3 Lessons from Deepak Chopra: On Life Purpose and The Law of Dharma

3 Lessons from Deepak Chopra: On Life Purpose and The Law of Dharma

One of the things that I have struggled with for a long time in my life was the question of life purpose.

What am I here to do?
What is my purpose?
What was I meant to create during this life time?

I felt lost, clueless and without direction.
Forget about purpose and meaning, I didn't even feel happy about the simple pleasures of life. Confused, I have wandered at many different avenues and at each stop, I learned something about my purpose. And this was only a few short years ago.

If I had come upon this book at that time, I know I would have seen a lot of answers pop-up. The book I am referring to is, "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success" written by the well-known and prolific author, Deepak Chopra. More than anything, the book is about living a fulfilled, happy life. It consists of seven laws derived from ancient Vedic texts but one can find parallels in almost every spiritual tradition. The seventh law in this book is a succinct, summarized guide to finding our life's purpose or Dharma.

Essentially, this law says that our purpose is to find our inner-most talents that we enjoy, connect it to serving others and in the doing of it experience the divine.

Straightforward, right? Well...

Too often, we need an intermediary to understand and explore the concepts that are laid out in a book. And I decided that this chapter is so essential that I wanted to share my insights from it with you. So I made a video - around 20 minutes long, which goes deep into just this one chapter of this one book. I know that's long for our busy schedules but it is worth it, if you ever wonder about existential questions like "what is my purpose in life".

Watch the video below where I share 3 Lessons from Deepak Chopra.

In this video, I share with you:

- I share with you how to put into practice the steps laid out for finding our life purpose.
- I will make clear how to find what we are passionate about especially for those who are not sure what they love doing.
- I will share how you can connect the dots when you have found what you love to do and whether it serves others.

Do take a look and let me know in the comments what your main challenge around life purpose has been or what you are currently facing. I will be reading your thoughts, so go ahead and share. You might just offer the missing link to someone on their path looking for answers.

Thank you for being part of our Happiness Lovers Family. And if you are not yet a Happiness Lover, join our family now by going here.

Lots of love,

Sophia
Helping You Live A Happier Life

PS: If you have questions that I could answer in one of my future videos around this subject of finding and living one's life purpose, go ahead and write it in the comments.

How To Turn An Obstacle Into A Meaningful Opportunity

When you are faced with an obstacle or a challenge in life, you can find an opportunity in it and come out of the challenge even stronger. In this video, I share with three steps you can take to make this happen.

Key Insights:
-Our perspective is the key to how we experience life.
-By choosing to see the positive elements/ the gift in an obstacle, we have instantly shifted our perspective and our experience of that obstacle into an opportunity.
-By focusing on the action, specifically what positive actions we can take, we can move into transforming the challenge into something meaningful.

In the comments below, I invite you to share your insights on dealing with an obstacle. Your words here could change someone's life and bring you healing in the sharing of it. So go ahead and make your voice known.

Thank you and peace,

Sophia

I have created a Happiness Lover's Family. You can become part of our virtual family and receive free tips and update on the best Happiness Practices picked from modern science and ancient wisdom. Go here to join.

A secret that will help you shift from resisting to accepting

With Cristof Ensslin

My husband, Cristof Ensslin is a power house of wisdom and inspiration and a big part of my journey from a downward cycle to a rich, happy, uplifting life. I am amazed how he handles things in his life with grace and compassion. So I asked him how he deals with some of the challenging moments, especially that of loss. Listen to this video in which he shares the power of allowing the emotion: truly a big key to moving through the challenge.

Please please share with us how you deal with a specifically difficult moment such as a loss of a loved one. It could change someone's life.

And if you want to be part of our brand new Happiness Lovers Family go here to join in and receive free tips and tools to live a more enriching and happier life.

Peace,
Sophia

How to Keep Your Cool in the Face of Challenges

With Asmita Barua and Voahirana Rakotonaivo

I write and speak in my blogs and videos about ways we can live a happier life. Then there are moments when things get really tough and it becomes a challenge to stay on our positive track. Recently, I had the chance to speak with two of my awesome friends who are also my former colleagues from the time I worked at the United Nations. And I asked them how do they keep cool during challenging times. This is what they had to say:

Have you any tips of how you handle the tough days? Please share in the comments below. What you say and share could be life-changing to someone who reads it down the road. So go ahead and share.

And if you want to be part of our brand new Happiness Lovers Family go here to join in and receive free tips and tools to live a more enriching and happier life.

Love,
Sophia

Happiness Lovers Family: Welcome! Introduce Yourself

Hey New Happiness Lover!

Welcome to the family. At Reflection Pond, we call each other either a Happiness Lover or Lovely Joy Person. Feel free to start using these terms of endearment. This helps us to feel part of a family.

Now, introduce yourself. In the comments below, share with us:
1. Where you are from and where you live currently.
2. Share with me your #1 thing you are grateful for.
3. Your #1 challenge in leading a happy life.

I also invite you to read the other family member's comments and respond to them. This is for you.

If you want to be part of the Happiness Lover Family and are not yet, go here to join us today. It is free.
 

The Focusing Question: How to transform your overflowing schedule

...into one of ease.

As the year comes to a close, I look back at all the projects and activities I have undertaken. I am filled with satisfaction for the personal and business goals that I have worked towards. But I also have this feeling that as Fall rolled in, things got a little out of hand and I was drowning in work and commitments.

Did you have that experience?

As this realization set in, I asked myself how I could streamline my work and life so that I can truly accomplish my goals without getting lost in the hustle-bustle of life.

And thankfully, I received my answer and I have already begun implementing it. And it starts with one question.

Watch this video to learn about this one question that has helped me ease my workload while up-leveling my productivity. And it has a huge potential to help you.

Click the links below to learn more
1. The One Thing by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan
2. The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

Plus, last month's Live Video Event, "Happiness Intention" was amazing with wonderful interaction from the audience. We also chose 2 lucky winners for my Happiness Coaching session: Michael S. and Irene S.C. (Yes, we had only announced that we would giveaway 1 session but I spontaneously decided to giveaway another! Yayy!)

Our next Live Event, "The Gratitude Way" on December 28th, 4pm Eastern. A wonderful way to close the year! So do join in!

Till then, watch this video.

Sending you love and blessings,

Sophia
Helping You Live A Happier Life

Listening to Your Inner Voice with Stillness

Last month, Renée Konan, an entrepreneur and also a former colleague during my time at the United Nations in New York, shared with some wisdom nuggets. I called her up on skype and recorded our conversation which is filled with laughs and giggles. She speaks with so much ease and confidence about listening to our inner wisdom and makes it simple to do.

So take a watch and enjoy this jubilant personality, Ms. Renée Konan. And share in the comments below how do you listen to your inner-guidance and intuitive nudges?

How I Dealt With Someone's Words That Were Hurtful

(plus, how you can stay peaceful in such a situation)

You consider yourself a positive person, generally upbeat about life. You focus on your work, are kind to people and work towards making a contribution to this world. But then, someone says something that just throws you off your positive-horse, so to speak.

Does this happen to you? I just experienced this.

In this video, I share with you how I dealt with just such a situation and also the positive nuggets that I learned which  can help you stay happy and peaceful when facing something similar.

Plus, I have just put into place my new studio set, right in my living room and I loooove it. With new lights, filters and camera stand, the video quality just went up a few notches. Have a look yourself!

And this month, we will have a special Live Video Event, "Happiness Intention" to explore simple, practical ways you can boost your quality of life, daily. So look out for an invite for that coming soon.

Lots of love to you,

Sophia
Helping You Live A Happier & Simplified Life

PS: Do let me know how you deal with hurtful words from someone in the comments below.

How To Be Content, Right Now?

You know, I have been looking and searching for the last six years for specific answers to questions that so many of us face. And I am fortunate that teachers have come into my life at exactly the right time, teaching me just what I needed to know in that moment.

When I do learn something I want to begin implementing it right away and sharing it right away.

And I made a video for you that I think will be very useful if you are thinking about questions around contentment.

In last month's post, I shared with you my thoughts on how to create happiness every day. I introduced the idea of generating happiness and making a decision to commit to being happy. Today, I want to share with you a bigger theme: contentment.

Being happy when things in life are smooth sailing is one thing, but how to go deeper than that? How to be content with life despite hardships, despite challenges? Is it even possible?

The answer, of course, is "Yes".

It may be a black-belt, ninja-level, yogi-on-the-mountain-top-level master skill. But I believe it is DO-ABLE.

In the video below, I share with you what I have learned about being content right in this moment, no matter what is going on in our lives.

Do watch it and share with me in the comments, your biggest frustration with being content on a daily basis.

Peace and love to you,

Sophia
Helping you live happier and simpler life.

PS: Want to see us Live? Cristof and I will be going online Live for a new visualization meditation evening.  Join us! October 14, Tuesday, 7pm Eastern

How to Create Happiness Every Day

Even though happiness seems like a mystery at times to some of us, we can create happiness every day. Read on!

Happiness is a personal responsibility just as a clean home or a healthy meal is. To keep our kitchen sink clean what needs to happen? We need to take the scrubber and wash the dishes and clean the sink afterwards. Then, to continue to have it this way, we need to do it everyday. Now we have a nice, tidy kitchen sink on a daily basis.

Creating happiness is something like that. We need to take ACTIONS to first create it and then to maintain it. We need to do this everyday. Yes, it is true that happiness is never lost; it is always within us at all times and to say 'create' belies this fact. I will still like to use the word 'create' because it brings home the fact that in order to experience happiness we need to actively participate.

It is really imperative that you and I do this. Because happiness doesn't usually happen to us although we wait hoping for it to come to us. Yes, some people seem to be inherently happy. But they too do things, albeit, so naturally that they may not even be aware that they are doing it. They do things to help generate the feeling of happiness.

So, there it is, the key phrase: generating happiness.

Before I go into generating happiness, I would like to salute all those who say that happiness is something that just happens. One needs to meditate and be in the present moment and voilà! we will be happy. Although, I love meditation and love the teachings of being in the present moment, a lot of us, myself included, are not there yet to just feel happy at all times. Side note: happy=content=at peace. Not everyone is a regular meditator and many of us are not always present. So if this describes you, then read on.

The essence of what I am saying here is that we actually need to do something actively to generate happiness. We need to take conscious actions.

1. We need to look deeply at what generates happiness. For each one of us it is different.

Two things happen when we begin to dissect those things that make/generate happiness for us. One, we begin to see that there certain things that we want in our lives. And we think once we attain them, we shall be happy - the pursuit of happiness, which really is the cause of unhappiness. It is something in the future. We can never attain something that is in the illusory dimension of time which is conceptual. There is only the present. So, if we cannot feel or generate happiness in the now, the idea that 'someday' I shall be happy, is just a way to trap ourselves in a perpetual circle. This way, we see that what we think will make us happy in the future is nothing but an illusion.

So, the 'happiness' is not happening in the future. It is only happening now.

Second, when we look deeper at what generates happiness, we realize all those things that our heart really really values but our mind or the ego, doesn't want to give it importance. These are all the things that are not connected with status, fame, success, security, wealth, reputation and the face we show in society. What our hearts value are things that are very deeply personal and unique to each one of us. And of course, it varies greatly.

Some of these things for me are:

having plenty of time for breakfast (not rushing)
watching birds fly (I love to gaze at the sky)
playing with my cat (being around animals)
creative activity (writing, editing videos, cooking, designing websites)
reading (i love to read uplifting books)
watching the sunset (having grown up on the west coast of India, the sun setting into the ocean is truly special)
walking on the beach or in the woods (this unique connection with nature is beyond words)
sitting in the hammock with a notebook and a pen (I love writing in my hammonck)
meditating (regardless of how still my mind is during a meditation, after the session I have a wonderful sense of joy for having shown up for it)
playing badminton with my neighbor-kids
chatting about the nature of life and universe with friends

...and so on.

Not one item on this list is something money can buy. Think about your own list. What kinds of things make you happy; things that your heart values?

It seems that many of these activities we don't give value to ourselves, even though deep down we love them. We enjoy them, but somehow we find other more important things to do - often things that directly generate money or status - which we think will get us all those happiness-making things in the future.

Do understand me right. We certainly need to take care of our needs and do the necessary to take care of our livelihood. But I am talking about what comes after that - after you have done the necessary and covered the basics.

This is what seems to happen.

Everything externally seems to be going well, just as you planned. You are doing everything that society has asked of you, you even excel and create immense monetary success, but you feel cheated, tripped up. That something is not right, not fair. Inside you, there is a deep rumbling of dissatisfaction, discomfort, restlessness, even sadness and inexplicable sorrow. And you think at first, it is something out there - somebody said or did something or didn't say or didn't do. Or it may be that some situation is not working out the way you planned. These external events become a trigger - a light switch that is turned on to then make you feel really really bad. You even realize that your reactions seems out of proportion to the event you are facing. And then you begin to wonder what in the world is going on with you?!!

All that has happened is that your inner-spirit, your essence, your soul is suffocated. You have not been doing all those things that make you truly happy. You've had too many stresses and pressures of life that you needed to cater to. Too many fires to put out for others, that your inner-fire is fighting for air. The inner-fire will never be put out - no matter what you do. But we do need to help this little fire, this litter flame to breathe, to grow, to expand and to shine through us.

When, that doesn't happen, we feel ill, we feel restless, we drop into depression and into anger.

We need to play, we need to do more of the things we love to do. More of the things that makes us happy - make us feel good.

But how to do it? How to do it when our days are full and our responsibilities to others take all of our time?

It may seem hard, but really it isn't.

2. All it takes is a decision.

We need to decide that kindling our inner fire is important to us. This is what generates happiness for us. And a happy person helps his/her community in infinite ways.

So, after we make that decision, we need to commit to generating happiness in the next 24 hours. We need to pick something small.

Whatever creates true happiness for you, do that, even if it is only for 15 minutes.

Then, make a new commitment for one more day and for just a few minutes. And each day renewing your commitment to take care of your inner-light.

You will see that your inner-fire starts rekindling. It gets a little air to breathe. There comes a smile to your face. You begin to generate happiness; instead of waiting for it to happen to you. You are allowing your spirit to flourish.

So, happiness - feeling light and happy - is your personal responsibility, like brushing teeth, showering and keeping a clean kitchen sink. And you can do it - start small and soon you will create a momentum of continuous and exponential increase in happiness and in a sense of well-being.

Love,
Sophia

The Space Behind Things

It seems like so many of us are on the journey of simplifying our lives - doing more of what we love and less of the unimportant, distracting activities.

We want to have the things that we love or need. We want to spend more time doing meaningful activities with our loved ones. We want to eat more of green, organic, nourishing foods. We want to go out in nature and do fun exercises.

We want real connection with the people in our lives. We want to live a life that means something, at least to us. We want to find who we truly are and experience joy and peace each day.

We want space in our lives.

Yet, what do we do?

We fill our homes with memorabilia that we don't even connect with, with more than enough books that we one day we will read, with things that are broken but we can't let go of. Then we feel overwhelmed walking around in our own home.

We fill up our days with work up to the neck with only time left to eat, sleep and get ready for the next day. We answer every email, can't delete the ones we have answered and spend every free minute checking for new mail. We watch shows upon shows on TV or surf the internet mindlessly. We want to exercise but find no energy or time to do so. We postpone calling our friends and have no time for fun activities with the near and dear ones. Our to-do list is bursting and we have expectations of ourselves that reach the sky.

And, we find ourselves filled with thoughts and feelings that speak of anxiety, worry, sadness, doubt and a dissatisfaction with our lives that is not a one-off but an everyday experience.

So, why is that, even when we know what is good for us, we default into all the ways to fill up our lives?

I have come to realize that it is because we are afraid.

We are afraid of the space behind things - of what we will find when the curtain is lifted.

The fear is what makes us cover up our lives in the first place. Part of it is because there is too much pain and suffering to face when we have not wrapped it up with layers of things, activities, bad habits and negative thoughts.

Part of it is because we are not even aware that there is another dimension of life where we can be free of that suffering. Or we may not even believe that such a life (free of suffering) is even possible for us.

And another part of it is that we are not sure what to do in all that space we will find once we do streamline our lives.

This has been my experience. For the last few years, I have had this uncanny but persistent, almost overpowering drive to simplify my life. I have let go, donated, sold or recycled of hundreds of books, clothes and things. I have almost emptied our home of furniture. I have undertaken and completed many unfinished tasks which were hanging around on my to-do list (like making a photobook of my childhood photos for my Mom, something she had really wanted and which I happily presented to her on her 60th birthday).

And now, my life is the most organized and simplified it has ever been. I make fewer promises so that I can help myself keep them. I very selectively engage in activities and travel.

I do less so that I can be more.

All of this has created enormous SPACE in my life, which I love and that space has allowed me to fulfill my most important priorities which in turn has created a lot of joy for me.

But, yes there is a but, I have also faced what so many of us fear we will find when we do streamline our lives.

Thoughts.

Negative Thoughts.

When we are busy doing something, there is no time for them to come up, right? They are pushed back, shoved over into a deep dark place. We are so immersed and occupied with so much activity that we do not even know what kind of thoughts we actually have.

So, as space began to emerge in my life, I started to see and face my own thoughts and feelings. Eckhart Tolle says that when we let go of all that the ego is attached to, it starts to work overtime to rebuild what it thinks is its identity. The sense of "I" was diminishing just as the sense of "Self" was emerging in me. The negative thoughts come in as if to protect the ego, but we all know how destructive it is.

And this journey can be very challenging and so we hide our Self behind the curtain of external things and activities.

But what I am learning is that, it is not that scary, as we imagine it to be. Yes, the experience is uncomfortable and even draining, but by just looking at what is happening, I have been able to be at ease. I am still learning to be completely present with becoming aware of what is happening within. But already there is relief. I am noticing glimpses of what is beyond - a vast spaciousness that is light and joyful.

I am allowing myself the possibility that I can live without covering up my life with things and thoughts and go beyond the ego's backlash.

I know that the power of simply being aware and present with what is, is liberating to the spirit.

And each day, I enjoy a bit more the fruits of the space that I have in my life.

I wish for you tremendous joy and peace wherever you are on your journey of life. Thank you for reading.

Love,
Sophia

Happiness Begins Now By Doing What You Love

Listen up. Today you are on assignment. Think of three things that make you happy. Go do that.

Now, this instruction sounds simple and easy, and in essence it is. But because some of us are so disconnected with our true selves, we find it difficult to follow this very simple instruction. Another reason is that we think ‘the thing’ that makes me happy has to be big, huge. That it is connected to our career or some grand, artistic self-expression. No. It can be as simple as making a cup of tea and sitting in a hammock. Or going for a stroll in the park or the woods. Or playing with dogs or cats or any pets. If this is what makes you happy, go do it. Some other hurdles are: the thoughts that say, “I need to be productive. I need to do something to be useful. I need to do all those projects, first.” These thoughts keep you away from your true joy. Your true happiness. And you postpone and you postpone and it never happens. Of course, your inner-child continues to be deprived. And eventually, if affects your life in ways that will finally snap you into doing what makes you happy.

Also, the idea that happiness comes from doing things you love, being the way you like to be, is unfamiliar to some. The thought says, “I will be happy when I acquire stuff, or when I achieve this or that, or when I find my life-partner, or when I look or feel a certain way physically.” All that’s common among these thoughts is: happiness is postponed to some future time.

How about pulling those happiness strings back, rolling them back into the present. What if we began with the premise: “I am happy, right now.” Thoughts of gratitude help a great deal too. So now, the underlying vibration is: “I am happy.” Put a smile on your face and begin to deeply appreciate the gift that life is. It may be challenging to do this or it may be easy. But if it is challenging, then help yourself by doing it during “low-stress” times. This is your training period. The more training you get in during this time, the better your “performance” when the situation is more challenging. Then comes your test period. You are now to practice what you’ve been training for.

Help yourself to be happy by repeating, “I am grateful for my life. I am happy.” Begin to notice how you feel and when you feel happy. Note it down. And actively repeat those actions and situations that fill you up with joy. Gravitate towards that which you enjoy.
And then the assignment stated at the start of this chapter will be natural, simple and easy to follow. And if you already can do at least one thing that makes you happy, go do it now.

Thank you.

Gratitude Leads to Spiritual Compassion

Gratitude. Gratitude is a disguise. It is you showing the Universe that you recognize the beauty, the oneness of it all. You show gratitude to your friends, your family, you show gratitude to the Universe. The flow of life is much much more expansive than a single life-form, yet without each life-form it is far from whole. Each one is a vital, essential part; the Universe works through each with similar compassion.

Yes, the Universe is compassionate. Not in the human sense. In a spiritual sense. Spiritual compassion is about un-conditionality in the absolute sense. Spiritual compassion is not just for living things but also for everything else that exists. For processes and for principles and for characteristics. It is boundless. It sees through illusion.

And in a way, we all have the capacity to tap into that kind of spiritual compassion. We can enable ourselves, through practice, to let that flow through us. It develops and grows gradually for us. When we contemplate on spiritual compassion, the rational, conceptual elements seep through us and eventually, we get beyond those layers, through to the essence - the essence of spiritual compassion reveals itself to you. It blends and merges with you. You ‘get it’ on a deeper level, on an emotional, vibrational, spiritual level. It then begins to emerge in you as waves. Waves that are like sound, like water. And the ripples made in this water reach the far corners of all that exist and all that is beyond existences. It is sensory yet without sensations and it embodies the paradox. Seemingly conflicting things co-exist within it. It is symbolic of how life is.

And all of this is available for human beings to experience and comprehend on a deep level, in a deep way.

Thank you.

Heal Others By Asking For Forgiveness

Just on the flip side of forgiving others is asking for forgiveness.

And this is how you heal our world - ask for forgiveness. Admit that your words and actions may have caused others pain. And then ask them to forgive you. This applies to both your conscious and unconscious actions or words. Even actions or words not spoken can cause hurt. And you can heal that. You do that by saying, “I am sorry for my words and actions that hurt you. I am really sorry that I hurt you. Please forgive me.”

This is the trigger for peace in the other. They may or may not understand it. They may or may not be prepared to forgive. But now, they have been offered a chance to heal something they might not be able to do easily without your help. So, make that effort. Take that step. Help heal the hurt you may have caused someone consciously or unconsciously. Ask for forgiveness.

Thank you.

Forgiveness Creates Peace In Our World

Forgiveness. Forgiveness is a powerful way to peace. You may have heard it said that forgiveness is something we ‘do’ for ourselves and it has nothing to do with others. It is partly true. Yes, when we forgive someone, we feel the burden lift from us. The pain, hurt and anguish release their grip on us and we feel as if we are set free. We feel light. A sense of peace descends upon us. Or put another way, we ascend into a state of peace.

There is another element to forgiveness. The one who you forgive, feels it too. Yes, they feel the peace. Think of someone you asked for forgiveness and they truly forgave you. And you knew they had forgiven you because you felt it energetically. You felt light, loved and accepted by them. Can you recall such a moment? A moment when you felt a sense of peace when the other forgave you.

So, by practicing forgiveness, we are actually creating peace in the lives of others and in our world. This is one powerful way of creating peace. And it also applies to forgiving those who have already passed away. The past, present and future exist simultaneously and so when you forgive those who have crossed the rainbow bridge to the spirit world, they too shall find peace.

Forgiveness is a spiritual muscle which you can build with practice and in this way, contribute to peace and love in your life and on our planet as a result.
Thank you.

How In Losing I Found - What Truly Matters

I would like to share with you a recent aha-moment I had that has completely transformed how I view the things of my life. In the past few weeks, I have shared with you my reflections on letting go things, especially when they are gifts from your loved ones. Today, I will share with you about letting go things that were gifts that you happen to loose.

As you read about my story, think of some item that you lost, misplaced or somehow got destroyed or is no longer in your possession. Some item that you cherished so much, still due to various circumstances you do not have it anymore.

For me this item is a single earring. I received a beautiful pair of earrings from my husband on our wedding anniversary. It is lovely earring made out of silver into the shape of a gingko leaf. All elements of this gift are endearing to me, the choice of metal- silver, the occasion- wedding anniversary, the fact that it was locally hand-made in Asheville by Stuat Nye, the motif- gingko leaf which brings us fond memory of our late granny (my husband's fathers' mom) who loved gingko trees.

One fine late fall day, my husband and I went for a walk by the French Broad River. It was quite cold that day so I was warmly dressed and I had a warm wool scarf on and I had my lovely earrings on.  It was not long before I realized that one of my earrings had fallen off, perhaps entangled in my wool scarf, which has a track record of entangling with my jewelry! Both of us retraced our steps through the gravel, the bank of the river, and the spot near a tree where we sat and watched the flowing river. We looked everywhere possible. No earring!

At the time, I was feeling quite fine about the situation. Things get lost. It is just an item. All is well, I thought and we moved on with our day.

I got home and put the remaining earring from the pair next to our Buddha statue in the bedroom. In the next few weeks, I moved the remaining earring to various parts of the house, not knowing what to do with it. It is a lovely silver piece by itself, beautifully hand-crafted and it was a gift. How could I just get rid of it, I thought. But now after some time, every time I saw the earring, I was reminded about the one that was lost. It was as if I did not even see the earring that was in my hand. All I could think of was the lost earring and the fact that my wedding anniversary gift was now unusable. A certain low energy would come over me, as I went about my day, instead of the joyful feeling I had every time I wore my treasured gift. And I did not like the feeling I felt each time I saw the remaining earring.

So, I decided to share with a close friend about my ongoing challenge to deal with the lost-earring-syndrome. She listened and shared her ideas to help me resolve it. I also shared my feelings with my husband in another walk by the French Broad River. In the course of these two conversations with wise souls, I realized what truly mattered to me in this situation:

1. The remaining earring is a teacher; reminding me to notice what I still have, instead of what is lost. It helps me to be grateful for all that I have and all that I experience.

2. The earring pair represent the love my husband feels for me and is a symbolic gesture of that love, but it is not the love itself. In losing the earring, I have recognized the deeper dimensions of love I experience daily.

3. The lost earring is teaching me the precious lesson of letting go; of being at peace with how things are and being at peace with the changing flow of life, instead of holding tight to how things are, and instead of wanting things to stay the same.

4. The earring reminds me to let items and things be who and what  they are, as themselves, to stand for their own inherent beauty and craftsmanship. The pair of earrings reminds me to free things of the burden of being a placeholder for sentiments such as love and to fully open up to love that I express and the love that I receive.

5. The lost earring is a wise teacher who in its disappearance leaves behind all these precious lessons that help me experience life in deeper, richer, more meaningful ways than before.

6. And most importantly, the entire episode has helped me be happy and peaceful, regardless of the changing status of things and objects around me; a very useful thing indeed!

This earring episode was on the surface a minor experience. It was 'just' a small earring I had lost, no big deal, I consoled myself. But the losing of it pricked at something within me. When I looked carefully, I found precious gems that were hidden just below the surface. I am grateful for wise friends and teachers helped me along and who continuously are sharing freely their wisdom, understanding and compassion in my life. And I am grateful for the lovely earrings and the artist who made them with such love and care.

Now it is your turn! I invite you to look at your own experience of losing something, even your own so-called 'minor' incidents. Look a bit more closely, and see the glittering gifts they carry for you, just beyond the surface. It may be a turning point for your life in a way never imagined, bringing in greater peace and understanding towards yourself and greater compassion for others.

With love and blessings,

Sophia
 

Introspection

Take a moment to notice all that you have.
The things, experiences, love, blessings, beauty, community, nature, abundance, creativity, adventures, family, friends, wisdom that are endowed with right now.

Does it matter to help just one fish?

So the story takes place at a pond. There is a big man-made pond in the front yard of the house next to hers. This house is empty, on the market and owned by the bank. She often sits by this pond, observing the birds that come to visit it.

A big blue heron visits the pond daily, connecting to Kimberly in its own unique way. I myself got to catch a glimpse of the blue heron when I was visiting Kim one day. Kimberly, her dog and myself went for a walk near the pond when her dog got very interested in the fish. When we got closer, we saw that a large catfish was floating upside down on the surface at the edge.

Thinking that the fish was about to move on to heaven, both of us began saying prayers. Just then we saw a little twitch, filled with hope, we looked even more closely and noticed that the fish was in an awkward spot among the rocks. We quickly got a long-stemmed grass, gently nudged her and in a matter of seconds, the fish turned around and swam away, joining the rest of the fish family who by now had gathered around to help us energetically help the 'stuck' fish. They now all seemed euphoric at receiving their family member back and started to swim parallel to us as we walked on joyously further around the pond.

This incident reminded us that helping or being present with just one person or one being makes a difference to the whole universe. It certainly made a difference for this one fish, this one fish family, for Kimberly and myself. Even her dog seemed elated at how things were turning out.

The Challenge You Are Facing IS Useful

It is no fun experiencing a challenging moment. As human beings we find ourselves dealing with the various ways fear manifests in us and in the people we love, know and care for. But what if, your experience of ANY challenging moment is actually a fully-potent, loaded gift of miracles awaiting you to unravel it?

Think about it.

Think about a challenging situation you are going through right now. No one can judge the size or intensity this challenge has for you but you. So, big or small it is relative to your life experience, so let us not judge ourselves on this point. Just know that the challenge you are facing, although doesn't feel good right now, is actually full of wisdom. And you can learn a great deal about yourself, about the people you love, about life and about the divine grace through this very challenging experience. But how?

Well, it begins by seeing that what you are experiencing is a result of seeds you have sown. The source is no one but you. This is not about blaming, please. Nor is it about judging ourselves. It is about recognizing that either our past life actions or thoughts and actions in this very life are the starting point for what is happening now. The practical hows and whys may be different from one situation to another but one thing is clear: The situation is teaching you, reminding you and helping you recognize what seeds you sowed, and how you can choose different seeds to sow. And right here, it gets really interesting. If you want to learn more about mental seeds, read this book and read my review of the book here.

What is Being Triggered?

I had a conversation recently with a friend who shared a challenging situation she experienced. During a chat she was having with someone close, her feelings started to get hurt. She had the understanding of herself and of mental seeds already deeply within her. And she was able to stand back from the challenging situation and ask herself, what is really going on here. What is it within me that is being triggered?

This is a very powerful question to ask ourselves. If you read the post from two weeks ago, where I speak about propensity, you know that any situation we experience really is triggering some tendency within us. So, if you are facing something difficult, that difficult issue is a surface issue, and there is a gold mine underneath it. There is a deeper issue that is presenting itself to be actively resolved by you. And to bring awareness to that very fact, is a way to resolve it. Yeah, you do not even need to know the deeper issue exactly, but just recognizing that there could possibly be a deeper issue, can help to dissolve it. Add to that the recognition that there were "bad" mental seeds that are the cause of you now experiencing the "bad" fruits, and you are on an empowering path to free yourself from it.

What seeds can I sow now?
 

Knowing that the situation you are facing is a result of bad mental seeds you have sown, is great because you can now begin to sow good seeds. The great thing about "bad" seeds that give have given their fruit is that, once the fruit is experienced, it is over. It is time for you to plant new seeds. I hope the seed metaphor really gets it home for you, because the mental seeds are similar to the physical seeds we plant in the garden or the fields, except only much more potent and powerful.

They say that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. And the second best time is now. Well, I say, the seeds you sow now are much more powerful because in the last 20 years, you have grown wiser and kinder and more compassionate, you know much more about good seeds and so your future is looking very very very bright.

So, please take some time to reflect on what you are experiencing right now, where it comes from and how can you change your future, starting with fresh, juicy seeds right now.

With Loving Regards and Blessings,
Sophia

Did you know that cultivating the seed of Focus is a spiritual practice and bringing in focus builds your mental stability and emotional harmony? If this intrigues you, then check out my online video e-course that I am sharing with you. If you have been wanting to get focused, this is the right time to jump in and help yourself on your path to peace.

Sophia Ojha Ensslin is the founder of Reflection Pond, Center for Meditation and Healing dedicated to helping people connect with their inner-self to live a fulfilling, joyful life using introspective media including guided visualization videos and CDs, the written word and in-person workshops.

Letter to Hank and Jill

Dear Hank and Jill,

Thank you for your beautiful newsletter that I read last night. I need to share this with you because reading your newsletter marks the end of any remaining concept within me of random coincidences, filling me up with a deep sense of gratitude and a sense of wonder about the ways of the Spirit. I am now a full, whole-hearted convert who feels in her that everything is divinely orchestrated and this is what I experience in my daily life.

Yesterday evening, I set out to put a creative idea into physical manifestation. I had a beautiful bamboo stick that our neighbor's kids brought us. This is what I would use to create a wall hanging with our (my husband Cristof + myself) mantra for living: to live simply, naturally, spiritually.

I wrote the three words with a pen in purple ink. I liked it. As I saw the white space around the words, I reached out for my color pencils and began drawing a flower and a leaf. Then, I wanted to draw a Sun and it quickly shifted to a heart and then a heart within it with a heart within it. When I was finished, I saw that while drawing the heart, the side of my hand had touched the purple ink of the mantra and created a series of blury dots on the white space of the sheet. As I looked closely, they seemed to outline a bird in flight - very clearly I knew it was a dove. I grabbed a color pencil and began drawing the bird, mostly motivated by the need to make the dots disappear(!). Then, I was directed to draw a flower appearing from her mouth. What emerged for me was a dove with a flower carrying a flower under the heart. I was happy and went about finishing the piece by connecting the paper to the bamboo. Next, I hung it on the wall of our living room. Satisfied and pleased, I went about the rest of my evening. (see photos attached)

Later in the evening, I opened up my email and read your words about the Sun and the bird emerging from it. My eyes became big, my heart smiled and a new sense of revelation came over me. Your story alone is astounding and then to read it just as I had this experience of the dove appearing on my sheet right under a heart which was to be a Sun at first, is .... simply beautiful. My first bold steps into creating word art, with the little "accident" of the ink spoils on the sheet, takes me into a recognition of how life is filled with miracles.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Hank and Jill. Thank you Angels and Spirit.

The Dance With Focus

The Dance With Focus: How To Say Yes To What's Most Important!

You have heard about focus and how that is important for success, right? Focus is something I have been cultivating over the last few years and there seems to be yet another level of focus that can emerge. Bringing focus into how I spend time, how I create and what projects I engage in, has brought me greater sense of freedom, peace and general well-being. I have found myself happier and healthier since 2010 when I began bringing in principles of focus into my life.

Yet, recently, the bold head of fascinating new areas have drawn my attention. I am getting more and more intrigued by the ancient vedic philosophy of yoga and meditation and the idea of an intensive teacher training course in yoga sounded enticing. And today, I found myself getting thrilled by the study of ayurvedic principles of health and healing. For some time, the traditional wisdom teaching of shamanism have galvanized my interest. There have been other ideas that seem glamorously exciting over the years. Even if I decide to embark on a deeper study on these subjects, and wonderful as they all are, these ideas are simply a test for my current focus and commitments. Do you find yourself in such a situation?

Focus, I am finding, is not about saying no to the ideas (requests, projects, trips, invitations) that come to you. It is about saying yes to those ideas (your dream, your rocks, your priorities) you have committed yourself to. A commitment that says, I shall go through with this all the way, letting nothing distract me or dissuade me from completion. It also means determine beforehand what the outcome will be and what you will put into it. So, now that I have made the commitment to my main focus, then how to maintain that focus and how to determine whether I say yes to new ideas? Simple. I have discovered some useful tips that I have implemented to stay focused on my priorities and I know that these are helpful to anyone who wants to do the same. Here are the seven stages of creating and maintaining focus:

First: Know what your values are

discovering what values and principles float your boat,
identifying these values can make decision-making easy as 1-2-3
 

Second, Know what your rocks are

getting clear about your priorities, your main focus and the area that is most important for you,
creating a life-blueprint and clear vision for your life + project
 

Third, Determine what the outcome looks like

clarifying what are the key elements that the end result need to have,
knowing what success look like,
clarifying markers so  you know that you have achieved your goals,
(no need to know about the hows!)
 

Fourth, What does my commitment looks like

creating an easy to follow plan that excites you,
clarifying time, effort, external assistance/partners, information you need for taking next action steps
 

Fifth, Simple practices to achieve your main focus

the Seinfeld inspired Daily Calendar,
the Jack Canfield's power-hour,
Michael Roach inspired Circle Day
 

Sixth, How to continuously say yes your main focus

using your values to keep you focused,
saying no that shows respect to others,
key questions to ask before taking on new projects
 

Seven, Doing weekly and monthly introspections to keep you on track

what questions to answer at the end of the week and month,
clarify goals and assess next steps,
how to recommit to your plan + goals,
how to review and celebrate success and accomplishments

These are in a nut-shell seven stages of focus that help you in staying focused and can be used for any specific area of your life or project that you are undertaking. If you like to go deeper into this topic, learn about early-bird registration here for an e-course I am launching in April. And I will also share with you my personal favorite, the eight stage:
 

Eight: A not-so-secret secret to success: letting your heart lead the way to your treasures
 

a guided visualization that I have created to help me follow my heart's true calling, and I will teach you how to do your own guided visualization that you can use anytime you need to listen to your heart.

There is a lot to share about each of these steps and if you are really wanting to bring in a new wave of focus, clarity and commitment to your life, I know you will find the ecourse on Focus hugely beneficial.
In all your endeavors, I am wishing you peace, harmony and prosperity.

Heart, Spirit and Angels are with you!
Love, Sophia