Communication is Harmony…

What does it mean to communicate? Is communicating an essential part of your life? One can communicate in many different ways to many different people. You may talk to your friends in ways that you would never talk to your parents. You may disclose information to your best friend that you would never tell your boss. Communication is an integral part of our life, whether we like it or not. How do you choose to communicate?

Many times a lot goes unsaid through life, and we fail to communicate feelings, intentions, or desires to those around us. Other times, we say things that for the moment please us, but end up hurting those we love. Knowing when to communicate certain thoughts and feelings involves a balance of timing and situational awareness. You should always “read” your experiences and search for the right moment to communicate your feelings. If you close yourself to your surroundings, you might miss out on a “perfect” opportunity to express a certain feeling. Understand that only you can determine and be prepared for the right moment. No one can read the situation better or act upon it as you can.

Our failure to communicate our feelings or intentions always leads to our downfall. Why? Because in order for others to understand us, they have to know what we are feeling and thinking… they have to know what is going inside us that is moving us to do the things that we do. Our failure to communicate with them will lead to misunderstandings and leave us prone to accidents and mistakes that could have been avoided if we had taken the time to communicate. It is our responsibility to be effective communicators. Communicating with others in a clear and sincere manner is progress. The clearer we communicate the less of a possibility there is of confusion, doubt, or misguidance. When people communicate clearly their feelings, intentions, concerns, and doubts to each other, the other party can respond accordingly or make better decisions on how to deal with the information that was communicated.

In summary, the first step towards mending any relationship is communication. If you communicate honestly and clearly, you will be able to see where the problems lie in your relationships and what steps you need to take to come up with a solution.

Keep searching!
- Bradley

The Importance of Responsibility

What does it mean to take responsibility? What does being a responsible person entail? Responsibility is a virtue that we seldom see these days. It seems that nowadays most people are willing to take convenience over responsibility. How many times have we seen our leaders and big corporations forsake their responsibility to those they lead and those they give service to. But putting such big examples aside… what can YOU do to be more responsible? After all, your world is a reflection of you and you alone. So if you see irresponsible people surrounding you… what does that say about you?

Being responsible means being AWARE.

How can anyone be responsible when they don’t know what they should be responsible for? The first step of responsibility starts with being aware of your actions. Consciously or unconsciously your actions are affecting those around you. Are you aware of all your thoughts, words, and deeds? Do you see how your words or actions affect your co-workers, friends, and family? Or are you too involved in your self to even acknowledge the feelings of others? Be responsible. Don’t ignore what you do to others or how you hurt them. Be mindful of every word you say and every act you commit.

As of today, what are you responsible for? What responsibilities await you at work? At home? At school? Expand upon that idea further. What has God bestowed upon you to take care of? Your children? Your parents? Your body? Your soul? Ask yourself these questions, and answer sincerely. You will quickly realize what responsibilities are asking for your attention.

Being responsible means attending to the needs of the PRESENT.

How many times have we opted to not be responsible because we were lazy or uncaring? How many times has someone asked us for help or asked us for a favor and we refused? How many times have we witnessed or seen things that needed our attention or our efforts but chose NOT to respond or act? What can you do TODAY to be responsible? What actions can you do today that can fix the mistakes of yesterday or prevent the tragedies of tomorrow? When does responsibility require you to act? Today. So seize the moment, and do all that you can today to become a more responsible person. Your responsible acts today will lead to a responsible future… a future that is secure in the eyes of God.

Being responsible involves HUMILITY.

Responsibility means accepting the consequences of your actions, even if it is the expense of your ego. Yes, sometimes taking responsibility is embarrassing and humiliating. We all make mistakes. It is a natural part of life, especially when we act from our mind and not our heart. By accepting responsibility we improve our integrity, and integrity is the virtue of Kings. Nothing says more of your integrity than the way you handle responsibility. Accept the consequences of your actions and move on. Don’t deny or try to hide it. You will fail to see the higher purpose in your experience and will most likely commit the same mistake again. Accept responsibility, learn from it, and move on with your life. That is the healthiest and most beneficial way to accept our mistakes and failures. Remember, a blow to your ego is a blessing from the soul. Don’t ever feel like it’s too late to accept responsibility for wrong actions in the past. It’s only too late when you cease to be living in this world. So do what’s right, and give your soul the peace it deserves.

So the next time you find yourself in a situation where the Universe is asking you to be responsible… don’t run away! Find the courage to face that experience and take responsibility! In doing so you declare yourself a true child of God.

Keep searching!
-Bradley

Forgive Me for I Have Failed You…

How many of us have experienced failure? Do you believe that you have failed someone? Have you failed yourself? Failure is one of the most humiliating, disappointing, embarrassing, and awareness inducing experiences one can ever have in this lifetime… and that is describing it mildly.

What does it mean to fail? Does it mean not living up to society’s expectations? Does it mean not fulfilling your own expectations? What about failing those we love? Failure–in whatever form–is a very powerful instrument for change and improvement. In a sense, we should learn to embrace failure as we have been trained to embrace success. Not in the sense that you are looking forward to fail or want to fail, but that you accept it as a natural outcome in life. This is not to say that you should plan to fail, or carry a pessimistic outlook on life, but instead you should be prepared to fail and understand that failing can be good for you. If you never failed, you would never learn. It’s as simple as that. Does that mean you have to fail, in order to learn? No, of course not. But you must understand that failing is part of learning, and that much can be gained from an experience of failure.

Our biggest problem with failure is that instead of moving past our failures, we become attached to them. We neglect the lesson that experience of failure was presenting to us, and instead hold on to the embarrassment, disappointment, or feeling of destruction that came with that experience. We start to associate that failure with our personality… with who we are… and then depending on our ego we either seek to blame others for that failure or ourselves. Either way, blaming ourselves or others only enlarges the painful feeling of failure, until it leads to regret, remorse, misery, and anger.

Also, becoming attached to failure is incredibly dangerous and can lead to depression. If we assimilate ourselves too much with our failures, we will start to lose our sense of self-worth and before you know it our failures will overcome us and become a part of us… forcing us to fail even more. The key is to learn what we can from our failures and move on, without getting stuck with the feelings that accompany failure. That is why encouragement is so important. Encouragement helps us re-focus our attention on the positives of our past failures and the growth we’ve had because of them. Be encouraging both to yourself and others, so that the most can be gained from the experience of failure. Never dwell on the failures of the past, but look forward to what can be achieved today and carry the hope of accomplishing great things tomorrow.

No one wants to fail. No one wants to lose. So when it happens to us, we do everything in our power to reject such an experience instead of seeking the “how’s and why’s” of that experience. The “how’s and why’s” are crucial in discovering what it is that we did that made us fail and what steps we can do to improve upon our methods or ourselves to avoid such a failure from repeating itself. But most of us ignore all of these important analytics and instead dwell on the pain and negative emotions we felt as a result of that failure. This is our undoing.

We must do everything we can to learn from our past mistakes and failures, and find a means to move on and improve upon ourselves. Some of us can be perfectionists, demanding so much from ourselves that we refuse to accept the failures of others or our own. We beat ourselves up for failing, and we seek the comfort and convenience of denial so that we don’t have to face the reality of our failure or take any responsibility for our failures. But that is not how we grow or advance in life. Such actions will only prolong our failures and create huge imbalances in our life. We must have the courage to accept our failures… our mistakes… our defeats… and we must face them with the determination to try again with all our mind, body, and soul. Maybe that was what lead to our failure in the first place. Maybe we faced our challenges or problems with only our mind, ignoring our heart. Or maybe we faced an experience passionately, without properly planning or rationally preparing ourselves. It’s up to each individual to figure out what went wrong in our experiences and how to fix it. We must use the knowledge we gained from our failures to our advantage, so that we can grow as an individual and get closer to realizing our dreams and ambitions.

Failure has many purposes, and you must be strong in your resolve to find out what they are for you. What is your failure trying to teach you? What do your past failures reveal about who you are? What aspects of your life need to be improved upon? Failure is a beautiful thing, regardless of the many judgments society has placed against it. Failure helps us discover who we are, and what we really want in life. It may be disappointing, painful, embarrassing, and humiliating, but it is one of the greatest instruments to show us the way to our own perfection. So I say to you, be not afraid of failure, for your failures will show you more of who you are then your successes will. Give meaning to your failures, and turn seemingly painful experiences into life-long lessons that will forever transform how you see yourself and the world around you.

Keep searching!

-Bradley

In God We Trust…

Trust. A simple word, but what does it mean? Trust is one of the most powerful, yet least acknowledged feelings out there. We all know about wanting more love, happiness, and peace in our lives… but what about trust? What can trust give us? Where does trust come from?

Trust is the belief  that someone or something will take care of us… that the object of our trust will not fail, abandon, or betray us. Trust is something that is a huge part of our lives whether we like it or not. We want to be able to trust our government… our education system… our religions… our friends… our families… our loved ones. We want to be able to rely on them for whatever reasons we do. Being human, we need certain support systems. No man is an island as they say, and it would be incredibly depressing if there wasn’t someone out there that we can trust our weaknesses and emotions with. But one has to realize that trust… is a two way street. Are we trusting people? We demand and expect others to be trusted, but can we be trusted? Can we be relied on by others? Ask yourself this question and answer honestly. If someone asked you for help or needed your support, could they trust you to do so?

Now expand on this even further… do you trust in your God? I say “your God,” because each of us defines God differently according to our perspective and experiences. So do you trust Him? What kind of trust is it? Is it a surface trust? Meaning, you only trust that He will pull through on some occasions or at certain conveniences? Or do you trust that He will be there for you all of the time? What about the other way around? Can God trust you? What did He entrust you with? Can God trust you in being a good parent? What about a good son/daughter? Can God trust you in being a hardworking and honest employee? Or what about being a generous employer? Can you be trusted to be a good friend? What role has God given you that he trusts you with? Can you be trusted with those roles and responsibilities?

If you find yourself doubting God… ask yourself if God has every reason to doubt in you first. I know many times we ask God to prove himself to us, but what about our ability to prove ourselves to Him? How can we show that we are worthy of All That He Is if we fail to express the part of us that is Divine? How can we be trusted to do what is beneficial to our souls, if we do not even take the time to listen to them? My point is, before you start demanding trust from anything… be it God, your family, your partners, etc… demand trust from yourself and buid up your integrity so that you can be a trustworthy person.

A trustworthy individual is indeed a rarity in this world, and I guarantee you will stand out amongst the crowds because of your reliability. Be reliable, so that the Universe can be reliable for you. All of life is a reflection of who we are inside. Be trusting so that others can trust in you… and put your trust in your Creator so that more can be entrusted upon you. There has not been one person who has wholeheartedly trusted in their Creator and felt abandoned or neglected. Not one.

Keep searching!

-Bradley

Those Darn Temptations…

Here are three simple reminders you can use to overcome the temptations in your life. These can range from food temptations, materialistic temptations, and even physical temptations.

Understand What A Temptation Is.

All temptations are illusions of fulfillment. What is your current temptation promising you? Is it promising to satisfy your mind or your body? Is it promising fulfillment or instant gratification? Find out what your temptation is offering you, and know that whatever it will give you will only last temporarily.

Know When You’re Most Vulnerable To A Temptation.

A good way to overcome your temptations is by being mentally prepared for them. You must be vigilant and constantly aware of your emotional level during your day to day activities. Temptations usually strike when we are bored, feeling empty, or are carrying a negative emotional burden in our life. These situations destabilize us and shake our moral foundations… leaving us open to temptation. Maintain a positive and purposeful lifestyle. Doing so will prevent us from hitting the emotional low points where we are most vulnerable to temptation.

Remind Yourself Of The Consequences Of Succumbing To Your Temptation.

Another good way to overcome your temptations is by carefully analyzing the pros and cons of your temptation. Discover the end results of giving in to your temptations. See if they will bring you good rewards in the end. More often than not, you will find that many of your temptations will only satisfy you temporarily, returning you to emptiness once again. Understand that by giving in to your temptations you are losing your inner power, and allowing your temptations to have power over you. If gone unchecked, your temptations will evolve into addictions, and theses addictions will be the undoing of your life.

Weigh the consequences of your choices, and seek support from family or loved ones if you are having trouble overcoming your temptations on your own. By overcoming small temptations, you better your chances of overcoming bigger temptations. Remember, you have all the tools necessary inside you to conquer all of your temptations, so never allow yourself to think otherwise!

Keep searching!

- Bradley

Making Ends Meet

Work. What is work to you? Is it a career? Is it a way to obtain money? Are you working only for money? Does your work make you happy? We all have our reasons for working or why we work where we work. The real question is… is the work we are committed to an expression of our soul or an expression of our mind? Are the days we spend at our work taking us closer to our dreams or farther away from them? Here are some thoughts on work that can help you determine if your current line of work is helping you create a better future.

Work should be an expression of the soul.

If you find yourself working just to get by or working to survive financially, then more often then not you will find your work frustrating and without fulfillment. Why is that? It’s because fulfilling the needs of the mind and the body will never bring you true happiness or fulfillment. It is only when the soul is expressed and acknowledged will you gain a sense of success in your life. How can the soul be expressed or acknowledged when you are spending eight or more hours at a job that prevents you from expressing yourself or your talents? Be passionate about your work. If you are lacking passion, it means there is no love or heart in what you do… and that is living by the mind and not really living at all. The actions you take without passion bring no lasting fruits to your labors, and help neither your employer nor the customer in which you are giving a service to.

I spoke about the action of giving in a previous blog. That same advice can be applied to this topic. Find a job that will allow you to give of yourself and your talents. Don’t work at a place that will restrict you from expressing yourself or prevent you from giving the very best of who you are. If you are looking for a job, find one that will help you grow and express your talents. Your talents are your own and only you know the extent of your abilities. Find a job that will help you discover and express those abilities. Search for a job that will acknowledge your potential as a soul. Many times we get so caught up with the amount we are paid, that we forget the most important type of payment our work should be paying us… acknowledgement. Acknowledgment of our abilities… of our time… of our efforts… of our passion… of our creativity… of our individuality. These acknowledgements are crucial to every employee, and they help both the individual and company become more successful and grow as a whole.

Career and life goals are important in determining where you should work.

What started out as a temporary job in our mind, sometimes ends up becoming a full time job. And what was only supposed to be a job to cover expenses for a short time, sometimes ends up being the job we get stuck in for several years. In the end some of us wonder how so much time has passed and still we are at the same job… doing the same things… not growing… not changing… with no sign of things getting better. What happened to our dreams? What happened to our ambitions? Sadly, you neglected them. And although your soul may be screaming for change or pleading with you to follow your dreams… your mind will insist on its excuses of why you cannot quit your job and why you have to continue to work where you work. And so you continue living your life… unhappy and unfulfilled… slowly suffocating your soul to death until the Universe takes drastic measures to change your life. How do we prevent this from happening? The answer is simple… by having goals and the determination to stick with them. If you only plan to work at a certain job for a certain amount of time or for a certain reason, then stick with that decision. Don’t let other people or circumstance influence you otherwise. Be strong, and follow your heart’s desires to the very end. Write down your goals and keep them in mind always. Remind yourself of where you want to be in the next six months… year… five years.

It also important to remember that not all work is going to be fun or fulfilling. You will encounter many work-related situations that will frustrate or annoy you. Other times you might find yourself doing “busy” work or fulfilling obligations that are boring and tiresome. In those situations you must always remind yourself of your end goals and tell yourself that the work you do today may not be fun or fulfilling, but are necessary sacrifices for reaching your dreams or your career goals. Never forget why you are working where you work or for whom you are working for. Are you working for your soul’s desires? Are you working to please others? Are you working to support your family? Are you working to achieve your dreams? Ask yourself these questions so that you can gain clarity about your work situation, and can then take the necessary steps to improve your life.

Life is about Balance.

All of life is balance. Sometimes we have the ideal job or the perfect career, and yet we are still unhappy or bitter in our life. Some of us are workaholics… perfectionists… that will stop at nothing until all of the work is done… until all the demands of the workplace are met. Have you realized yet that the demands of your work never cease? How there always seems to be some problem or issue that keeps arising, never giving you a chance to say you’re done? How many times have we allowed the burdens of our work to come home with us? How many times has the stresses and pressures of work filled us with despair or bitterness, influencing our attitudes and affecting our relationships? There is such a thing as too much work. Know that there is a time for everything in your life. There is a time for work, a time for family, a time for loved ones, a time for friends, a time for children, a time for self, and a time for God. Are we balancing our time… our life? Or are we focusing all our attention and being into our work, neglecting everything else in our life? Focusing only on your work and not the other areas of your life will lead to imbalance and disharmony. These imbalances will slowly begin to corrode and destroy the other areas of your life. Don’t let that happen. Nothing is more important than maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Not your work or the money that you make. Your relationships have priority… your health has priority… your peace and harmony have priority. You are the only one who has the power to determine what has priority in your life, so please choose wisely. If you forsake loved ones for work–or even your own soul for that matter–do not cry later when tragedy knocks on your door.

Strive for balance. Make time for your loved ones, yourself, and your Creator. I assure you that the rewards of living a balanced life will allow you to continue doing what you love for years to come. Always remember that you are a soul with a body and not just a piece of meat with a mind. Your sole purpose in this life is NOT to simply satisfy the needs of the body or the never ending desires of the mind. You are more than just your body… more than just your mind. Express yourself… expand yourself… set yourself free! Let your work be the highest expression of who you really are. Therein lies the key to Heaven on Earth.

Keep searching!

- Bradley

Givers, Takers, and Receivers.

A friend of mine always said there were three types of people in this world: the givers, the takers, and the receivers. There are many types of people in this world, more than three, but he had a good point. What do you find yourself doing during most of your experiences with your fellow man? Are you giving, taking, or receiving? Let’s go over the three types of behaviors, and see which behavior best defines you at this point in your life.

The Givers

Are you at a giving stage in your life? If not, do you feel you don’t have much to give? What is your point of reference for giving? Do you feel that giving only involves money or something of materialistic value? Believe it or not, regardless of your financial status, you have a lot to give. You just have to decide if you want to. You can give your time for example, something many of us rarely do. How many times have we felt burdened to give people our time? We’ve always found an excuse to be busy or claimed to not have the time to spend with someone. What about kindness? This is another thing that is available to us all, but is something we rarely give. A few words of kindness, a touch of compassion… these things do not require large amounts of our being, but are instead small gestures that can make a world of difference. You must recognize that the Universe will always present you with many opportunities each day to give. Situations will arise that will test your ability to give, and if  you pass those tests then your rewards will surely come.

The truth about the givers in life is that they are also the greatest receivers. Those who give always see their gifts returned to them… and then some. These gifts can range from love, money, compassion, mercy, forgiveness… and also hate, anger, disrespect, judgment, and so on. What are you giving? Are you passing on hate or love? Are you giving peace or chaos?

Give so that you may receive… and give from the fruits of the Spirit so that you can create a beautiful world around you. By giving you are making a statement to the Universe of what you have. With each giving action you declare that you have. Giving love is having love. Giving peace is having peace. Giving money is having money. These declarations help shift the Universe in your favor, creating and manifesting more of what you already have. You will only truly know what you have when it has been shared or given to others.

Giving is an expression of your Higher Self. It is an action in the image and likeness of our Creator. By giving from the heart you are declaring yourself a child of God.

The Takers

There is not much to say about the action of taking. It’s pretty self-explanatory. Are you taking from others? Taking their money, time, peace, or happiness without any regard to the damage you are causing to yourself and to them? Taking is emptiness. All taking is an action of selfishness, and its only goals are to satisfy the desires of the body and mind. How can we rob people of happiness, and expect ours not to be taken in return? Taking is a destructive cycle of emptiness, demanding more and more from your life and being until it completely consumes you. It is an affirmative declaration to the Universe of our lack… our doubt… our ignorance.

Taking is an expression of our Carnal Self. It is an action in the image and likeness of our inner demons. By taking we declare ourselves children of this world, and slaves to its influences.

The Receivers

What does it mean to receive? Receiving is definitely not taking. Receiving is a little more complicated than both taking and giving. Receiving can happen at anytime, at any place. We can receive experiences, people, and things in our life without having asked for them. The key to receiving is finding out the purpose of what we received. Many times there is the obvious answer… we are receiving exactly what we have given, and then some. Other times what we received was not what we gave. Sometimes we are victims in horrible circumstances. Sometimes we receive challenges or obstacles that are sent to us to test our knowledge of self… or to help us grow spiritually. The key to understanding what you receive is in being constantly aware of the choices you make and what you are giving to the Universe. From there you can determine if what you are receiving is a) your karma, b) a challenge intended for you to use as an instrument to grow in the likeness of your Creator, c) grace and blessings from your Creator, or d) the result of evil influences having their way in your life.

If after carefully analyzing your experience, you determine that what you received was the result of evil influences, then I suggest you do what you can to make amends with your Creator. Darkness exists where Light ceases to exist, and evil will only have its way when good is not there to stop it. There are many reasons why evil exists in this world, and I will not get into them right now. The important thing is to know that all the chaos, evil, and disharmony that exists in your life is the direct result of your separation between you and your Creator. The closer you are to your Creator, the less likely you are going to encounter evil influences in your life. The closer the relationship with your Creator, the more protected you will become. God will never let harm come to those who are close to Him. It’s as simple as that. As one of my teacher’s put it, “Your faith, will determine your fate.”

In Conclusion

So what are you today? Are you giving, receiving, or taking? Understand that at one moment in your life you may be at the receiving end of a situation. In another moment, you might be called upon to be on the giving end. What you choose to give today, you will receive tomorrow. What you choose to take today, will be taken from you tomorrow. Choose wisely, and may all your actions be clear expressions of your Higher Self.

Keep searching!

- Bradley

Overcoming Stress!

Stress, stress, stress, stress. Who hasn’t experienced stress these days? In today’s society the average person hasn’t had so much to worry about or manage than in any other period in human history. From phone bills to insurance, utility bills and virus updates, emails and texts, mortgage payments and entertainment expenses, family issues, relationship problems… the list goes on. Some of these challenges are important issues, while others are caused by our current needs and wants. What should you be worrying about and what shouldn’t you be worrying about?

Good Stress vs Bad Stress

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as good stress. Stress is usually brought about by a sense of urgency… a feeling that something needs to be done or fixed. We usually get these feelings from outside sources… pressure from peers, work, family, etc. Sometimes stress can be brought on by internal sources such as anxiety towards certain issues in our life, worries about our future, etc. Initially, some of these feelings are good for us. If we have become lazy and unmotivated, pressures from family, work, or friends might get us back in gear and force us to focus and re-evaluate where we’re going or why we’re not doing what we’re supposed to be doing. These “stress reminders” are good for us in many ways, and are usually the Universe’s way of getting our attention. These stresses are okay and perfectly normal.

The bad stress is another topic altogether. It’s the accumulation of a million different things that overtime, begin to overwhelm us. We might find ourselves with too many things to worry about, too many things that pressure us. More often than not, these type of stress inducers pile up one after the other, with no end in sight. They drive us to the edge and push our emotional boundaries, throwing us into a pit of despair and hopelessness. If gone unchecked, the stress will start to become a part of our daily lives… creating imbalance and disharmony, eventually having major impacts on our health. So how do we overcome this? Simple. By following these steps.

1) Locate the source of your anxiety, worry, or stress.

Where is your stress coming from? From work? Issues with your family? Is it from your relationship? Is your stress related to a particular person? Pinpoint the source, and be prepared to face it head on.

2) Understand that you give life to whatever is causing you to stress.

Sometimes all it takes is a shift in perspective for an overwhelmingly huge problem in your life to scale down in size. I’ve encountered clients who would create mountains of worry and stress over such trivial issues such as missed phone calls or the way someone dresses at work. If you find yourself blowing things out of proportion, stop and ask yourself, “Why am I worried about such and such issue? Is is really that important that it demands a large part of my being to worry about it?” If not, then forget about it. The less you keep these issues in your mind, the less they will bother you. The more you focus on them and think about them, the bigger they will get. Try to clear and free your mind from these worries. Now, if they are bigger issues, such as problems with your loved ones or career issues, then of course they are not to be taken lightly. Those types of issues need a more evaluative approach. Either way, the priority is to not let these issues consume you.

3) Stop yourself when the stress starts.

When you feel yourself starting to cross that line from tranquility into chaos, stop yourself. Literally, stop what you’re doing. If you’re at work, take a break. If you’re at home, go for a walk. Don’t let the pressure build up, as it will be harder to get rid of later. Take a deep breath, and remind yourself that you are stronger than whatever is stressing you out. You are peaceful… you are powerful… you are not going to let these issues bring you down. Take 5-15 minutes to re-connect with your soul and remember who you are: a powerful being with all the tools necessary to conquer every obstacle in your path. These simple reminders and acknowledgements will help free your mind from the overwhelming negativity that surrounds you.

4) Know that stress is a part of everyday life.

Don’t try to escape or runaway from your stress. Doing that will only make the situation worse. Believe me. Seek instead to understand your stress. By understanding your stress you will be able to control it. If left unchecked, it will end up controlling you. There will always be someone out there who will stress you out. You will always be placed in a situation that will cause you stress. Understanding this will help you be better prepared for those moments and those people. Improving your tolerance, patience, compassion, and inner peace will definitely help you overcome stressful situations in the long run. Knowing that there are good stresses and bad stresses will also help you evaluate your own pressures and determine which are which. Apply yourself and your knowledge so that you can control your life. Connect with your Higher Self so that you can always act upon your Highest Thought… the thought that will lead to more happiness, peace, love, and fulfillment in your life.

5) Find ways or activities that will help you take your mind off your stress.

I know of a lot of clients who have found a hobby or activity that helps take their mind off their stress. For some it’s a round of golf. For others it may be a trip to the beach or even a movie. I enjoy cooking, and when something stresses me out I find that cooking a good home meal helps me take my mind off it. Find that activity, and use it as a way to relieve your stress. I also find that connecting with nature is a great stress reliever, as well as working out at the gym. Meditation and yoga are also great stress relievers. They are great ways to purify your mind and soul. Find what works for you.

I would also like to comment that consuming large amounts of alcohol or drugs is not a great way to relieve stress. It may be a temporary way to relieve stress, but definitely not the best way. Those habits will likely lead to addictions over time, which in turn will create huge imbalances and disharmony in your life. And so instead of just dealing with what was stressing you out, you will now have to deal with an addiction, your stress related issues, and all the negative situations that accompany a drug dependent life.

Apply these steps and see if they work for you! Living a stress free life is impossible. There’s bound to be something that will affect you in some way or another. The key is understanding those pressures and making the most of them. Confront your stress and find out the higher purpose in all of your experiences. :)

Keep searching!

- Bradley

Friendships

What is a friend to you? Is it someone you can rely on? Someone you can share your thoughts, feelings, opinions, and concerns? Is it someone you go out and share time with? In this post, we are going to discuss the many different types of friends one encounters in life and the roles they play in your life.

How many friends do you have? One? Two? 500? How many true friends do you have? A friend can mean many different things to many different people. For some, friends are those they can party with… have a good time with. For others, friendships are sacred and only to be shared with ones who they can fully trust and rely on. Have you been saved by a friend? Have you been disappointed by a friend? Have you at one moment in your life deemed someone your best friend, and at another moment your worst enemy? If so, what happened?  Did your friend fail to meet your expectations? Did they hurt you in someway? As you go through life you will find that your definition of a friend will constantly evolve and change as you evolve and change.

There is always a reason why certain people are placed in your life. There will always be people who will be entering your life and exiting it. That is the way life is. It is always changing, growing, evolving. You will find yourself losing friends, and gaining new ones. The hard part is determining what role they play in your life. Yes, you heard that right. You determine the role they play in your life. You determine if you’ve outgrown the company of your friends, or if they’ve outgrown you. Contrary to popular belief, people change as do you. What once brought you and your friends together, might now pull you apart. Understanding and accepting these changes creates a stronger foundation in who you are. Many times we get emotionally attached to friends who are detrimental to our spiritual growth. Other times we are the ones who are preventing the growth of others.

My Master once told me these words during my college years…

“A Master never keeps company with those who would jeopardize the connection with his soul.”

At that point in time, I didn’t fully grasp the depth of his words, but as time went on I began to question the friends I kept company with. A lot of times I would find myself surrounded by shallow friendships. Friendships that didn’t have any real meaning or depth to them. They weren’t friendships I could rely on for emotional support, guidance, or compassion. This made me very sad, and I conveyed these concerns to my Teacher. He told me to go and make the best of the relationships I did have. He said to “expand and extend” myself to others, and see what their responses would be. And so I did, and I discovered something amazing. I found out that some friends would ignore my efforts to really connect with them, while others would embrace my efforts. Some of them, who before I thought were shallow friends, became deeper friends. And so I discovered that true friends are like gold. Have you ever panned for gold in a riverbed? You scoop the dirt and shake the filter. After all the dirt falls away, all that is left are pieces of gold. That is how it is with friends. Yes, you will meet and develop friendships with a lot of people during your life. But try and find the ones that you wish to really hold close to your heart. Those are the friendships worth cultivating.

That is another important factor in friendships. A relationship or friendship is a TWO-WAY street. A friendship isn’t a solid one if only one person is committing the time and effort to cultivate it. It takes both parties involvement to make the friendship fruitful. I have had plenty of friendships fall apart because I had friends who never returned phone calls or gone out of their way to see me. If someone is not going to put the effort to cultivate a sincere friendship with you, then let them go. You will only be exhausting yourself by trying to develop a true friendship with them. And that goes the other way around as well. Return phone calls, answer emails, and drive out to see your friends. Don’t let a little inconvenience or laziness destroy a potentially good friendship. You’ll regret it later, when you find yourself alone and wishing for companionship.

Want a good friend? Be that good friend. It starts with you. Take risks, trust more, and express how you really feel. If you do those things and someone responds sincerely to them, then you’ve just discovered the seeds of a fruitful friendship! Oh and please, please understand that even the best of friends will hurt you or disappoint you at one point in time or another. It’s just the nature of things. Don’t let expectations or drama destroy a good friendship. You will discover that all of your friendships, no matter how shallow or deep, will always be tested. The stronger relationships usually survive those tests, the weaker ones don’t. So do the best you can with the friendships you have, and let the Universe decide the rest.

Now go out there and make some friends! :)

Keep searching!

- Bradley

What is Your Happiness Level?

What is your happiness level? Take a moment to stop and really think about this question. Are you happy? If not, why not? If so, how happy are you? In what areas of your life are you happy? Are you happy with your career? Happy with your relationship? Unhappy with your family?

Your overall happiness level involves many aspects of your life. Being happy or unhappy isn’t something that can explain your state of life. One of the most overrated questions of all time is the infamous, “Are you happy?” So many times I’ve seen this question been used to get people to do things or make them realize things. The question itself begs a lot of attention. It forces you to really think to yourself, “Am I happy? If I’m not, then who or what is preventing me from experiencing happiness?” This usually leads to a blame game, and before you know it your immediate response is, “Of course I’m happy.” Because God forbid you should acknowledge your unhappiness to anyone. That would entail that you are weak and powerless to create your own happiness. And who wants to admit that? Fortunately, you can put all of that nonsense aside.

True happiness is a state of being you experience at different moments in your life in different areas of your life. One moment you can be totally happy with yourself and be totally unhappy with your career. You could be extremely happy with your relationship but extremely unhappy with your family. And if your happy in all areas of your life, well congratulations… you’ve achieved Heaven on Earth. But for how long?

What you have to understand is that happiness is something you choose and is not obtained. Happiness can be had one moment, and lost another… and all of that is perfectly okay. It is our attachment to certain moments of happiness that is our undoing. Live the experience of happiness in the moment it is born, and then let it go. Once you understand that happiness can only be experienced in the present moment, then your grasp of what happiness really is will become clearer.

Happiness is a decision… it is an acknowledgement of what is true for you. I know some of you may be scratching your heads or saying, “what is he talking about?” Once you understand that happiness can be had at anytime, anywhere, and with anyone… then you will be getting closer to the truth. The key is understanding that you have the power within you to decide what makes you happy and what doesn’t. You decide what kind of career you pursue or what kind of work you wish to devote your time and efforts to. You decide the types of friends you hang out with or the people you date. The decisions you make today will determine your happiness level tomorrow. It is time to take complete responsibility for your actions and choices. Each decision you make comes with a consequence… whether you make those decisions consciously or un-consciously. Making a decision consciously involves a complete awareness and understanding of the decision you are making. Un-consciously making a decision is acting on impulse, without any inner guidance or awareness whatsoever. We’ve all made those type of decisions before… and regretted the results they’ve brought us. I believe the biggest obstacles to achieving happiness in our lives is doubt, confusion, ignorance, laziness, and selfishness. These states of minds clutter and distort our ability to choose from the heart or to make wise decisions that will bring us happiness.

Happiness is a state of mind that can be achieved by connecting with your heart. Once you are connected you will know exactly what decisions are the wisest ones. You will know what actions you need to take to bring about the best in all of your life situations. This connection… the connection between you and your soul… is the most powerful instrument we have available to us to create the change needed to increase our happiness level. It is as one great Master put it…

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven, and all else will be added unto you.”

So the next time someone asks you, “Are you happy?” Don’t fret! Just smile and let your silence do all the talking. :D

Keep searching!

- Bradley