April Showers Bring April Showers
By
Julie Clark Robinson
"Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby."
-Langston Hughes.
Yesterday, I was strangely excited. The sky stayed dark all day and my battered wind chimes worked overtime. "Clang, clang….the weatherman wants to tell you something…" I stopped working for a minute and let my senses drink it in. "Clang, clang…get off your ass and turn on the TV". After months of frosty air, I cracked open my office window and felt actual warmth seeping in. "Clang, thump! Rumble, rumble, rumble, thud." The trash can was rolling down the street, so I pulled myself out of my giddy trance and went downstairs to investigate.
For the billionth time since the advent of Cable TV, I silently thanked the powers that be for the wonder that is The Weather Channel. There's no guesswork when the sky turns greenish black; just cold, pelting facts. As it turned out, my trusty wind chimes were right -- we had 40 mph gusts and a severe thunderstorm warning. This is the stuff that excites me.
As it turned out, I didn't need to gather my loved ones and scurry down to the basement with flashlights and bottled water. But, I did enjoy my first thrill of spring. My daughter has a shiny yellow slicker, matching knee-high rubber boots (a.k.a. Christopher Robin) and a lady bug umbrella to arm her for springtime in the Midwest. I have kitchen drawer full of batteries, basic cable and an eye to the sky.
I realize that most people dread the soggy season that sits between winter's coziness and the freedom of summer. But I don't like "dreading" anything. It's a waste of time and energy. To me, excitement equals happiness and any change in the weather is down right thrilling for me.
These days, my whole family enjoys Mother Nature's mood swings. The rainy season means we get to jump over the worms on the driveway on the way to the mailbox. I learned that my shine enhancing shampoo for brunettes gets equally luminous results on the coat of a muddy black lab. And, after a while, the constant thumping of wet sneakers in the dryer is barely audible.
Today seems rather boring by comparison. It's not hot, not cold. No sun, fog, cloud rotation or precipitation in any of its glorious forms. If I were to venture outside, I wouldn't need any special kind of equipment at all. What fun is that? I think I'll just curl up with The Weather Channel and see what's brewing for the rest of the week.
Activity Exercise: The next time it rains, put on something plastic and head out the door for a walk. (Check The Weather Channel first, of course, to make sure that you won't be pelted with baseball size hail. I said I like adventure, not pox marks.) Stick it out for a while. Walk away any anxiety you may have about getting your hair wet, or muddying your shoes. After a while, you'll realize that it's just water and, even better…what's that strange feeling? Invigoration.
Clear Thinking - Ten Ways
Does your mind sometimes feel like a television station you can't quite tune in? You know there's an interesting program on - or several, but everything is mixed with static. What if you could "tune in" at will, have clear thinking whenever you want it? Try some of the following.
Ten Clear Thinking Techniques And Tips
1. Take a walk. Science will eventually prove this to be a great way to improve the quality of your thinking, but don't wait for the proof. Aren't there enough other reasons to take a walk anyhow?
2. Stay away from sugar. If you want to understand what brain fog is, eat a sugary donut on an empty stomach, then do math problems twenty minutes later. What you will experience, along with the "sugar blues," is brain fog. At least lay off sugar and simple carbohydrates when you need to think clearly.
3. Organized space means clear thinking. It's rare that a person can actually work better in clutter. Organised working space means you won't have the thought "where is that..." distracting your mind.
4. Get better sleep. Sleep requirements vary, but the minimum for most is somewhere around five hours. Some suffer if they sleep less than eight hours. The research, however, indicates that after a certain minimum quantity, the quality of sleep is more important to normal brain function.
5. Try meditating. No time? Just close your eyes, relax, and watch your breath for a while. Accept that your mind will wander, but continually return your attention to your breath. Five minutes of this, and afterwards you'll feel a boost in your brainpower.
6. Resolve your "mind irritations." Watch your busy brain. Maybe a call you need to make has been bothering you, just below consciousness. Find these stressors, and do something to let them go. For example, make that call, or put it on a list, and your mind will let go of it for now. Just seeing a problem and saying, "There's nothing I can do about this until Friday," will often stop unconscious worrying.
7. Don't drink alcohol. At least don't drink too much. While moderate amounts can be conducive to creative thinking, all the evidence says that it is bad for the long-term health of your brain.
8. Make decisions quickly. Nothing gets in the way of clear thinking like a dozen decisions hanging around unmade. If nothing else, decide when you'll make the decision.
9. Get some fresh air. Go outside and breath deeply through your nose. You'll get a good dose of oxtgen to your brain, and the change of surroundings can help clear your mind.
10. Satisfy your physical needs. Clear thinking is easier if you aren't too hungry, thirsty, or hot.
You can think more clearly starting today. There are certainly more than ten ways, but you really only need to make a few of them a habit to have a more powerful brain. Why not try one or two right now?
Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You'll find more at http://www.SelfImprovementNow.com
How to Tap Into Universal Wisdom
When I ask for guidance, I receive it. Sometimes I receive it in unexpected ways, but I always receive it.
Some people hear voices if they're clairaudient. Other people see pictures or symbols if they're clairvoyant. Still others are clairsentient and simply have a knowingness or a strong feeling. One woman I know has a strong sense of smell that guides her. The truth is that all of our senses are tuned in to receive higher channels of wisdom and knowledge, and our bodies are perfect receptors.
We may also receive guidance from synchronicities in our lives - those chance coincidences that aren't really coincidences at all. It's my general rule of thumb to pay attention and take action if I hear or see anything 3 times. If the guidance is strong, I take immediate action.
The question is: Are you asking for help and guidance? Are you expecting to receive it and then paying attention? When you receive guidance, do you act on it or do you ignore it out of the fear and doubt habit?
As we quiet the chatter in our minds and relax into the certainty that the guidance, clarity, and direction we desire is present, we are in a receptive state. When we receive the guidance and have the faith to act on it, we are affirming to the Universe that we are paying attention. The more we listen, the more we respond, the more we receive. The more grateful we are for the guidance we receive, the quicker the clarity comes.
Like any muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets, and the more confident you become in your ability. The more you know you have a direct connection with higher wisdom, the more calmly, confidently, joyfully, and successfully you can move forward in your life.
If you're new to this practice, here are some techniques I suggest to begin:
1. Sit in a quiet place with your eyes closed and begin to breathe deeply. If any thoughts of the outside world come into your mind, just allow them to drift and float away and refocus on your breathing.
2. Become clear on what you choose: perfect health, money, love, or help with a specific dilemma. Remember, nothing is too small and anything that is distracting you from living a life of love and joy is significant. Say silently something like this: "I ask for your help with this situation. Please give me the clarity, direction, and guidance that I need so that I may be the person I came here to be. My mind and my life are full and busy, and I'm new at this, so please make the guidance really clear and bring it to me in a way that I absolutely will recognize it. Thank you."
3. When you are complete, hold the thought that your guidance - the answer you requested - is coming to you in a wonderful way. Before you go to sleep at night, repeat the process.
4. It's often helpful, too, to write out your request on a piece of paper and put it underneath your pillow. As you drift off to sleep, allow yourself to focus on the thought that the entire Universe is working on your behalf to bring you the perfect answer to your request, and that you are ready, willing, and able to receive.
5. As you move throughout the day, expect the answers to come and pay attention. When you receive the guidance you've requested, take action immediately even if it doesn't make sense at first. Then, become grateful for the guidance you've received and celebrate how wonderful it is that the Universe cares about your every need and desire.
You are a precious being with great gifts to share, fully supported by the Universe to live a life that is rich, wonderful, joyful, loving and FUN! You are in this wonderful playground of life, and these resources are here for you to use to help you create the life you love to live with great ease and flow.
Most of all, remember that YOU DESERVE IT!
About The Author:
Debbie Friedman, M.S., C.Ht., is the Manifesting Maven who helps people consciously create the life they love to live. She is the creator of the popular Cleaning Out the Closet of Your Mind for Wealth series.
http://www.CleaningOutTheCloset.com
Julie Clark Robinson
"Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby."
-Langston Hughes.
Yesterday, I was strangely excited. The sky stayed dark all day and my battered wind chimes worked overtime. "Clang, clang….the weatherman wants to tell you something…" I stopped working for a minute and let my senses drink it in. "Clang, clang…get off your ass and turn on the TV". After months of frosty air, I cracked open my office window and felt actual warmth seeping in. "Clang, thump! Rumble, rumble, rumble, thud." The trash can was rolling down the street, so I pulled myself out of my giddy trance and went downstairs to investigate.
For the billionth time since the advent of Cable TV, I silently thanked the powers that be for the wonder that is The Weather Channel. There's no guesswork when the sky turns greenish black; just cold, pelting facts. As it turned out, my trusty wind chimes were right -- we had 40 mph gusts and a severe thunderstorm warning. This is the stuff that excites me.
As it turned out, I didn't need to gather my loved ones and scurry down to the basement with flashlights and bottled water. But, I did enjoy my first thrill of spring. My daughter has a shiny yellow slicker, matching knee-high rubber boots (a.k.a. Christopher Robin) and a lady bug umbrella to arm her for springtime in the Midwest. I have kitchen drawer full of batteries, basic cable and an eye to the sky.
I realize that most people dread the soggy season that sits between winter's coziness and the freedom of summer. But I don't like "dreading" anything. It's a waste of time and energy. To me, excitement equals happiness and any change in the weather is down right thrilling for me.
These days, my whole family enjoys Mother Nature's mood swings. The rainy season means we get to jump over the worms on the driveway on the way to the mailbox. I learned that my shine enhancing shampoo for brunettes gets equally luminous results on the coat of a muddy black lab. And, after a while, the constant thumping of wet sneakers in the dryer is barely audible.
Today seems rather boring by comparison. It's not hot, not cold. No sun, fog, cloud rotation or precipitation in any of its glorious forms. If I were to venture outside, I wouldn't need any special kind of equipment at all. What fun is that? I think I'll just curl up with The Weather Channel and see what's brewing for the rest of the week.
Activity Exercise: The next time it rains, put on something plastic and head out the door for a walk. (Check The Weather Channel first, of course, to make sure that you won't be pelted with baseball size hail. I said I like adventure, not pox marks.) Stick it out for a while. Walk away any anxiety you may have about getting your hair wet, or muddying your shoes. After a while, you'll realize that it's just water and, even better…what's that strange feeling? Invigoration.
Clear Thinking - Ten Ways
Does your mind sometimes feel like a television station you can't quite tune in? You know there's an interesting program on - or several, but everything is mixed with static. What if you could "tune in" at will, have clear thinking whenever you want it? Try some of the following.
Ten Clear Thinking Techniques And Tips
1. Take a walk. Science will eventually prove this to be a great way to improve the quality of your thinking, but don't wait for the proof. Aren't there enough other reasons to take a walk anyhow?
2. Stay away from sugar. If you want to understand what brain fog is, eat a sugary donut on an empty stomach, then do math problems twenty minutes later. What you will experience, along with the "sugar blues," is brain fog. At least lay off sugar and simple carbohydrates when you need to think clearly.
3. Organized space means clear thinking. It's rare that a person can actually work better in clutter. Organised working space means you won't have the thought "where is that..." distracting your mind.
4. Get better sleep. Sleep requirements vary, but the minimum for most is somewhere around five hours. Some suffer if they sleep less than eight hours. The research, however, indicates that after a certain minimum quantity, the quality of sleep is more important to normal brain function.
5. Try meditating. No time? Just close your eyes, relax, and watch your breath for a while. Accept that your mind will wander, but continually return your attention to your breath. Five minutes of this, and afterwards you'll feel a boost in your brainpower.
6. Resolve your "mind irritations." Watch your busy brain. Maybe a call you need to make has been bothering you, just below consciousness. Find these stressors, and do something to let them go. For example, make that call, or put it on a list, and your mind will let go of it for now. Just seeing a problem and saying, "There's nothing I can do about this until Friday," will often stop unconscious worrying.
7. Don't drink alcohol. At least don't drink too much. While moderate amounts can be conducive to creative thinking, all the evidence says that it is bad for the long-term health of your brain.
8. Make decisions quickly. Nothing gets in the way of clear thinking like a dozen decisions hanging around unmade. If nothing else, decide when you'll make the decision.
9. Get some fresh air. Go outside and breath deeply through your nose. You'll get a good dose of oxtgen to your brain, and the change of surroundings can help clear your mind.
10. Satisfy your physical needs. Clear thinking is easier if you aren't too hungry, thirsty, or hot.
You can think more clearly starting today. There are certainly more than ten ways, but you really only need to make a few of them a habit to have a more powerful brain. Why not try one or two right now?
Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You'll find more at http://www.SelfImprovementNow.com
How to Tap Into Universal Wisdom
When I ask for guidance, I receive it. Sometimes I receive it in unexpected ways, but I always receive it.
Some people hear voices if they're clairaudient. Other people see pictures or symbols if they're clairvoyant. Still others are clairsentient and simply have a knowingness or a strong feeling. One woman I know has a strong sense of smell that guides her. The truth is that all of our senses are tuned in to receive higher channels of wisdom and knowledge, and our bodies are perfect receptors.
We may also receive guidance from synchronicities in our lives - those chance coincidences that aren't really coincidences at all. It's my general rule of thumb to pay attention and take action if I hear or see anything 3 times. If the guidance is strong, I take immediate action.
The question is: Are you asking for help and guidance? Are you expecting to receive it and then paying attention? When you receive guidance, do you act on it or do you ignore it out of the fear and doubt habit?
As we quiet the chatter in our minds and relax into the certainty that the guidance, clarity, and direction we desire is present, we are in a receptive state. When we receive the guidance and have the faith to act on it, we are affirming to the Universe that we are paying attention. The more we listen, the more we respond, the more we receive. The more grateful we are for the guidance we receive, the quicker the clarity comes.
Like any muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets, and the more confident you become in your ability. The more you know you have a direct connection with higher wisdom, the more calmly, confidently, joyfully, and successfully you can move forward in your life.
If you're new to this practice, here are some techniques I suggest to begin:
1. Sit in a quiet place with your eyes closed and begin to breathe deeply. If any thoughts of the outside world come into your mind, just allow them to drift and float away and refocus on your breathing.
2. Become clear on what you choose: perfect health, money, love, or help with a specific dilemma. Remember, nothing is too small and anything that is distracting you from living a life of love and joy is significant. Say silently something like this: "I ask for your help with this situation. Please give me the clarity, direction, and guidance that I need so that I may be the person I came here to be. My mind and my life are full and busy, and I'm new at this, so please make the guidance really clear and bring it to me in a way that I absolutely will recognize it. Thank you."
3. When you are complete, hold the thought that your guidance - the answer you requested - is coming to you in a wonderful way. Before you go to sleep at night, repeat the process.
4. It's often helpful, too, to write out your request on a piece of paper and put it underneath your pillow. As you drift off to sleep, allow yourself to focus on the thought that the entire Universe is working on your behalf to bring you the perfect answer to your request, and that you are ready, willing, and able to receive.
5. As you move throughout the day, expect the answers to come and pay attention. When you receive the guidance you've requested, take action immediately even if it doesn't make sense at first. Then, become grateful for the guidance you've received and celebrate how wonderful it is that the Universe cares about your every need and desire.
You are a precious being with great gifts to share, fully supported by the Universe to live a life that is rich, wonderful, joyful, loving and FUN! You are in this wonderful playground of life, and these resources are here for you to use to help you create the life you love to live with great ease and flow.
Most of all, remember that YOU DESERVE IT!
About The Author:
Debbie Friedman, M.S., C.Ht., is the Manifesting Maven who helps people consciously create the life they love to live. She is the creator of the popular Cleaning Out the Closet of Your Mind for Wealth series.
http://www.CleaningOutTheCloset.com