Fuel the Mind.

Let’s look at how we might fuel the mind in our Body-Mind-Spirit triangle. Our mental presence gives directions to the body. It drives every action the body takes. Of course, that means it directs our interaction with people, our performance at work or at home, our smiles, the steps we take, the blinks of our eye.

Consider, then, that no matter how fine-tuned the body is, if the thinking power’s not up to pressing the gas pedal and steering the body down the road, you’ll not go very far. Their connection is the perfect example of integrated effort.

You probably do not need them now; still, you might want to store these 5 easy mind-fuel ideas for future use.

Day dream.
When you let your brain take you on an imaginary jaunt, you’re really letting it rest, relax and refuel. The break from concentration on whatever tasks you have at hand is very likely a break your mind wants and needs. Enjoy!

Play “what if…”
As daydreams relax the brain, imagining energizes it. The “what if…” game ignites your imagination. Just let your imagination run free thinking of “what if….?” questions. Then let it run even freer coming up with answers.

Write by hand.
Push back from your keyboard. Grab a pad or notebook, a pen or pencil. Engage in the beautiful mind-body connection of handwriting. Your mind thinks the words (messages, sentences, poems). Faster than a speeding thought, your hand translates into code and writes it on the page. Added benefit: more creative ideas are expressed when one writes by hand.

Read.
But not for work or a school assignment. A how-to book is OK if it’s about how to do something you want to do. Reading is very much like guided daydreaming and directed imagining. PS. If your day is in front of a computer, you may do yourself the favor of reading from a real book (or Kindle) you can hold in your hands.

Read out of your norm.
Offer your mind refreshment, maybe even a challenge, by venturing into reading genres not usual for you. Sci-fi instead of a romance novel? Essays rather than epics? Poems and memoirs over politics and mysteries?

Added tips are at this earlier Prayerful Life posting.

Praying for the Mind

Thank you, Sweet Spirit,
that my mind connects with you
through my heart,
that I know God-Mind, and
that my mind links my body’s being
to my spirit being.
Thank you, Sweet Spirit,
that attention to my mind
sweetens its use and my enjoyment
of what and how I think and know,
and my awareness that my mind
can know your truth and guide
my body in its wellness.
And so it is. And so amen.

Love and blessings,

 

7 June 2017

 

Feed the Body.

The body is the tool that our minds operate. A tool that gets a great deal of attention.

The body is most satisfying to our mind when it is in good working order. That means when it feels good, moves well, rests fully, recovers quickly. What seamstress isn’t happiest when the sewing machine hums productively? What bulldozer driver doesn’t most enjoy when the ‘dozer runs and digs and moves at full power?

This post and the next two will look at ways to feed our Body-Mind-Spirit triangle.

Let’s take a look at how and what we can “feed our body” to give us a tool that serves our mind and spirit even better.

Exercise.
No need to take on marathon-training or mind-numbing exercise goals that leave you exhausted. Exercise can be a simple walk, perhaps with a bit of briskness. Consider a swim that calls on most of your body’s muscles. Yoga is a wonderful body refresher. A number exercises can be done comfortably at home, no need for a gym membership.

Rest.
Rest comes in two flavors: a good night’s sleep and a break from the work at hand. Signs that you’re not getting enough sleep include:

• Fatigue, lethargy, lack of motivation
• Moodiness, irritability
• Decreased sex drive
• Impaired brain activity: learning, concentration, memory
• Weakened immune system

We learn to sleep enough by carefully listening to our body. It tells us clearly when we need more sleep. And studies at the University of California, San Francisco Sleep Disorders Center indicate that 3% of us can get by with 6 hours; the other 97% need the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

Diet.
So, about what we eat. There is an ever-increasing attention to diets and what we should vs shouldn’t intake. Here’s some pretty obvious advice.

• Drink plenty of water. The 8×8 rule (8 ounces of water, 8 times a day) is a good rule of thumb. Mayo Clinic says those 64 ounces need not be only water, but any fluid.
• Monitor your caffeine. And sugar.
• 3 meals a day are better than 2 or 1. There’s good argument for grazing: as many as 6 smaller meals spread throughout the day.
• Be consistent. Stick with a diet. Stick with a dietary regimen.

 Body Blessing

Good Friend God,
the blessing of our physical being,
the costume, the uniform we wear
gives us reason to give you thanks.
And gives us reason to enjoy caring
for its well-being.
The reminders and clues and hints and prompts
to work and rest and fuel our bodies
we thankfully attend.
And for our body’s health and our wellness
we are grateful.
And so it is. Amen.

Love and blessings.

6 June 2017

5 Ways to Boost Inner Peace

We want peace in the world. We want peace in our time. It surely starts with our inner peace.

So where do we find that? How do we realize that? What are the keys to maintaining it?

Visualize Receiving Peace.
Rather than envisioning yourself getting rid of what is not peaceful, visualize peace coming in whatever form matters to you. Perhaps you visualize a blue sky with just a few white clouds. Maybe a sleeping child…or yourself enjoying a snooze. How about the comfort in the middle of a morning run?

Breathe with Consciousness.
Pay attention to the simple process of breathing and let the rhythm give you peace. Breathe in slowly, deeply. Imagine comfort and ease and calm filling your entire being. Hold the breath for a moment. Don’t blow it out, allow your breath to ease out of its own accord. Feel the relaxation.

Stretch your body; rest your mind.
When you work the tension out of your body, the distraction of tight shoulders abates. When the tightness is released, the mind doesn’t focus on it. For your shoulders, shrug hard. Hold your shoulders up around your ears for 20 seconds; drop them and feel the tension flow away.

Make time for peace. full. ness.
Give yourself 5 minutes every hour and let your mind rest. In those same 5 minutes divert your thinking and your doing from whatever you were thinking and doing. Unless it was very peace-ifying. Make these 5 minute peace-breaks a regular habit.

Pick your peace-making song. Listen to it. Sing it.
Some song surely puts you at ease. It’s a tune that lifts your spirits, soothes your worries, removes your stressors. It may be a gentle, easy song or a hip-hop number with jive. Whatever it is pull it out and plug it in to your ears, sing it out with your voice.

And, yes, these 5 ideas are offered specifically for your Monday!

Praying Our Inner Peace

Thank you, Peaceful Presence,
for letting me know I take (or give) my peace away
and thank you for letting me see that peace return to me.
Thank you that every breath prays my thanks to you.
Thank you that I may recall my body and my mind work better
when both are at ease.
Thank you I own the human invention time
and so can freely make time for me in which I grow
my peacefulness.
Thank you for the sounds of peace, that I may
tune into songs that soothe me into perfect ease.
The Peace from which we’re made is mine to recall.
I do so now and thank you, God.
And so it is. Amen.

Love and blessings,

5 June 2017

 

Your Best Impression

Impressions mark our lives. Those impressions we make on others; those others make on us.

Now that I’m the age I am, two things occur frequently: I reflect on people I’ve known and I regret the negative impressions I’ve left on too many.

Almost everything in life leaves an impression. That leaf, weighing almost nothing, left its mark on the wet concrete. A mark that lasted.

In 1989 Charles Sheldon’s 1896 novel, In His Steps, was taken to heart — and to wrist — in Holland, MI. The phrase, What would Jesus do?, resulted. More than 14 million bracelets with the acronym WWJD have been sold. I should wear that bracelet.

How would Jesus react, respond? What would Jesus say, do?

I do not always know the exact answers to those questions. I do know that every time I pause to ask myself any of them, what I say or do is better than it might have been.

Knowing that helps me remember that a smile has a better effect than a frown. Allowing someone to pass for whatever reason is a better action than matching their speed. Pausing to hear the entire answer when I ask someone, “How are you?” certainly makes me feel fuller than zooming on by as I ask.

Just remembering that we are all of One helps me remember to smile. Remembering Jesus is the example of how I can be and behave helps me remember to move aside. Recalling the Christ in everyone helps me really want to ask and hear how they are.

Impression Praying

Good Friend God,
The more I thank you for your power
and your presence that is my being,
the more I want to realize and remember
that divinity in everyone I see.
The consciousness that we are One
from you, of you, as you
guides my words and actions with others.
Good Friend, I celebrate that consciousness.
So it is. So it is impressed on me. Amen.

Love and blessings,

2 June 2017

• Be notified of new postings

  Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

  Join 296 other subscribers

  Email Address

  Subscribe

• Prayerful Life Pages

  • About Tim
  • Prosperity Prayers

• Most Recent

  • Working Affirmation? Why? What? How? (Part 1)
  • The world: what do we pray for?
  • About stress
  • Let it go! How do I do that? How does he?
  • Myself or My Self? Which Matters More?
  • Praying: Scheduled or Spontaneous?
  • Praying with Our Sense of Humor

• Subscribe to RSS

   RSS - Posts

• Tags

  Abundance Affirmations Attitude Authenticity Belief Chakra Christ Color creativity Difference Divine Spirit Energy Faith Forgiveness God Grounding Healing Help Intention Joy Listening Love Mantra meditation Mindfulness Oneness path Peace power of good Prayer praying Presence Principles Prosperity Reflection Release Smile Song spiritual simplicity Strength thanksgiving Truth Unity world Writing