The Journey of Life Has a Gift of Purpose

By Mbuso Mabuza

"Everything is guiding you to your authenticity. No matter what happens to you. It is all feedback and on the way. By asking quality questions that equilibrate the mind and liberate you from the bondage of pain, infatuation, resentment, and pride and shame, you are freed to be authentic, where you: love, feel inspired, are grateful, are present, are certain, and are enthused. In this state, you are capable of doing extraordinary feats." - Dr John Demartini, Human Behaviour Expert

Each day is a gift, and each day brings its own individual wonder. Understand the message in this gift and make the most of life.

Surely we ought to hold tightly to life, and also know when to let go, for it is wondrous, and full of a beauty that breaks through every pore of God's own earth. We know that this is so, but all too often we recognise this truth only in our backward glance when we remember what was and then suddenly realise it is no more.

To find meaning and significance in life, we must look back and observe the path we have taken. It will never be perfect, but we will surely find our own personal or professional achievements as well as those of others and society. It is the journey that is more important, and not the destination. Changing your attitude is crucial.

We can reflect on our journey away from the doom and gloom perspective, seeing instead an ocean of opportunity and prospects as self-actualised citizens. The capable and good in us must rise to the occasion. If we are to strive for true success, we must construct positive declarations written not only on paper, but on our hearts and conscious minds, inscribed in the animus of our existence as human beings, to act as rudders that will direct our paths. By doing so, we take control of setting into play what we desire to see as outcomes in our lives. The power and impact of our words wrought deep inside our core create unbreakable principles by which we can attain our highest values in life, business and society.

I challenge you to consider the infinite possibilities and to take control of your actions and the influences around you. Do not just go with the flow, but carve out a victorious path and inspire the same in others. Use your gifts and talents to serve with authenticity. Remember to prioritise your health and wellbeing as you journey along.

Sometimes, the journey of life may seem slow, painful, confusing, and energy-sapping, to such an extent that some people are all too ready to throw in the towel. Do not despair. Do not slack in your perseverance. Your mental shift can determine your destiny. If you want to change your life for the better, you need to stretch your mind. Value yourself, and face challenges with poise. Circumstances do not make you, but they reveal you.

What makes the value of anything in life? Not enjoyment, not possessions. Analyse everything. You will find that there is no value except – experience, to teach us something. And in many cases it is our hardships that give us better experience than enjoyment.

Your life is constantly under construction. There is always something to improve. You are here to make the world a better place. This life and its blessings has been given to us as a gift, to be passed on to others. To live your life in hatred is a lie. You came here to love. You came here to grow.

First of all, do no harm! The journey of life has a gift of purpose.

This book will be invaluable to every person who would like to live life to the fullest. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lekwandza Media
• Release date: Dec 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215318218

Mbuso Mabuza

Dr Mbuso Mabuza is a highly motivated and multi-skilled international public health professional who has served in the public and private sectors of different countries. He has served as a prevention specialist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and as a consultant at the World Bank, among others. His mission is to improve health outcomes and to expand quality healthcare experiences amongst all groups of people and influence change and innovation.

Book preview

Preface

Everything is guiding you to your authenticity. No matter what happens to you. It is all feedback and on the way. By asking quality questions that equilibrate the mind and liberate you from the bondage of pain, infatuation, resentment, and pride and shame, you are freed to be authentic, where you: love, feel inspired, are grateful, are present, are certain, and are enthused. In this state, you are capable of doing extraordinary feats.

Dr John Demartini, Human Behaviour Expert

Each day is a gift, and each day brings its own individual wonder. Understand the message in this gift and make the most of life.

Surely we ought to hold tightly to life, and also know when to let go, for it is wondrous, and full of a beauty that breaks through every pore of God’s own earth. We know that this is so, but all too often we recognise this truth only in our backward glance when we remember what was and then suddenly realise it is no more.

To find meaning and significance in life, we must look back and observe the path we have taken. It will never be perfect, but we will surely find our own personal or professional achievements as well as those of others and society. It is the journey that is more important, and not the destination. Changing your attitude is crucial.

We can reflect on our journey away from the doom and gloom perspective, seeing instead an ocean of opportunity and prospects as self-actualised citizens. The capable and good in us must rise to the occasion. If we are to strive for true success, we must construct positive declarations written not only on paper, but on our hearts and conscious minds, inscribed in the animus of our existence as human beings, to act as rudders that will direct our paths. By doing so, we take control of setting into play what we desire to see as outcomes in our lives. The power and impact of our words wrought deep inside our core create unbreakable principles by which we can attain our highest values in life, business and society.

I challenge you to consider the infinite possibilities and to take control of your actions and the influences around you. Do not just go with the flow, but carve out a victorious path and inspire the same in others. Use your gifts and talents to serve with authenticity. Remember to prioritise your health and wellbeing as you journey along.

Sometimes, the journey of life may seem slow, painful, confusing, and energy-sapping, to such an extent that some people are all too ready to throw in the towel. Do not despair. Do not slack in your perseverance. Your mental shift can determine your destiny. If you want to change your life for the better, you need to stretch your mind. Value yourself, and face challenges with poise. Circumstances do not make you, but they reveal you.

What makes the value of anything in life? Not enjoyment, not possessions. Analyse everything. You will find that there is no value except – experience, to teach us something. And in many cases it is our hardships that give us better experience than enjoyment.

Your life is constantly under construction. There is always something to improve. You are here to make the world a better place. This life and its blessings has been given to us as a gift, to be passed on to others. To live your life in hatred is a lie. You came here to love. You came here to grow.

First of all, do no harm! The journey of life has a gift of purpose.

This book will be invaluable to every person who would like to live life to the fullest. The main topics covered in this book are as follows: how emotionally fit are you; mastering and practising the art of living; how to build your self-esteem and self-confidence; how to improve yourself; the mental shift and positive change; the dynamic journey and experience of relationships; facing suffering and pain; finding peace in the midst of the storms of life; becoming a better version of you; finding meaning and making the most of life; prioritize your health and wellbeing.

Dr Mbuso Mabuza

Global Public Health Specialist, Medicine & Health Consultant, Life & Wellbeing Coach

chapter 1

How Emotionally Fit Are You?

Those who are the happiest are not necessarily those for whom life has been easiest. Emotional stability results from an attitude. It is refusing to yield to depression and fear, even when black clouds float overhead. It is improving that which can be improved and embracing that which is inevitable. - John C. Dobson

1.1 The key to optimal wellbeing and performance

TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE amidst the pressures of modern living, requires one to practise the principle that maintenance is better than repair. If you proactively apply sensible principles of understanding and managing yourself, you are more likely to be able to develop a healthy resistance against negative stress and other diseases of lifestyle. You optimise your emotional fitness, and in so doing improve your overall effectiveness and wellbeing. The benefits are lasting, and the practices you adopt become second nature to you and are weaved seamlessly into the way you live your life.

We achieve and optimise emotional fitness by complying with effective psychological self-management. Before we can effectively manage something though, we obviously need knowledge and insight about that which we are expected to manage – in this case – our psyche. This involves gaining an insight and understanding about our emotional make-up, why it is so, and the unique and powerful interplay between our thoughts, emotions and behaviour.

More specifically, we need to develop an intelligence and mastery in terms of our:

Intra-personal functioning

Understanding our emotions, the factors that determine them, and the influence they have on our behaviour and performance.

Inter-personal functioning

Effective assertiveness and conflict management and insight and understanding of interpersonal dynamics that influence our key relationships.

Experience and management of stress

Understanding what stress is – how it impacts on us both positively and negatively – accurate monitoring of stress levels and identification of sources of stress – use of proactive coping mechanisms which reduce the risk of suddenly suffering from one or more symptoms of negative stress.

Visioning, life planning and goal formulation

Ensuring that we live as opposed to merely existing. To have clarity about what we ultimately want (mission). Why we want it (vision), how we are going to achieve it (goals and time management), as well as the personal values that will guide us.

1.2 Intra-personal functioning

YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND your emotions, what determines them, and how they influence your behaviour. You then need to use this knowledge to positively control the power of your thoughts and the emotions that result – rather than be at the mercy of them. This is essentially what emotional intelligence is all about.

Developing the skill of proactivity is a key tactic in developing emotional intelligence. Being proactive implies taking the initiative and actively choosing your responses. It fosters the belief that you have control over outcomes and that you are merely a victim of circumstance.

Being proactive requires one to have clarity about what is of concern to you and of those things, which you actually have control over. The proactive person ensures that they do not squander mental and emotional energy on things which they have no control over. The concept is best summed up in the age-old serenity prayer: give us the courage to change the things we can, the serenity to accept those that we cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference.

You begin to improve your emotional intelligence by simply committing to learn more about yourself. This does not mean that you have to become an amateur psychologist or that you necessarily have to invest in a lengthy process of psychotherapy. Simply being more curious about why you behave the way you do is a good starting point. Remember that your personality and consequent behaviour is influenced by many factors such as upbringing, past experiences and current circumstances. Take the time to try and understand the possible connectedness between these factors and the current picture of you.

When last have you taken the time to quietly sit and review the path of your life from earliest memories, through each phase of your life, reflecting on the high and low points, however trivial they may seem now. Indulge yourself and do this exercise, and you will be surprised at how many clues you may get in understanding the uniqueness of you. Think about what makes you happy, sad, angry, inspired, scared, or excited? Take time out to address these questions and to examine the answers.

Sure, self-insight alone may not automatically change the behaviour that you wish to change, but it is very difficult to effect lasting change without the benefit of that insight. The secret is to indulge in this self-learning on an ongoing basis rather than have some crisis or emotional dysfunction prompt the need to find out more about yourself.

1.3 Inter-personal functioning

YOUR ABILITY TO MANAGE daily interactions, and the relationships they form part of has bearing on the levels of stress you are experiencing. Conflict for example, in one form or another, will occur in a relationship at some point. An inability to manage this conflict constructively can create significant negative stress. So too can inability to be assertive.

To be accommodating and to sacrifice your own needs to cater to those of others may seem the right thing at the time. You may also feel a short-term gain by simply avoiding conflict situations. Unfortunately, being excessively accommodating or avoiding, are the breeding ground for resentment and bitterness and contribute significantly to negative stress.

Assertiveness is often required to rectify this situation. Assertiveness is the ability to express needs, ideas and opinions openly and honestly, without violating the respect and dignity of the other party.

Assertiveness is more than just putting your foot down and saying no, and bravely confronting someone who has behaved in a way that you take exception to. It includes:

Giving and receiving criticism/compliments (and rejecting unreasonable criticism)

Initiating and terminating conversations

Seeking and disclosing required information

Doing so in a manner that does not violate the respect and dignity of the other person

Unassertiveness is invariably the result of irrational beliefs, which question the legitimacy of exercising assertiveness (e.g. if I disagree with them, they will reject and dislike me or I will be seen as hostile and aggressive if I stand my ground). These beliefs have often been entrenched by certain parenting, cultural or religious norms or by particularly significant life experiences and circumstances.

It is important to systematically challenge the irrational beliefs which are fuelling the unassertive behaviour and substitute them with legitimate beliefs. It is then important to accept that even having rectified your belief system, it still requires concerted effort and time to gradually unlearn the specific behaviours that have become entrenched over time.

There will be times when the person on the receiving end of your assertiveness (due to their own issues), will perceive your behaviour as aggressive or alienating and they will react in a way that tempts you to give in – if your behaviour truly meets the criteria of appropriateness – then it is their problem and do not back down!

1.4 Experience and management of stress

STRESS IS AN INEVITABLE part of living in these times. Not all stress is bad – in fact you need a certain amount of stress to function at your best. The secret is to ensure that managing stress becomes just one aspect of the way you understand and manage yourself. It is important that you do not rely solely on being shown the quickest and easiest route to alleviating any signs of negative stress so as to be able to become functional again in the shortest possible time. Unfortunately, with the pressures of modern living, it is very easy to fall into the trap of being too reactive in the way you manage stress. You need to ensure that you do not only start to manage your stress, when it has escalated to chronically high levels which are seriously affecting our ability to function normally.

1.4.1 What is stress?

STRESS IS YOUR SYSTEM’S (physical and psychological) response to any demand made upon it. Your initial response to this demand is characterised by physiological changes in: heart rate, blood pressure, adrenalin, stomach acidity and several other functions of our body. This initial response is a very necessary one which prompts your system into some type of coping. If the coping is unsuccessful however, this increased state of arousal persists and your system is placed under strain where a type of wear and tear occurs. When under this strain, your physical, emotional and mental resources are obviously drawn on. This makes you vulnerable to any of the many symptoms of negative stress. Unfortunately, if this strain persists further, our resources become completely depleted and we reach the stage of burnout which can seriously affect our ability to function normally.

1.4.2 How do I know I am experiencing negative stress?

UNFORTUNATELY, WE DO not always know when we are experiencing negative stress because it can manifest in many guises. We also develop a tolerance and acceptance of certain chronic symptoms of stress and begin to believe that they are normal.

The following are just some examples of the symptoms of negative stress:

Physical – muscle tension, headaches, indigestion, lower back pain, palpitations.

Emotional – oversensitive, irritable, feeling helpless and not in control, highly strung.

Behavioural – poor memory and concentration, disturbed sleep or eating patterns, abusing substances.

1.4.3 How Stress Affects Your Brainpower

WHILE NO ONE CAN AVOID having some stress in his or her life, ideally, you should attempt to avoid chronic stress. A person who suffers from chronic stress will produce more than the normal amount of stress hormones in their body. These excess hormones will affect the brain as well as the memory.

The worst hormone offender is cortisol, which can actually stop the brain from processing and storing a new memory. Cortisol can also keep the brain from retrieving memories that have already been stored. The neurotransmitters in the brain are what the brain cells use to convey information to each other. This is why you temporarily cannot remember much of anything when you are caught up in a stressful situation. You are confused simply because of a hormone overload! It is easy to see how chronic stress can affect your brainpower.

Recently, researchers discovered that whenever people are involved in stressful situations and are unable to manipulate the outcome, an enzyme becomes active in the brain. This enzyme goes by the name of PKC, which stands for Protein Kinase C. PKC has the ability to diminish the short term memory.

PKC also can affect the prefrontal cortex area of the brain. This area is used for decision making, and is called the executive function area of the brain because it controls so many important behaviours. The PKC enzyme also affects those who suffer from bipolar disease and schizophrenia. Studies have shown that stress can often bring on the first episode of either one of these illnesses. 

Stress can do long term damage to the developing brain of a child. One study targeted children who lived in poverty. These children were given tests that measured their level of stress. This was done twice, at the ages of 9 and 13. The objective of these tests was to determine such things as the amount of stress hormone that was present in each child’s system, and what their individual blood pressure readings were.

All of this information was carefully noted and filed away until these children reached the age of 17. At this point, they were all given another test. This test was to measure their working memory.  The results were rather shocking. Their degree of working memory depended on how long they had been poor. Long-term poverty equalled a damaged working memory, and stress was determined to be the main reason for this memory loss.

Stress can even affect those who are yet to be born. Another study took pregnant monkeys and subjected them to the stress of a loud noise for 10 minutes each day. The infant monkeys were tested, and found to have fewer neurons than infant monkeys who had not been stressed. A shortage of neurons, or brain cells, can thus be associated with stress. 

1.4.4 Tips to include in your stress-busting efforts

Good self-maintenance becomes critical. Moderate exercise and good nutrition becomes essential medicine. There are many other practices such as meditation, yoga, etc., which can prove invaluable in preventing and reducing negative stress.

Moderation. Do not make over-ambitious goals. Set yourself up for a few small victories.

Give yourself permission to relax and have fun. Granted, you may need to learn how to relax, but often it is no more complicated than giving yourself the OK to let go and unwind.

Do regular spot checks. Get into the habit (frequently through the day) of taking a few seconds to assess how you are doing (e.g. are you tensing your body – if so, what part, what are you thinking and feeling). Try and make small changes on the spot.

Befriend yourself. When your stress levels are rising, it is not the time to be hard on yourself, although it is often exactly what we do. Remember, displaying a healthy dose of compassion towards yourself is not the same as being self-piteous.

Use available support systems. This is not the time to alienate yourself and attempt to go it alone.

1.5 Visioning, planning and goal-formulation

MOST COMPANIES HAVE a mission, a vision, and strategic objectives to achieve that vision. All too often, we fail to do so in our personal lives. This can sometimes result in a rather aimless and mundane existing rather than a purposeful and fulfilling living.

As an effective self-manager, you will regularly take stock and based on the results, you will undoubtedly want to implement some changes and improvements – this needs to be thoroughly planned for – otherwise, all your good intentions disappear into the ozone before you know it!

Investing time and energy in personal planning and making careful use of the resource of time, is not meant to be restrictive and stifle the fun and spontaneity of living. It merely helps you to understand what you really want, why you want it and how you plan to achieve it.

It is so much easier to motivate oneself to pursue specific goals if they make sense in the context of a clear picture of a desired future. We owe it to ourselves to tap into the richness of our creative brain when progressing into the future. Our right brain houses our creative powers, and our left brain houses our logical and rational powers.

Visioning and dreaming flexes the muscle of our brain, unleashing our creative spirit and ultimately the awesome power of our mind. Our dreams and visions are often the voice of our soul. We surely cannot afford to ignore this voice when we go about our short, medium and long-term planning. To appreciate the power of a dream, we need only remind ourselves of some of the greatest human creations and achievements which began as no more than a dream.

1.6 Time management

OBVIOUSLY A CRITICAL resource that you are either using wisely or squandering, is time. You can learn an array of techniques to do more in less time. However, unless you have the right attitude and respect for the resource of time, you may always suffer the consequences (not least of all unnecessary negative stress) of poor time management.

Our prioritising often reveals an imbalance between that which is urgent and that which is important. Effective self-management requires a disciplined commitment to practices and activities which are low in urgency but high in importance (e.g. self-maintenance practices such as exercise, relaxation, quality time with loved ones). In scheduling these activities, you need to become disciplined and firm about giving the same priority to these kind of activities as you do some of your other critical appointments.

Remember that no person on their deathbed ever wished they had spent more time at work! There is life beyond work and make sure that the way you spend your wakeful hours reflects this.

If you feel you need to improve your time management, apply the following simple steps:

Do not try and change anything initially!

Choose a reasonably representative period of time and simply monitor and record a detailed account of your time expenditure.

Accurately identify your time-wasters having completed the above exercise.

Now seek creative solutions to resolve each of the time-wasters.

Discipline is key to improving your time management. There is no shortcut or magical wand that is going to be waved to make you the master of time. If you have entrenched bad behaviours that affect your time management, it takes disciplined repetition of effort to eradicate those behaviours and entrench new ones. In this regard, be fair on yourself. We often will prematurely abandon our efforts because our expectation of how quickly and how easily we can affect improvement, is unrealistically high.

1.7 Making common sense become common practice

THE PRINCIPLES OF MANAGING yourself effectively, are certainly not complicated, and in most instances can be described as common sense. The challenge is to make these common sense principles become habit as you journey through life. Effective self-management is about taking the opportunity to ensure that you have the right stuff packed for the journey! It is about showing loyalty and compassion towards yourself and reaping your just rewards.

1.8 Emotional fitness assessment

THE ABILITY TO ACHIEVE optimal wellbeing depends on the extent to which you understand and manage both the physical and non-physical dimensions of yourself effectively.

Becoming emotionally fit, helps you develop a healthy resistance against negative stress and other diseases of lifestyle, and improves your overall effectiveness and wellbeing.

Invariably, the first step towards emotional fitness is to arm yourself with baseline information which can assist you in making informed decisions about areas of development and improvement required for you to optimise your emotional fitness.

1.8.1 Emotional fitness / self-management questionnaire

READ THE FOLLOWING questions carefully and choose one answer per question. The answers are arranged on a scale of 1-5, where 5 means ‘Never, and 1 means Almost always." At the end of the questionnaire, you can then look at the self-management profile to see how you fared in terms of the different areas of emotional fitness.

Emotional fitness / Self-management profile

QUESTION 1 – 10: STRESS

Score 10-20: Poor

Score 21-34: Below average

Score 35-44: Good

Score 45-40: Excellent

Question 11 – 20: Intra-personal

Score 10-20: Poor

Score 21-34: Below average

Score 35-44: Good

Score 45-40: Excellent

Question 21 – 30: Inter-personal

Score 10-20: Poor

Score 21-34: Below average

Score 35-44: Good

Score 45-40: Excellent

Question 31 – 40: Planning & Time Management

Score 10-20: Poor

Score 21-34: Below average

Score 35-44: Good

Score 45-40: Excellent

chapter 2

Mastering and Practising the Art of Living

The Truth always feels better than a lie. To live your life in hatred is a lie. You came here to love. You came here to grow.

We never know how far reaching something we may think, say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow. - B.J. Palmer

2.1 The practice of an art

THE PRACTICE OF ANY art has certain general requirements, regardless of whether we deal with the art of carpentry, medicine, or the art of love. First of all, the practice of an art requires discipline. I shall never be good at anything if I do not do it in a disciplined way. Anything I do only if ‘I am in the mood’ may be a nice or amusing hobby, but I shall never become a master in that art. But the problem is not only that of discipline in the practice of the particular art, but it is that of discipline in one’s whole life. It is essential that discipline should not be practised like a rule imposed on oneself from the outside, but that it becomes an expression of one’s own will; that it is felt as pleasant, and that one slowly accustoms oneself to a kind of behaviour which one would eventually miss, if one stopped practising it.

Concentration is the second necessary condition for the mastery of an art. To be concentrated means to live fully in the present, in the here and now, and not to think of the next thing to be done, while I am doing something right now. One must learn to be concentrated in everything one does, in listening to music, in reading a book, in writing, in talking to a person, in seeing a view. The activity at this moment must be the only thing that matters, to which one is fully given. To learn concentration requires avoiding, as far as possible, trivial conversation, that is, conversation which is not genuine. It is also important to avoid bad company such as people who chatter instead of talk, and who assert cliché opinions instead of thinking.  However, it is not always possible to avoid such people, nor even necessary.

To be concentrated in relation to others means primarily to be able to listen. Most people listen to others, or even give advice, without really listening. They do not take the other person’s talk seriously, they do not take their own answers seriously either. As a result, the talk makes them tired. They are under the illusion that they would be even more tired if they listened with concentration. But the opposite is true. Yet, even more than self-discipline, concentration is rare in our modern society. The lack of concentration in modern society is already shown in our difficulty in being alone with ourselves. To sit still, without talking, smoking, reading, drinking, is impossible for most people. They become nervous and fidgety, and must do something with their mouth or their hands. The most important step in learning concentration is to learn to be alone with oneself without reading, listening to the radio, watching television, using your phone, smoking or drinking. Indeed, to be able to concentrate means to be able to be alone with oneself – and this ability is precisely a condition for the ability to love. If I am attached to another person because I cannot stand on my own feet, he or she may be a life saver, but the relationship is not one of love. The beginning of the practice of concentration will be difficult. This implies the necessity to have patience need hardly be said. If one does not know that everything has its time, and wants to force things, then indeed one will never succeed in becoming concentrated – nor in the art of loving

A third factor is patience. Yet, for modern society, patience is as difficult to practise as discipline and concentration. A modern person thinks he or she loses something – time – when he or she does not do things quickly, yet he/she does not know what to do with the time he/she gains – except kill it.

Eventually, a condition of learning any art is a supreme concern with the mastery of the art. If the art is not something of supreme importance, the apprentice will never learn it.  He will remain, at best, a good dilettante, but will never become a master. This condition is as necessary for the art of loving as for any other art. It seems, though, as if the proportion between masters and dilettantes is more heavily weighted in favour of the dilettantes in the art of loving than in the case with other arts.

One does not begin to learn an art directly, but indirectly, as it were. One must learn a great number of other – and often disconnected – things before one starts with the art itself. If one wants to become a master in any art, one’s whole life must be devoted to it, or at least related to it. One’s own person becomes an instrument in the practice of the art, and must be kept fit, according to the specific functions it has to fulfil. With regard to the art of loving, this means that anyone who aspires to become a master in this art must begin by practising discipline, concentration and patience throughout every phase of his or her life.

2.2 Adopt an attitude of gratitude

TRUST THAT EVERY MOMENT contributes to your maximum growth. Take advantage of what is there for you rather than bemoaning what is not there. Give thanks for all that you have! And, in truth, you always get what you need. Life is not random. You always attract circumstances that either will increase your enjoyment of life or help you grow beyond your present limitations. You are in charge of your life. You will never attract more than you can handle. That is the way the game of life is set up.

The higher aspect of you (your Higher self), is always in tune with the greater plan for your life and it knows exactly where you need to be in order to learn what you came here to learn. You must, trust that it will never lead you astray. Your ‘Higher self’ truly wants you to experience life – regardless of what appears to be or not to be happening. Your mission is to tune in to your ‘Higher self ‘– by enjoying being alive, free of concern about the content of life. As you do this, you will begin to lighten up about the various situations life presents to you, the ones you actually summoned. The more you can lighten up and surrender to (rather than resist) the events in your life, the more Love, Aliveness, and Power you will experience.

You will also notice that what you consciously think about – and want for yourself will begin to manifest before your very eyes. Your thoughts create your reality. Clear the negative subconscious thoughts and you will see your positive, conscious thoughts manifesting more quickly.

Therefore, keep thoughts of love and gratitude on your mind. Your life will blossom incredibly as a result. Be willing to acknowledge yourself and others for anything – and everything. Acknowledgement feels wonderful. It is easy to do and it works. Be grateful for all that you experience. I am grateful in every moment for everything.

The more you are grateful for what life offers you, the more your heart and mind will expand in love. As this expansion takes place, positive experiences will increase in your life, giving you the opportunity to feel even more grateful. You are creating a positive upward spiral that is self-feeling and that continually makes you feel better, lighter, and freer.

Whatever you focus your thoughts, energy, and attention on will multiply in your experience. If you complain and dwell on the negative aspect of circumstances, you will attract more negative circumstances to you. Focusing on negativity creates a negative downward spiral. That is why misery loves company. Negativity feeds on itself to create more negativity. The same applies to being positive – it creates more of itself.

Practise being grateful for whatever you have. An attitude of gratitude expands your heart, and lifts it to new levels of love and joy. Simply begin where you are, regardless of what is happening in your life. Give gratitude and this