Changing my perspective on the new year...

     I must confess that I've lost interest in goal-setting. Too many "didn't make it" instances, I guess. At this point in life, setting a goal feels like pushing a river upstream, and all I really want to do is go with the flow.
     The following is a quote from Christian Sorensen:

Prayer too often ends up being directed at something outside of the self with a request for a change in conditions. Imagine the difference if your prayer was a communion with the Infinite. You would no longer be petitioning for anything to shift. Your only desire would be to know God better. When practiced in this manner, you are no longer looking for an answer that fulfills a limiting question that fits nicely into one of your preconceived rooms of thought. When you are in tune with the Infinite, you experience the unfoldment of an expanding consciousness that blows the walls out from your box. There are answers to prayer that your requests can’t even begin to articulate, Divine Connections ready to deliver the goods beyond expectations and a love that brings a peace and security only the soul could know.

     My only desire in 2016 is "to know God better." No forcing, no demanding, let Life take me where It will. It's done a damn good job so far, and I'm excited to see what the new year holds.
     Joyous 2016 to all!
                 Leta

A Simple Smile

     It's crazy out there! Loads of traffic and crowds of shoppers, folks thinking there's too much to do and not enough time.
     When I'm out in this mayhem, I make it a point to smile a LOT. It reminds me that I'm not in a hurry and all is well in my world. And I really do get lots of smiles back. It's almost as if seeing me smile reminds the other person that it's all OK, a tiny joyful wake-up call. Simple kindness is a wonderful thing.
     (((SMILE))),
           Leta

Listening

     Listening is a very valuable skill, one that I believe we can always develop more strongly. I know I can always use improvement in that skill. I can get lost in emotions, or figuring out a response, or simply thinking about my to-do list, and then I'm saying, "Could you please repeat that?"
     This shows up as today's topic, as I had the experience yesterday where I was not listened to, and that's quite frustrating. Our garage door opener failed, with my car inside, of course. And I couldn't get the door up manually due to the nature of the failure. We have an odd opener set-up due to the architecture of our house, and it has baffled repairmen in the past, to the point of them damaging the actual garage door in failed efforts to fix things. So when I called the repair company yesterday, I explained the unusual set-up and past history of repair difficulties, and asked that an experienced technician be sent out. So a youngster shows up who immediately says, "I've never seen anything like this." Someone wasn't listening to me!
     It will all work out eventually, and I take away the gentle reminder that listening is quite important, and a very valuable way to have successful interactions with other humans.
     Paying attention,
          Leta

Happiness

A Note from the Universe by Mike Dooley:
Happiness isn't a destination, it's a realization that things couldn't possibly get any better than having the freedom to perceive as you please and to think as you choose, in a magical, adoring Universe.

I've been playing with an awareness that I've spent most of my life doing stuff to try to be a better person, to please others or God, to be worthy. It's an impossible task, because we are already there--there's nothing we can do to be more loved than we already are--we are infinitely adored by that "magical, adoring Universe." Therefore, with this realization comes the knowing that everything I do is simply a choice. I don't HAVE to do anything. I don't have to tithe, or serve others, or be nice, or smile, or say "yes" when I mean "no," or anything else. Those are all choices, and therefore, it's all within. There's no more blaming anything outside myself for the choices I make. We shall see how this develops. Right now, it feels like a very empowering realization. 

     Enjoying the magic,

         Leta

"Rock Star" Yippee! Fun!

     There is a very informative yoga blog that I enjoy very much called Yoga for Healthy Aging. My photo is one of the featured pictures in the latest post!!! Go here:
http://yogaforhealthyaging.blogspot.com/2015/12/friday-practical-pointers-side-bending.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+YogaForHealthyAging+%28YOGA+FOR+HEALTHY+AGING%29
     My sweet husband now calls me "rock star."
     Joy!
        Leta

Simplifying Life

     This blog, with all its pages, is now my website. So links to believeenterprises.com and to the blog will both bring you here. I'll get more pages added soon. One spot to maintain, woohoo!
     Today's inspiration is from the Dalai Lama:

"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."

 Joy and blessings!
            Leta