to silently witness the intelligence within every living thing. I will sit silently and watch a sunset, or listen to the sound of the ocean or a stream, or simply smell the scent of a flower. In the ecstasy of my own silence, and by communing with nature, I will enjoy the life throb of ages, the field of pure potentiality and unbounded creativity.
3. I will practice non-judgment. I will begin my day with the statement, “Today, I shall judge nothing that occurs,” and throughout the day I will remind myself not to judge.
This post is from Chopra’s book,
“The 7 Laws of Spiritual Success“
Practicing one each day is recommended.
Deepak Chopra about resting and playing:
Rest and play are not luxuries. It is part of our destiny to simply be. It is becoming more understood that play, rest, rejuvenation and celebration cultivate and inspire some of our best ideas.
When we are relaxing and playing, we are engaged in the here and now and more open to the ideas that come to us from pure consciousness. When we let go and have fun, we release all sense of ego and all the ‘shoulds’ that can creep into our lives. Opening the door for the creative spirit to flourish.
Play is so important in helping us find our true purpose in life. When we dance through life like children, engaged in activities that truly delight us, we open our minds and hearts to the essence of pure consciousness. When we play, we lose all track of time and are absorbed completely in the present moment.
Our best creative ideas come to us when we are delighted. Our minds are free to roam and explore. We are wide open and the world is at our feet – ours to enjoy.
Rest is equally important. As a society, we tend to be chronically sleep deprived and sometimes even proud of it since it indicates a busy life and total dedication to our work. But true dedication requires balancing the brain for optimal performance which includes rest in the form of sleep, and spending time in meditation. Connecting with the stillness of meditation, playfully engaging with nature, life and those around us, and making sure that we get adequate sleep are the perfect recipe for self care. These practices recharge and revitalize us, paving the way for creative inspiration and truth to enter our lives.
You’ll possibly enjoy the debate and comments in “what danger?” where Chopra and Dawkins debate on consciousness and the origin of mankind and so on.
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December is self-improvement month at this blog — let’s all get in touch with our best true selves and make this our month to end the year at our best. I’ll feature lots of content to improve the inner and outer us. Check back frequently.
The Secret Behind The Secret ~ Abraham Hicks ~ The Law of Attraction
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Are you as happy and successful as you’d like to be? If you are like most people, you can be happier and more successful. The past isn’t important.
The future begins now.
December 2013 — my month to post all about getting success and happiness — ethically and morally too.
Progress may require time. You can find the time. Whatever you need is always available.
Abraham (Hicks) is actually not per-say a person as we understand (define) person. As I understand this, Abraham represents the alignment of Ester Hicks with her source energy — her aligning energy — her matrix (vortex)… Ester’s inner self is as I understand this, like an onion — it expands and grows in layers.
I don’t care really how this is described. My only reservation came in the before of listening to this and many-many other programs — that reservation then was that Abraham is non-physical — and it took me many-many months to decide that Abraham’s offerings via Ester is real and okay by me and that this isn’t in any way contradictory for me in my Christian practice.
I worship God and I still think of the process of my spiritual growth as a practice of bringing my failings to the Lord and via the Holy Spirit, experiencing the corrections and thus becoming holy and holy and holy. It took me many-many months before I would put any of these and other programs on my blog because I am Christian and I remain Christian and shall for all of my life. I am 100% sure (more so always).
I love science of the whole universe and of the quantum universe (field) and I love people that are genuine and wholesome. This is how it came to be that I looked at Gregg Braden, Ester and Jerry Hicks, Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer and others that I put here in my blog pages. They too wanted to discover how their spirit may manifest in a wholesome manner the love of God in our physical universe.
Here is a great example (next video) of the work to help a man get it that he has choices about how he feels and that his choices allow him to grow spiritually, mentally and emotionally from a peaceful acceptance towards greater awareness in an expanding reality that he is co-creating with the invigorating loving energy that he is able to connect with from his work (when he merges with all that he is).
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December is self-improvement month at this blog — let’s all get in touch with our best true selves and make this our month to end the year at our best. I’ll feature lots of content to improve the inner and outer us. Check back frequently.
Eric
The Secret
Did Rhonda Byrne actually use
the Emerald Tablet as her source
for The Secret or was it
Abraham Hicks?
Lift (free): With Lift, you create habits like “floss” or “hug my wife” and check them off each day you perform them. It then tracks how many consecutive days you’ve performed a habit and how many days overall. You can encourage others by commenting or giving “props.” Available on web and iOS.
Habit Streak (free): An app with much of the same functionality as Lift – tracking habits and creating streaks – but available on Android.
Beeminder: (free): “Reminders with a sting!” You set goals like losing weight, quitting smoking, or reducing time spent on Facebook. Beeminder gives you a financial incentive to meet those goals: if you fall off the wagon, you have to pay real money starting at $5, $10, and $30. Available on iOS and Android.
Everest (free): A goal-setting app that lets you break down goals into steps and reminds you to complete them. You can also save photos, thoughts, and quotes around your journey; copy other users’ steps and goals; and get encouragement via comments. Available on iOS.
Sociidot (free): A goal-setting app that lets you visualize goals and create “dots” for the steps you need to take to get there. Goals could range from losing weight to learning Chinese. Other users can agree to be your “advisors” and offer help when you’re stuck. You can also buy “roadmaps” that break down goals for you. Coming soon for iOS
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Solve your problems
Unstuck (free): An app that helps you resolve problems, get motivated, or deal with other “stuck” moments. You get tips, advice from other users, and digital coaching. One way it works is by diagnosing your actions: are you being a tunnel visionary, waffler, or lone leader? Available for iPad.
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Get happier
Happier(free): An app where you share positive moments in your day with a simple note or photo. According to research, doing this three times daily can give your overall happiness a boost. You also get support from the community, who can “smile” or comment on your updates. Available on iOS.
MoodTune($89.99): An app to treat depression, stress, and anxiety based on neuroscience research, which has shown that depression is related to reduced activation in certain brain regions. By doing 30 minutes of exercises per day, you can help increase activation. Available on iOS and Android.
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Relax and reduce stress
Stress Check (free): An app that measures your heart rate variation using the camera and light features on your smartphone. You can then use the Stress Doctor app to reduce stress. Available for Android.
Headspace (free): An app with daily guided meditations to help you relax, increase creativity, reduce distraction, and more. To get more content, you can sign up for a subscription as low as $5.74 per month. Available on iOS and Android.
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Exercise your mind
Lumosity (free): Online brain training exercises that can improve your memory, attention, flexibility, problem solving, and speed. You can upgrade your membership to get more games and track your progress. Available on iOS.
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December is self-improvement month at this blog — let’s all get in touch with our best true selves and make this our month to end the year at our best. I’ll feature lots of content to improve the inner and outer us. Check back frequently.
This series is intended to be useful as a daily routine. Spiritual development is best accomplished by working at it daily. In fact, as far as my research goes, its the only way. This is the introductory module. Additional programs will cover Chopra’s seven laws of spiritual success that are detailed in his book, “The 7 Laws of Spiritual Success” — practicing one each day is recommended. Links to the seven modules will be added at the end of this post as I publish the remaining modules.
I’ll provide other resources as well — thus, the series will be suitable for any level of development. This is not a substitute for a biblical regimen nor any religious practices. The material probably will not in any way detract from any religious practices. I hope that the material is useful. Any comments are appreciated. ~ Eric
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The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
Success Introduction Deepak Chopra defines success as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals. This definition is quite different to society’s rules for success, which is almost always connected to material gain or external recognition. Although these things are often the result of success, it is by no means the cause or even the definition of success.
One of the most fundamental lessons in The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success is that true and lasting success is an internal process and that it has very little to do with what goes on outside of you.
When you realize that who you really are is not your body, but that you are essentially a spiritual being having a human experience, you can start to shift your attention to creating not just success but that sense of inner peace, fulfillment and joy that is the very purpose of your life here on earth.
Living with an inner sense of peace every day of your life, having harmonious and joyous relationships, contributing to life and having energy, enthusiasm and eagerness is what The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success is all about.
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Program Description Many of us grew up with the belief that achieving success requires relentless hard work, grim determination and intense ambition. As a result, we may have struggled for years and even reached some of our goals but wound up feeling exhausted, our lives out of balance. As Deepak Chopra observes in his transformational work The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, such desperate striving isn’t necessary or even desirable. In the natural world, creation comes forth with ease. A seed doesn’t struggle to become a tree ― it unfolds in grace.
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Establishing a true self is essential.
In addition to what is on my blog,
I am exploring Chopra’s 21-day Desire
and Destiny guided program — as seen
on Oprah TV.
What you decide to do with your money and how you spend it shows the values that you have. Values which you will then pass on to your children and their children regarding lifestyle choices and how to use their own money. Values which can last long after you are no longer living.
We spend most of our waking hours trying to earn money. It is a large part of our lives! While it is true that money cannot buy you happiness, what you decide to do with it can determine whether the life you live is meaningful or not. Hence, what you choose to do with your money can make or break your happiness.
Personally I know that life is not all about money. Yet, subconsciously I still wanted as much money and assets as possible. I don’t think there is anything wrong with earning as much money as…
If with stillness in peaceful serenity I may get it that…
1) Parallel with every perception of conditions, people, or situations that appear ‘wrong, bad or evil’ — there probably always is a deeper good. Deeper good reveals itself both within us and out there if we can come into an inner acceptance of what is.
2) No matter how comfortable we may be, there will always be dissolving of form. The madness of suffering brings about openings — loss must appear — don’t resist this — acceptance is essential for growth.
3) Form is temporary. However, growth while in form is essential for true self to come into or to maintain an alignment in the wholeness of living — live as if whatever suffering may occur is completely acceptable.
Its a process. Take time now to contemplate this process.
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Program Description
Eckhart Tolle points us toward the deeper dimensions of stillness we access when we’re no longer in the service of the thinking mind. When loss appears in your life, don’t resist it. Resisting contracts consciousness by actions of looking out for number one and inventing enemies to oppose; by resisting and excluding. Accept what is. Even if this means accepting that you cannot accept what is. See what happens when allowing acceptance. Resistance and excluding and resenting and so on is always uncomfortable and often is painful. Accepting and exploring suffering is a way to disengage the ego and to become again open and thus for consciousness to again expand — not my will but thy will be done, my God.
Study suggests health benefits from ‘easy exercise’ by KGW staff @KGWNews
Dread that trip to the gym? A new study done by a professor at Oregon State University suggests you can get the same health benefits from small bouts of activity as you do with that 30 minute workout at the gym.
Going to the gym to get that hardcore workout, working up a sweat to burn off those calories is the price many have to pay to stay in shape. Not necessarily, says exercise expert Brad Cardinal. Cardinal is a professor of exercise and sport science at Oregon State University. He co-authored a national study that challenges the way we think about exercise.
“This is based on 6,000 people 18 to 85 years old, and they were wearing these little accelerometers,” explained Cardinal. Each participant wore an accelerometer which tracked how many calories they burned a day by doing pretty normal daily activities.
Cardinal discovered the secret was incorporating small increments of activity throughout the day. “As short as one or two minutes, but less then ten minutes,” he explained, “compared to those who did 30 minutes accumulative long term physical activity … we found they had the same health outcomes.”
For example, by walking up three flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator, you burn about 20 more calories. Getting out of your car and going into a restaurant to get your lunch instead of sitting in the drive-through, you’ll burn about ten extra calories. And instead of buying those pre-washed and cut vegetables at the store, buy fresh and wash, slice and chop yourself. That will burn an additional 20 calories. Add an hour at the mall instead of online shopping and you’ll burn altogether about 300 calories. That’s about the same as a trip to the gym. And in some cases, Cardinal said, these short bouts of activity are even better for you.
“We really find that can have really positive health benefits for people in terms of their cholesterol level, reducing their blood pressure, even their waist size,” said Cardinal.
So you don’t have to worry anymore if you don’t have time to go to the gym just as long as you make movement a part of your every day. Another benefit to this active lifestyle approach to exercise is that people actually do it more.
Researchers found 43 percent of those who participated in the “short bouts” of activity got their 30 minutes of exercise a day. That’s compared to only ten percent of those doing the longer bouts.
Need some suggestions on calorie burning activities?
Here’s a few more:
Thirty minutes of folding clothes will burn 72 calories
Three hours of playing cards burns about 350 calories
And in the spirit of Valentines Day, 30 minutes of kissing will burn off about 36 calories.
KGW Reporter Keely Chalmers contributed to this report
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December is self-improvement month at this blog — let’s all get in touch with our best true selves and make this our month to end the year at our best. I’ll feature lots of content to improve the inner and outer us. Check back frequently.
“When you smile you don’t only appear to be more likable and courteous, you appear to be more competent.”
Program Description Ron Gutman reviews a raft of studies about smiling, and reveals some surprising results. Did you know your smile can be a predictor of how long you’ll live — and that a simple smile has a measurable effect on your overall well-being? Prepare to flex a few facial muscles as you learn more about this evolutionarily contagious behavior.
As a graduate student at Stanford, Gutman organized and led a multidisciplinary group of faculty and graduate students from the schools of Engineering, Medicine, Business, Psychology and Law to conduct research in personalized health and to design ways to help people live healthier, happier lives.
Ron Gutman is the founder and CEO of HealthTap, free mobile and online apps for health info. He’s also the organizer of TEDxSiliconValley. Gutman is an angel investor and advisor to health and technology companies such as Rock Health (the first Interactive Health Incubator) and Harvard Medical School‘s SMArt Initiative (“Substitutable Medical Apps, reusable technologies”).
Thanks for learning with me. “Don’t worry… be happy!”
I know I’d rather be smiling 400 times per day than not. Come back often because there is lots more to learn.
Success in life could be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals. Success is the ability to fulfill your desires with effortless ease. And yet success, including the creation of wealth, has always been considered to be a process that requires hard work, and it is often considered to be at the expense of others. We need a more spiritual approach to success and to affluence, which is the abundant flow of all good things to you. With the knowledge and practice of spiritual law, we put ourselves in harmony with nature and create with carefulness, joy, and love.
Thanks for visiting.
Eric
This doesn’t mean that you must give up the intention to create your desire.
But what is empathy? It’s the ability to step into the 
Highly empathic people (HEPs) have an insatiable curiosity about strangers. They will talk to the person sitting next to them on the bus, having retained that natural inquisitiveness we all had as children, but which society is so good at beating out of us. They find other people more interesting than themselves but are not out to interrogate them, respecting the advice of the oral historian Studs Terkel: “Don’t be an 
We all have assumptions about others and use collective labels — e.g., “Muslim fundamentalist,” “welfare mom” — that prevent us from appreciating their individuality. HEPs challenge their own preconceptions and prejudices by searching for what they share with people rather than what divides them. An episode from the history of US race relations illustrates how this can happen.
So you think ice climbing and hang-gliding are extreme sports? Then you need to try experiential empathy, the most challenging — and potentially rewarding — of them all. HEPs expand their empathy by gaining direct experience of other people’s lives, putting into practice the Native American proverb, “Walk a mile in another man’s moccasins before you criticize him.”
There are two traits required for being an empathic conversationalist.
Eric
1. I will make a list of all my desires. I will carry this list with me wherever I go. I will look at this list before I go into my silence and meditation. I will look at it before I go to sleep at night. I will look at it when I wake up in the morning.
from 
the Hunt for Truth 