YOUR LIFE A-Z READ

READ
What is it that you always wanted to know or to do?  READ about it.  Find out as much as you can about those subjects that interest you.  Make yourself a research project and become an expert on anything you want to know about.  READ as a way to educate, stimulate, and develop passion.  There are so many things out there to do and to discover and talented authors can take you there by the way they make the words on a page dance life right into your being.
Here are some interesting reads if you want to know something more about spirituality and Buddhism, read Pema Chodron’s, The Places that Scare You. To enjoy an entirely different take on Buddhism read, Buddha Walks Into the Bar by Lodro Rinzler.  If you want to understand the history and spiritual connection with the Virgin Mary, read Clarissa Pinkola Estes book, Untie the Strong Woman: Blessed Mother’s Immaculate Love for the Wild Soul or if you have an avid researcher inside give the History of God a whirl by Karen Armstrong.  For a psychological vacation, read Brene Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection or if you are feeling lost try The Passion Test by Atwood and Atwood.  Want to explore the caves of your own soul spend some time working on Janet Conner’s Writing Down the Soul or the Lotus and the Lily.  Of course there are many wonderful novels to read, so whatever suits your fancy, go explore the world of READING today.  Don’t forget that I have IN A MOMENT’S NOTICE: A PSYCHOLOGIST’S JOURNEY WITH BREAST CANCER and it is just a click away at Amazon or Barnes and Nobles.

YOUR LIFE A-Z PRACTICE

TAKE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

PRACTICE

Contrary to the popular saying "Practice makes perfect," practice does not make perfect. Perfection does not exist.  Regardless of how much a professional athlete or pianist practice, there is always a possibility of a bad game or not so perfect performance.  The difference is that practice, daily practice, improves your odds of having more good days than bad ones; and that results in having a happier life.  It is a guarantee that if you do not practice, you will have more bad days than good ones; and you will not achieve your goals as soon as you would like, and sometimes you will not achieve them at all. By practicing, you improve your odds, your skill, your acuity, and your ability.  Without practice you are not as able to adjust to life's curve balls.  When expected things happen, you may not have the agility to be flexible or resourceful.  As a result, you repeat old habits of coping that give you the same bad results you had in the past.  The old depression and victim mentality sets in.  When this starts there is only one thing to do and that is to get back up and return to practice.  Buddhist refer to prayer and meditation as practice.  They also refer to compassion as a practice.  If we reframe the striving for perfection to the practice of practicing we are more than likely to enjoy working toward our goals and achieving our dreams.

YOUR LIFE A-Z: BUDDHISM

BUDDHISM

This is not about the difference between BUDDHISM and Zen. This is about building on one practice and adding additional information in order that you develop spiritual muscle this year as well as psychological and physical muscle.  The TWENTY-MINUTE coach is about the body, mind, and spirit connection.  I do not believe it is possible to be whole without the trinity of wholeness present of body, mind, and spirit.  BUDDHISM talks about the eight fold path, which is a blueprint for living your best life,and can easily be incorporated into the action of the TWENTY-MINUTE COACH.  The eight-fold path covers Right Understanding; Right Thought; Right Speech;Right Action; Right Livelihood’; Right Effort; Right Mindfulness; and Right Connection.  

The good news is that it always starts with self.  If you are not in the eight fold path by being Right with yourself,then you are off balance and will not be able to live outwardly right with others.  You must be in Right Connection with yourself first and these daily reflections are teaching you how to tune into yourself, your heart, and your life in ways that you never thought of before.  So, practice Compassion and Connection with yourself first and all things will fall into place so that you can have a peaceful existence with others.  Don’t be scared of BUDDHISM. Look at BUDDHISM as a philosophy for living.  To understand more pick of up Pema Chodron’s book, The Places that Scare You.