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I am with my family, and we have a garden. We are short on toilet paper, and there's no flour, milk, nor pasta in the supermarkets. We can work from home and so far our salaries are not affected too much. Every day when I check the news, I feel so much gratitude for the privileged situation we are in. Nevertheless, I do feel anxiety creeping in now and then. Then it sits with me like a bad taste. I am worried about my parents who live several hours away by themselves, and I won't be able to see them any time soon. And I am concerned about all the people out there who are affected directly and harshly by the virus. I donate money, order from little shops and participate in online events of all sorts, but I also do get overwhelmed.

I think you could start by having a bit more faith in yourself :) For many years, I thought the same as you. I was very indecisive (sometimes I still am), and when I did make a decision, it always felt like the wrong one. Looking back now, I see that my decisions led me to where I am today, which is not a bad place to be. Learn to tap into and trust your intuition. Make decisions from your HEART, not your head, and one of the most important lessons I have learnt is that YOU ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS. A daily gratitude practice might help with the feeling you have of being a failure. It could be something small, by finding 5 things at the end of the day that you're grateful for, that made you smile, or that you did well or are good at. Within a few days of doing this exercise you might already see a positive change. I wish you all the best. ✨

I am reading posts concerning anxiety, stress, sexual release, depression, etc. There is only one way out of these insecurities and that is by understanding that there is a spiritual resource. We must have knowledge, faith and trust in a higher dimension that oversees our well being. Of course we must take responsible action and learn from our experiences. In time we become more intuitive to what serves our highest good. Gratitude to God for Love and what's in the highest good of all concerned.?

@BeingBre hi, you seem like a wonderful, compassionate soul that has enough light to keep shining within yourself-nourishing your soul, while also shining your bright light on your partner to help guide her out of isolating and bringing her back to her self, her self-love, her gratitude and appreciation for your thoughtfulness as she sees your consistency and unwavering choice to be her partner in this and you two can grow much stronger as individuals and as partners. All relationships take effort and making the choice to keep showing up through the hard stuff as well as enjoying the easier, lighter times when we feel more connected. But it’s getting through the hard stuff together that makes our relationships so much stronger for it. Anyone can be there just for the easy parts, but when you really care, and I see you do, a real relationship blossoms from being there through everything. And the more she sees your consistent, unwavering loving kindness to her-the more you will draw her best self back out and her gratitude and appreciation will be abundant. Because she’s introverted apart from depression, you can ask her how can I help you? You can tell her you are not sure when she genuinely needs some time to herself to rest and replenish because she’s so exhausted to the bone, and ask her to help you know the difference and how you can help her feel connected to you. Sometimes if the depression is bad, she just might not be able to find the words or she might subconsciously pull back with wrong guilty feelings of being a burden to you, I’ve experienced both of those myself. Things got so much better for my husband and I when he finally stopped showing resentment for me and saying hurtful things that rightfully made me feel like a burden. And none of us want to feel like that. When my husband gave up on me, when my friends gave up on me, I gave up on myself and there was nowhere good for me to go from there. But, when they learned what my illness really is and what it is not, and showed up and showed up with so much love and friendship, it gave me wings to fight my illness and its symptoms harder and harder and never stop fighting to live my best life and work past it all to nurture my relationships with those few that I saw were Really there for me. I know it’s tough, but do not take any of it personally- remember it’s an illness, not her fault and some things with this illness are always going to be out of our control. Also, she may not understand a lot of what’s going on with her. I didn’t with myself for so many years and that in itself is scary. I have faith in your strength, you seem a lot more emotionally intelligent than my dear husband. And as you both learn more about how depression affects her, what triggers it, what generates Seratonin-the good feels and joy and also calm for her-the more knowledge that is had and communicated, the less doubt you will have and less fear of the unknown, plus the more faith you will have in your future together. Having friends and family to support in the ways they can is wonderful, but no one really gets it unless they have gone through it themselves- so I am always still here as a friend to help you or both of you with all that I have learned and all of the tools that I keep in my daily practice, plus the mental strength and resilience that I did not have before but I cultivated. You can even inbox me any time.

Life After Death After death every soul who comes toward the Light when they leave the body is welcomed with Unconditional Love. After death each soul goes through a review, like a holographic experience, in which they experience the feelings of those who came in contact with them - the ones who felt love and the ones who were hurt, and they will feel those feelings exactly as the other people felt them, in real time. This teaches a profound lesson in empathy, compassion, understanding and forgiveness and so on. The soul, set free of the bounds of a constricting material container, is able to expand as it rises gently toward the Light, which is the Light of Unconditional Love, generated and sustained, with the help of our Legions of Angels and Master Guides, for the purpose of welcoming and enveloping the Homecoming soul. Each soul is welcomed, as the prodigal son was welcomed in the Bible story, regardless of the quality of the life lived. Every one of God's Precious Creations is welcomed with celebration and joy. After a period of rest, as needed depending upon the circumstances surrounding the departure from the body, the individual soul will go through a process of review which encompasses all the events and emotional connections which were made during the past life, under the mentorship of a highly evolved Guide. This process includes a reversal of roles, in real time, so that the soul may experience the feelings and thoughts of all the others who came in contact with him/her in any important way. S/he will feel all the disappointment, pain, anguish and anger which resulted from his/her own actions, as well as the actions of Love and community, compassion and forgiveness which led others to positive turns in their paths. The process of reviewing and feeling the darkness one has caused leaves the soul with greater understanding of the effect of dark actions on others, and inspires deeper empathy, compassion ad forgiveness. It also encourages the attitude of taking responsibility for one's actions, which tends to carry forward into subsequent lives. You can see now why the experience of living many lives, in many different circumstances and historical periods, would tend to hone a soul of greater integrity, depth and virtue. The optimal soul path is one which carries the person along a trajectory toward greater and greater challenges, by living lives of greater degrees of difficulty as the soul grows in stature and confidence. "If it doesn't kill you (or even if it does) it will probably make you stronger" From Spirit's perspective, "death" is just a familiar transition from one plane to another, characterized by great learning and evolution of the soul - a thing to be celebrated. Of course, there are sometimes occasions where an ambitious soul takes on more than s/he can bear, or unforeseen shifts in the trajectory of a life may bring devastating hardship. Because of our free will contract, nothing is absolutely predetermined, although possibilities can often be seen in advance of an event. Therefore, a lifetime on Gaia has always held a sense of mystery, anticipation and great excitement for the brave souls who venture here. There is nearly unlimited variety in the possible choice of experiences - rich or poor, male or female, black, white, yellow or red - all options are encouraged as the soul works their way along the Ascension path through hundreds, even thousands of lifetimes. Many of those souls who were born in the early days of Planet Earth are now working their way up the Ascension ladder to positions of responsibility as Ascended Masters in the higher realms of the 7th through the 13th dimension. Although inexperienced souls do not have access to the higher realms because the frequencies there would not be tolerable for them, souls from higher dimensions can descend to be of service to those who follow, as they most often do in some form. God, Holy Spirit, Ascended Masters, Spirit Guides, Angels and Archangels of the high realms oversee with compassion and deepest love as their dear children struggle through enormous challenges which test their valor, their integrity and their capacity for Love and Forgiveness. Some lifetimes may be more successful in one area or another, but all are fodder for learning and advancement, and all are looked upon with the utmost respect, because those in Spirit Realm are well aware of the inherent level of difficulty which is inevitable in a life on Gaia in 3D, where even the privileged and well-loved individuals encounter difficulties. The goal of this process is to elevate yourselves to higher expressions of Love, Compassion, Forgiveness, Gratitude and Empathy, nothing else. In terms of soul evolution, it matters not at all whether you achieve great wealth or fame. Money, awards and accolades may make the journey more pleasant for a time, but they are not a measure of soul value or progress at all, in spite of the way you have pursued those things in your Western cultures above all else. These pursuits are unfortunate distractions, except in rare circumstances where the individual uses their position of wealth and fame to lift others from despair, poverty, and injustice. As you can probably discern from this description, the process of soul evolution is largely reviewed and understood at the end of a life, in the Bardo, that place in the 4th dimension where planning and evaluation has taken place in the past. From there, souls have had the option to pursue training, teaching and learning in progressively higher realms, with or without further sojourns to "Boot Camp" on Gaia. However, it is understood throughout the Multiverse that soul-training on Gaia is the most perfectly-tailored testing ground to develop the higher frequency Light-filled qualities of Love and other virtues, which are considered the God qualities. Consider yourselves courageous, no matter how bogged down and confused you might be feeling at present. Please ponder this carefully and pass it on to your family members and acquaintances. Many will find this information enlightening, since it has been largely unavailable to those who are still in a body. Thank you for reading, God Bless You, Enjoy the ride, Love & Light, Namaste, OM Ω

I am sorry for what has happened in your life. Taking responsibility for what happened is very powerful. Now, you must move on. Accept your choices and realize what the lessons are. Your children need their mother. I don't know how old your children are, however you are setting them up with a "program" when they see and observe your reactions to what happened. Stay strong, count your blessings and keep making moves forward, no going back, no going over and over in your mind what happened, let it go. Stay in a attitude of gratitude for what you do have. You can't let your mistakes keep you from the wonderful life you are destined to have. Peace & Love.

Hello everyone. My name is Navy and I just joined this community. I am a seeker of light, and all things spirituality. If anyone likes a good read, I would check out, “The Power of Now,” by Eckhart Tolle. its important to be present, and I can’t stress that enough. We are so stuck in our heads about the past and future. But all we have is now. If we aren’t creating the lives we keep envisioning for ourselves now, the future will always be just these thoughts without the actions of putting what we want into action now. Time is an illusion, and we are more powerful then this illusion. we must be mindful of our thoughts and actions. Enjoy the little things in the now. Look at what is around you. Focus on your senses, be full of gratitude. if anyone is interested in having deep conversations, wants someone to talk too, whether it’s just to vent, or for advice, or just to explore ideas back and forth, I am here for you all. stay mindful. Focus on your life path. Find yourself. You are not alone. We can do this together. Stay present, and always be the best version of yourself, for you should want to be the change you want to see in the world. You have a purpose. you are more than your thoughts. Let’s embrace our inner soul and manifest the life we desire. all love, Navy☮️

I just read an article about gratitude and the benefits of having a gratitude practice, and it really resonated with me! I recently also saw a video that reminded me of how our thoughts control so much of how we're feeling, both physically and mentally, and I think a gratitude practice plays a big part in that. It's easy to wake up and think 'Ugh, am I getting ill? Am I actually really tired still? Will this day suck?" and that will then influence your day and your state of mind negatively. It is so easy for us to focus on the negative, and allowing problems to take over our whole mind making everything feel terrible. But, making a habit of writing down, saying out loud, our just thinking to your self, 3 things that you are grateful for can really help with that mindset. 'Count your blessings' might sound super cheesy, but it can actually be a great place to start your gratitude practice. Do you have a gratitude practice? In what way has it been helpful to you?

Hello Gurudatt, how wonderful that you are back here to share your insights! Especially as we all need to be mindful of the time we spend online. With gratitude, Tine

So happy to read that I’m not the only one falling asleep during the body scan. I am at peace with that though and happy my body can rest. I was reading one of the other posts by Borahbestie about keeping the mind on task in yoga and being distracted in the body scan and sitting ted and I don’t know how to reply directly so I’m writing here. I was wondering if it has to do with the ‘doing’ element of movement versus the not moving and sense of not doing something? We are so conditioned to always be doing something productive that it’s hard to be still. Before this course I has a regular routing of one hour yoga followed by 45 mins - 1hr of sitting, but days that I had a lot on I was aware that I wasn’t enjoying the practices as much and there was a certain sense of rushing through them. If I was busy and chose to just sit, I felt like I hadn’t done enough and my body was uncomfortable not having stretched out first. My koan for a long time has been, ‘Who am I when I have nothing to do?’ It’s a real practice to not have a label and be content where we are. I’m noticing as I follow these practices that I also have a sense of not doing enough with just 30 mins of yoga and sitting. This is present in the stomach area. A sense of restlessness and some energy that wants to get up and go. Im so used to 1 hour of yoga that my mind is telling me it’s not enough. When I am able to let the thought go though I am actually enjoying the yoga and being told what to do. I know that I can’t count or breathe quicker and that I will be practising for the set amount of time of the video and so I let go into it and don’t try to rush. I guess that’s why people go to yoga classes instead of practice on their own. You give the body/mind permission to be in the moment for the time of the class. i still prefer silent sitting but I’m ok with that. I am aware of it and know that I will continue like that after the course and turn my mind to gratitude for those who he have put this course together to share. One day perhaps I will be sharing and others might not appreciate silence so it’s good to be exposed to many styles. The line from the Japanese song, ‘Good day? it’s up to you’ is really working for me. It’s my choice

Hi, Just did the first body scan and feeling a sense of stillness and happiness. As if the practice was soothing...just want to interact with anyone practicing and part of the same course.. with gratitude ... Ritika

Sorry; I saw 49 under you pic and assumed it was your age lol - classic newbie mistake. So it was your wife's idea for you to move in and she isn't there anymore? I would. encourage you to really think about what it is about being around your Mum that changes your behaviour negatively. I suspect that you are internalising some of the negativity around you and this is contributing to your shutting down/off. If you feel that you are taking on extra emotional stuff that can also impact on your other relationships making you feel more tired, frustrated, irritable etc. Your first reaction when you thought about moving in with her was a gut reaction of negativity - I trust this is based on previous experience and is worth listening to. I don't think you can do much about the silly arguments - besides say they could be a natural part of living closely. Maybe you and your son can get out of the house more before bickering starts. There is an exit strategy for everyone - but you may have to reach out to agencies that can put you in the direction of financial etc support. If you are going to accept your Mum's help; I think you are also choosing to accept any difficulties that come alongside. In which case; time outs, mindfulness practices, meditation etc may help with getting some headspace and balancing good and bad. Buddhism as a practice has plenty to say about being compassionate to those with faults in their characters (don't we all). It encourages people to give gratitude and compassion even if we are feeling negative things ourselves - a 'fake it till you make it strategy'. Also; have you ever sat your Mum down and asked her how she finds living with you? Could be a way to understand her better or correct anything which is negative.

What are you grateful for today? What are you thankful for this year? Let's reflect together on the positive! In our magazine, we have several articles about gratitude - how and why it has such a positive impact on our lives. For example: The top 5 benefits of gratitude practice - one of which are "Happier and more positive emotions." In the article about gratitude practices we learn that people who experience the most gratitude tend to: Feel a sense of abundance in their lives. Appreciate the contributions of others to their well-being. Recognise and enjoy life's small pleasures. Acknowledge the importance of experiencing and expressing gratitude. Another article introduces several kinds of gratitude journals. That's quite convincing, isn't it? So let's start by sharing what we are grateful for.

Hello! I just signed up as well. I can totally relate to your post. Mental health in the black community is non existent. I have thankfully found people and sources that made me realize that God is inside of us not outside. I believe that love and happiness is something you have to attain through living in the present moment with gratitude. Easier said than done of course, but life is a journey we have to handle with grace. I listen to gospel songs and replace them with self loving words as well! Thank you for sharing your post! I love your authenticity! Namaste

Practice this every morning & before going to sleep. Have seen massive changes in my own mindset & it is reflected back in my life. All our power is within us what we think we become, as our thoughts go out into the universe and are then returned to us in our life's circumstances. Therefore we attract what we think, so if your thinking is negative and unloving. Then the universe will reflect that in your day to day life to reinforce your thinking. So by practicing Gratitude for all you have even when times are hard your life slowly gets better.It can be small changes like dealing with situations differently rather than using ingrained behaviours that don't serve our greater good. Find myself smiling a lot more now seem to be going through a spiritual awakening which has been going on for about a year now. Made changes to remove toxic people from my life & have removed myself from situations where I do not feel valued i.e work. When you acknowledge you deserve abundance then it becomes more difficult to accept certain people or situations the way you used to. I'm not saying this is easy because it is not & can be heartbreaking to remove people whom you care about because you realize they are toxic for you. shed many many tears throughout this process and probably have more to shed, but I feel empowered & confident that I will now achieve everything I want to through this. I will no longer accept a crap life because I deserve better therefore every day I affirm this to myself which I believe I will manifest into my reality.I should add that doing this half heartedly probably won't work you must believe in it totally because we cannot reprogram our brain or fool our subconscious into this if we then resort back to old negative coping skills. You will still have bad days, but it's about shifting your perspective in relation to life's problems. I try seeing them as a Glitch & when negative thoughts enter my head I replace them with a loving or happy thought that way I reduce their power over me. Still got a long way to go with this but enjoying it. Truly believe 2020 is going to be the best year for me when all my manifesting starts appearing in my reality. Love & Light to you & don't give up it's probably one of the kindest most loving things we can do for ourselves. We all need healing from past traumas or hurts & when we heal we become closer connected to our own divine self& it's awesome hope this help. ??

Thank you big hug straight back at ya lol spent the playing music & dancing round my kitchen always lifts my spirits , music & dance soothe the soul. I'm gonna manifest my perfect life through gratitude until it becomes my reality. We Are What We Think ?? ? Love & Light to u ?

Hey @aquachick! Sending a hug to you. Sure you will ride through this difficult moment. Showing gratitude really helps through tough times.

I just read this thread on Quora, and thought it a great piece of advice to share: What are the lessons people most often learn too late in life? Sharyn Wolf (LCSW-R, Psychotherapist in private practice in New York City) writes the following: I am 67 years old. These are among the best things I have ever learned: You spend your first 20 years worrying what people think about you. You spend your next 20 years swearing that you don’t care what people think about you. You spend the next 20 years realising that they aren’t thinking about you. A liberation! Any day on this side of the dirt is a good day. Some people didn’t make the cut last night. I was hit by a speeding taxi as I was walking to a bus stop. I spent a month in rehab with two broken legs, a brain injury, multiple back injuries and other fractures. The night before I was hit, a young, married couple was also hit. They both died. Practice gratitude. A woman I know spends most of her time thinking about how much she hates her thighs. She can give you a detailed report on what is wrong with them. She forgets all the places those legs have taken her, all the miles they have walked for her. It doesn’t occur to her that when she gets up in the middle of the night to pee, those very thighs walk her to the toilet. Spend more time appreciating what you’ve got— a heart that beats, a way to pick up your cup of coffee, the eyes that see that cup and know what colour it is. Blessings abound. There are two kinds of people in this world – those who believe there is enough to go around, and those who don’t. Here is an example: If Margo is leaning up against the car kissing her boyfriend, and I think how nice that must feel, do I try to steal Margo’s boyfriend or do I go out and get my own boyfriend? I go out and get myself a boyfriend. I don’t need to steal Margo’s. I know that there is enough to go around. An old Native American woman was asked why she was always so happy. She said that she has two wolves in her heart and they are both hungry— one wolf is angry and evil, the other wolf is filled with love, and that's the only one she feeds. Happy Friday, everyone!

This popped on on my fb so I was happy of course to join. Ive studied many religions, philosophies, LOA books, motivational talks, Abraham, the classic books such as Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainence to Louise L Hay, Deepak Chopra and many, many more. They have all been a joy, a gift and enriched my life. Ultimately, I feel happiness can be found in gratitude and joy in the present moment. Its great and important to have dreams, visions and goals but the right energy invested in the present is the key to happiness (and the most joyous route to take you anywhere). I really believe we are just part of a huge energy source, vibrating according to our conscious and subconscious thoughts. Mindfulness matters and life is a journey through the evolution of this consciousness. Happy to meet like minded people here and share positive vibes.

I am also in real need of this and mine is Gratuity Journal (Gratitude, list, positivity journal) Tomorrows todo list Hair Teeth Face Outfit for tomorrow Fall asleep think about something that made you smile that day. And yeah I feel a lot better when I do these. Especially the outfit. That is to big a decision to make in the morning. And why don't I always do this, I don't know hot weather or boredom, surfing the net, laziness. It works well when I do though. I like to keep it pretty simple too.

I keep coming across wonderful poems which open my eyes to the beauty in the world, remind me of lessons I have long forgotten, make me smell the flowers and open my heart with gratitude. So I thought we could start a collection here:

My journey into being more present was through MBSR. First, I did the course myself, and after looking back at the profound effects, it had on my personal life, I decided to become a teacher so I can share this. (You can find the course for free here in our academy) Looking back, there are several keys in my journey. First, I learned about the nature of thoughts and that I didn't have to believe them. Second I realized that I could influence where my attention goes and third I began to allow the present to take up more space in my consciousness. Especially gratitude - These days I realize that the more I end up in ruminations about the past or future the more I suffer (learning from experiences and planning for the future are fine though). When I focus on what is REAL, what is around me, which threats are present not imaginary, and then take in the good that surrounds me with gratitude, my life becomes much more relaxed, lighter, joyful, and I become kinder and more understanding yet clear in my boundaries.

This is a beautiful perspective that really resonates with me: When you water your gratitude seeds they will bloom with the flowers of happiness.

I like to start my day with a brief gratitude exercise and this motivates me throughout the day. For five minutes, I sit in silence with eyes closed. I start by first feeling acceptance for my present reality, no matter how good or bad it is, and slowly begin to think how worse everything could get as I am not entitled to anything. For 2 minutes I appreciate and give thanks to the Source that is responsible for supporting life every moment. And in the last minute, I thank the Source for a particular blessing, benefit I received a day before (for instance, salary coming in the bank, or paying off utility bills, or eating out etc). Ever since I came to realise that happiness is actually an effect, not cause, I have been passionately and actively trying to nurture gratitude. Happiness does not have power to create more happiness as it is just an effect or spent force that we spend in sensual pleasure. The result of indulging in happiness is distress because happiness is not a cause (seed). While gratitude or appreciation is the seed that creates happiness. Have you experienced this phenomena? Would love to know your views on this.

"Contentment gives real happiness. Happiness is a temporary "high", whereas contentment is a longer lasting, deeper feeling of satisfaction and gratitude for spiritual blessings and relationships." Do you agree with this phrase? Please share with me your thoughts...