Discover Your Bliss

How to Sleep Better

My landlord finally replaced the garden lighting at my apartment (translation: it finally works after 8 years of living without it).

What does my garden lighting have to do with sleep?  The new garden lighting includes two big flood lights aimed at my bedroom window lighting up the room with the blinds and curtains closed.

My acupuncturist told me that I need the room to be in total darkness in order to achieve the most deep, beneficial and restful sleep.

I purchased a cotton velvet curtain (in a deep teal) to cover my bedroom window and block out the new light. 

After I hung the new curtain, I started thinking...What if I covered up all forms of light and make my bedroom a black hole for sleep?

Experiment time:  I covered every bit of light - from the red dot on my stereo to my digital clock (the numbers are 3" tall). Every scrap of light - completely covered.

What happened?  I slept ten hours!  I can usually only sleep 6 1/2 hours at most.  I slept deeply and awoke with a clear and focused mind.

I had no idea that little red lights and my alarm clock could disturb my sleep.

Another big a-ha came when I realized how much I look at my clock during the night.  Every time I look at it, I think...Two more hours to sleep...ugh, I have to get up in three...I can't believe I've only been asleep for two hours...and so on and so forth.

My clock (and my looking at my clock all night long) probably factors in as one of my biggest sleep disturbances. 

What's my new solution?  I keep the clock covered and always set an alarm so I have some "back up" when it comes to getting up on time.  I usually just "wake up," yet the security of setting the alarm allows me to sleep without worry.

Concerned your alarm won't go off?  Then set two or three alarms (and always make sure one is a battery only in case of a power outage).

How will you experiment with your sleep environment?  What would it feel like to have deep, restful sleep every night?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.

Watch Junk Mail Disappear Part 1

Everyone loves junk mail, right?  You know that endless stream of catalogs, credit card applications and letters asking you send money to a country you didn't know existed.

How do you discover your bliss in a pile of junk mail?  You make it stop - one step at a time. 

Here's two easy steps to stop junk mail from invading your mailbox:

• Do you ever receive a little white pamphlet from your bank or credit card company that has "privacy policies" as the heading?  Read it, say "no" to them "sharing" your name and information and mail it back to them.  If they don't receive your "no" in the mail, they take that as a "yes" and sell your information.  It's their "round about" way of asking your permission and then taking your lack of action as a "yes."
• Buy a new electronic lately?  What about a tool with a "lifetime guarantee?"  When sending in your rebates or warranties, make sure you write "no mailing lists" on your card to ensure that they can not use your name for other purposes.  I usually write "do not sell or share my information with others" on my forms. 

Another great plus to stopping your junk mail is environmental - no extra waste going into our landfills and less energy used in creating the extra mailings.

How does stopping your junk mail increase your bliss?  What would be another step you could take in reducing the amount of "stuff" that comes in your mail?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries! 

Do Something For Yourself Day

Have you ever planned a day just for yourself?

I'm not talking about a laundry list of activities - I'm talking about planning a day just for yourself? 

A day that doesn't matter when you wake up.  What you do.  Where you go or if you return emails.

What would happen if you planned a day (or half a day for the ultra busy) to do anything you want?

Stay in your pajamas reading a book until noon.  Soak in the bathtub and read your favorite magazine.  Get out some crayons and color a silly picture?

Think this is a waste of time?  Curious?

It's amazing what can happen when we give ourselves the gift of total freedom. 

I recently did this and slept for 10 hours (6 1/2 is my norm).  I read a book that I've had sitting in my apartment for two months and caught up with The Martha Stewart Show on the Tivo.

I feel so refreshed and renewed.  I've been living on such a set schedule for so long now that I had no idea how wonderful it would feel to break that mold. 

What would "a day to yourself" give you?  How does breaking from a normal routine support you?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries!   

Be a Time Magnet

I've been practicing living in the present moment lately.  I've noticed that this practice brings me closer to and surrounds me with more calm and peace of mind.

I walk to the grocery store (since it is across the street) and never know how long it will take, since I never know how busy the checkers will be. 

I wanted to be back to my apartment by noon.  It was 11:45am - could I make it?  I had a list and continued to stay in the present moment.

The store had everything on my list (yes!) and I made my way to check out.  There weren't many checkers open and I took my place in line - not concerned about the time - breathing in the present moment.

Another checker approached me and asked me to come to her register (yes!) - happy dance!

The street was clear both coming and going to the store, so I didn't have to wait to cross the street.

I arrived back at my apartment at 11:51am.  Wow - with time to spare. 

When I told someone what had occurred, he proclaimed - You are a time magnet! 

Talk about an amazing gift - by staying in the present moment - everything just fell into place.

How can you be a time magnet?  What would a "time magnet" look like?  How does the present moment melt away the stress of time?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries!

Eckhart Tolle: A New Earth - Present Moment

The present moment is powerful.  I never realized how powerful it is until I heard Eckhart Tolle explain the power of the present moment in one of the Oprah classes.

The present moment is all we have.  There is no past or future. 

If we are thinking of the past - it is in the present moment.

If we are thinking of the future - it is in the present moment.

Everything happens in the present moment, so the present moment becomes "THE" tool to create change in your life.

According to Eckhart Tolle, most "past" events are not as "bad" as we remember them to be (now of course I am not dismissing these events or asking you act as if they didn't occur).  It is our constant replay of the past events that cause us pain. 

If we can learn to be more in the present moment, then we have the power and can choose what will influence our mood and emotional state.

Do you want past or future events to have so much power over you?  Would you like more peace of mind and calm in your life?

I invite you to start right in this moment right now.  Yes, now.  Take a deep breath in and concentrate on your breath.  Now let it out. 

By practicing - one breath at a time - going inward and concentrating on that breath, you experience the power of the present moment.

Be gentle with yourself and know that you're practicing - not perfecting. 

The next time you feel upset bubbling up, practice your breath - just one breath at a time - and anchor fully into the present moment. 

Just like anything else (riding a bike, learning a new language, etc.), present moment practice takes time.  Acknowledge yourself throughout the day and breathe in gratitude. 

What's so powerful about the present moment?  How can one breath a day support you to anchor into the present moment?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries!

Search the Net: Raise Money for Charity

Want to raise money for your favorite charity while surfing the net?  Check out GoodSearch.

The site uses a Yahoo! search engine and you get to select which charity will benefit from your internet surfing.

How does it work?  Yahoo! and GoodSearch share the site's advertising revenue generated when users click on sponsored links. 

GoodSearch - a for-profit philanthropy, gives away half of its earnings - roughly 1 cent per search. 

So far, GoodSearch has given $6,000 to the ASPCA & has helped the Save Darfur Coalition raise $3,635.

Searching the web to support charities - what bliss!

How can you combine activities in support of something?  How could this filter into your local community?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries!

Tuesday Quote to Ponder

"In some cases we learn more by looking for the answer to a question than we do from learning the answer itself."  Lloyd Alexander, author

Compliments - Make Sure They're Sincere

I've sometimes found that giving a compliment to someone can turn out to be an insult in disguise (whether the person realizes it or not). 

Sometimes compliments can get lost in the regional nuances of vocabulary differences and customs. 

A woman in one of my referral groups raved about another member that counsels "troubled teens."  Of course the woman giving the compliment to the therapist thought she was being supportive and complimentary, yet she didn't bother to consider how her rave could insult other fellow members in the group.   

In order to compliment the young therapist, the English woman pointed out the importance of the therapist's youth.  She also added that she had more to offer than a "crusty old 60-year-old" - never once considering that she sat next to two women in their sixties. 

Of course in this case, it's all about intention, yet having the awareness of the embedded insult can shift the energy of the compliment to a higher level.

Just for fun, I've included some "compliments" that might have an insulting edge to them (Nov. 2007 Reader's Digest):

"I can't believe you can fit into such a small speedo."

"What I like about your toupee is it says, Hey I have better things to spend my money on."

"You're smart to do your laundry on Saturday night, when everyone else is out." 

"You have ten cats?  Wow, it only smells like three or four."

What can raise your awareness around your compliments?  How could a "compliment filter" support the up-leveling of your energy? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.   

Happy Easter - Ego, Light, Dark, Fear, Love

I often listen to Marianne Williamson on XM radio and her recent show on Friday opened my eyes to a new way of thinking.

She spoke of the crucifixion as being unable to see the light in the darkness and the resurrection as the ability to see the light no matter how dark it may be. 

Marianne also said that the crucifixion is gravity to the ego and the resurrection is weightlessness.

The inner knowing that love can demolish all fear is yet another lesson of this transition.

I invite you today - no matter your religious affiliation - to take note of the present moment and feel the power that it holds.  Take a deep breath and breathe in the love, light and weightlessness.  Breathe out fear, darkness and heaviness. 

How can the present moment support you in seeing the light in times of dark?  What can you do daily to remind yourself that the present moment is your gateway to peace? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

And again, I'd like to thank everyone for their comments.  I read each one and smile, feeling our connection to each other.

Cell Phones to the Rescue!

Your cell phone can be your lifeline if you're injured or disabled in an accident. 

Hospital and ambulance personnel suggest you save the name and number of a designated contact (a friend or family member) in your phone book under ICE for "In Case of Emergency," so they will know who to call. 

Make sure whoever you choose as your "ICE" can answer questions about allergies, current prescriptions, blood type and preexisting medical conditions. 

If you know of any other cell phone "codes" for emergency purposes, please let me know as well as share it with your friends and family.

Who is your "ICE?"  How can you educate them about your medical history and stats?     

Have a fabulous and inspiring day!