Intention for Today: Letting Go

Letting go of some aspect of your life that is no longer serving you can be a highly nourishing process. An object, a specific result, a relationship issue, a time in our life all can have a certain hold on us that is feeding on our precious energy. I invite the release of Letting Go to come into our life today.

Thank you for letting go of things crowding our homes. Thank you for letting go of thoughts and beliefs that obstruct us from achieving our dreams. Thank you for letting go of fear that steals the peace in our hearts.

Thank you for Letting Go.

Intention for Today: Childlike Fun

I set the intention today for Childlike Fun to enter our life.

Let us have fun. Let us be kids again, even for a moment or an hour. Let us make some bubbles. Let us drown ourselves in a game. Let us be filled with awe, curiosity and look at the world as if for the first time. Let us create. Let us dream. Let us lose time. Let us go through our day without expectation, only acceptance. Let us giggle and laugh out loud. Let us make paper kites or paper boats. Let us doodle in colors. Let us jump in puddles or splash water on each other. Let us go out and play! Let us have fun.

Thank you, Childlike Fun for coloring our day and light up our heart.

Intention for Today: Decisiveness

I set the intention today for Decisiveness to guide us through the day.

Being decisive is a skill of successful people who free up their energy and time by making clear and fast decisions. May we practice being decisive in at least one area of our life today. May we feel the clarity and freedom to take decisions with complete awareness of what we value and hold important. May decisiveness help you move forward towards your goals with confidence and peace.

Thank you Decisiveness for your gifts.

Intention for Today: Flight

The intention for today is Flight. Something that is so natural to birds, is of awe for us, humans. Amazingly talented in flight, birds fly high up in the sky with skill, lightness and speed. They constantly taste the deliciousness of freedom sailing through the clouds or manuevering through the branches.

I set the intention for all of us to experience the joy and freedom of flight, literally or figuratively. May we aim high above the clouds and smoothly drift to reach new heights. May we see the beauty of the horizon from a vantage point way above the earth. May flight bring us the lightness, skill and speed to criss-cross through the skies of imagination.

Thank you for the gift of Flight liberating us from gravity.

Confessing a sin is the beginning of redemption. -John Perkins

Many among us walk around with a heavy load of guilt and regret on their shoulders. The internal compass of our conscience is constantly making us aware of all that we may have done that does not fit our values and our ideals. As humans we make mistakes. That is just the way we learn. And making these mistakes often carries with it great pain and remorse that we feel in our hearts. 

What we may not know fully or believe fully is that we are divine children and every action of ours is loved and is forgiven. What we are beating ourselves about, in the big scheme of things, might not even be a huge deal. So why live a life of burdensome pain and dilemma, hiding from all the glory that lies undiscovered? Let us all take this step and confess to ourselves or to a loved one, what we think is a "sin". Let us write it all down on a piece of paper and then let it burn in a flame that brings forgiveness. Let go of the immense pain in your heart and know that you are loved. Know that you can take steps now to redeem yourself. All you need to do is to forgive yourself. There is immense beauty and love for you.

Much love and vast blue skies for you.

-Sophia Ojha

Intention for Today: Strength

Today's intention is for Strength to be with us.

May inner strength carry us through our day as we experience the various facets of life and of being human. May the strength and might of the mountains inspire us to stand resolute to our dreams. May the will to create a life we desire, strengthen our actions. May we be strong in the face of challenges. May our bodies be strengthened in the midst of changing seasons. 

May the gift of strength bless us. 

Thank you, Strength for empowering us.

Intention for Today: Discipline

Today's intention is Discipline. 

May the strength of self-discipline guide us throughout our day. May disciplined action free us from unconscious action. May we enjoy the fruits of discipline emerge from our goals and desires. Let us befriend the powers of discipline and welcome its light to become a permanent part of ourselves.

May discipline help us all in leading a fulfilling, joyful life.

Thank you, Discipline for coming to our aid.

Intention for Today: Momentum

For today's intention, I am asking for Momentum to carry us into our becoming. Our desires, goals, dreams are emerging through us every moment. With clarity, creativity and a mind frame of possibilities, we chart our course. May the gift of momentum bring us forward. May we transform, create and manifest with a magical speed that is appropriate and sufficient.

May momentum propel us into the realization of all that we dream of, for the benefit of humanity.

Thank you, Momentum for driving us into the rainbow of dreams realized.

Intention for Today: Space

Space.        

Calling space to enter our space, I set the intention for us all to experience space. When there is space within our day, we can be more focused in what we do. When there is space around us, a sense of clarity takes root within our minds. With this space to move both physically, temporally and mentally, life becomes more at ease.

Space.

May we feel spaciousness all around us. May wide open spaces become part of our vision. May we fill the spaces in our lungs with huge sips of air. May the nothingness of space empty and fill us simultaneously. May the desire to experience space inspire us to purge the unwanted and unnecessary from our lives. May there be space within us.

Thank you.                                Space.

Intention for Today: Ocean of Possibilities

Ocean of possibilities is the intention for today. I invite a possibility-frame-of-mind to fill our awareness. As we approach an activity or as we plan for something, let us tap into the enormous depth of the ocean in which multitudes of possibilities swim. May our horizon be broadened with new possibilities. Let us become open to the magic of possibility thinking where every problem comes with a solution for us to find. 

Possibilities that stretch our imagination. Possibilities that carve into rigidity and make everything fluid. Possibilities that take us to the next step. Possibilities that enrich our perspectives. Possibilities that nourish and strengthen relationships. Possibilities that help us chart our road maps. Possibilities that dance in the promise of dynamic colors and endless answers. Possibilities that remind us that anything is possible.

Thank you for the Ocean of Possibilities flowing into our beings.

Intention for Today: Create a Plan

In this morning's introspection practice, I looked at Debbie Ford's book, "The best year your life". Out of that came a plan for the next three months. After about an hour of doing the exercise of identifying my vision, creating two goals and laying out a page-long overview plan, I felt a surge of clarity and a strong alignment with my purpose.

Today, I set the intention for us creating a plan for our lives that helps us manifesting our dreams.

May we create:

A plan that is clear, specific and exciting.

A plan that helps us identify what is most important for us.

A plan that is dynamic and encouraging.

A plan that is flexible yet structured.

A plan that makes us want to get up in the morning and go for it.

A plan that is realistic and achievable and timed.

A plan that is fun and inspiring.

Thank you for Creating a Plan that empowers us to live our dreams.

Surely joy is the condition of life. -Henry David Thoreau

These words of Thoreau point to a simple truth that we have all probably felt at times in our lives. Joy that comes with the birth of a baby. Joy in the coming together of two people in love. Joy of experiencing little, yet huge pleasures such as eating a cone of ice cream. Joy of knowing the universe is conspiring always for our growth and our awakening. Joy of breathing fresh, crisp morning air. Joy of ...(you complete this one)!

Joy is the condition of life, surely! Thoreau says this with such a deep knowing, utter confidence and certainty- which is exactly why I am drawn to this statement. Does he mean, that life can be full of joy, bliss, awakening- as a natural and constant state of being? Can we build a life that is permeated with the condition of joy while we lead human lives and doing all that involves being human? Can we hold on to the underlying condition of life- joy, just as Thoreau points out to us? 

Would you like to join me in a little experiment? For the next seven days, let us go through our days with Thoreau's statement ringing in our consciousness. Whenever you remember, say these words to yourself. Put this quote on a mirror or next to your bed. At the end of the week, look back to see how your thoughts, actions, experiences and perceptions are different, when you look at our daily life through this lens of joy.

Joy. Joy. Joy.

-Sophia Ojha

Intention for Today: Creativity

Today, I ask for Creativity to fill our lives. May we find creative solutions to any situation we face. Let the energy of creativity paint our thoughts and actions. May we creatively navigate through the oceans of life. May we all feel and experience the boundless possibility that wraps us and when we give our creative minds the permission, swirls us through unknown places of pure joy and fulfillment. May we vibrate the fruits of creative communication and bring into this world new ideas that heal, inspire and liberate us all.

Breath of Creativity, thank you for enlivening our lives.

Intention for Today: Warmth

Just like a newborn loves warmth, today I set the intention for all of us to feel loving warmth all throughout the day. 

May warmth envelope our being. May we feel the warmth of people towards all that we are. May love and warmth exude from our hearts and into everything and everyone we interact with. May the sun warm our lives and fill it with brilliance. Let us welcome the warmth of colors into our day. Let the warm touch of another nourish our souls. May the sip of a warm drink soothe our body. May the warm glance of another replenish our energy. Let us invite the warm sounds of music to heal our hearts. May we experience the warmth that is all around us.

Thank you Warmth for healing our lives.

Intention for Today: Clarity

As we move through our day, there are countless decisions we make. Some are relatively small decisions while others are life-changing. These decisions demand our attention, focus and integrity. How we make decisions is often a reflection of how well our principles and values are fully integrated into our consciousness. We may have beautiful ideals and values within ourselves, yet at times there is a resistance that prevents us from acting according to these values.

To help us in making decisions that are based on our innermost values of integrity and love, I set the intention that we all receive the gift of clarity. May our thoughts and actions be a result of conscious choices that are derived out of clarity. May we become clear about our values and with crystal clear focus implement our decisions. May clarity help us become aware of what is most important to us. May confusion be replaced with a clear sense of knowing.

Thank you for Clarity becoming an inherent part of our lives.

We have two options in life both medically and emotionally. Give up or fight like hell. -Lance Armstrong

If you are wondering what this photo above is all about, let me clarify: it is about the big fight that Armstrong is referring to.

The motion captured in a freeze second is that of a drummer beating the drums in feverish tempo, as if his entire being is flowing into and with the beat of the music. One could not see him or the drums because they had merged into a harmonious fluidity of oneness. The drummer was definitely giving his all to this moment.

The amazing cyclist, Lance Armstrong represents for me the full embodiment of the quote above. He intended to beat cancer and he intended to win the tour de France, both of which he did by giving his all. Both Armstrong and the drummer remind me that the option of giving my all and "fighting like hell" means generating the courage within to go for what's important to me, without allowing any room for doubt or hesitation. "Fighting like hell" can take the form of a quiet determination, an inner resolution to oneself or simply a frame of mind which keeps you focused on that goal or commitment that you have set for yourself.

I also think that the option to fight like hell means to not "settle" with any situation; whether it is a sense of disappointment or whether it is a lack of something in your experience. Many years ago, Cristof mentioned to me: You are the only one who can make yourself happy. At the time, his statement made me angry because something in my external experience was making me unhappy. Looking back at that statement, I realize how true it is for me. When I am in charge of my life, of my feelings, the possibility for a fulfilling life is endless. I no longer await for an external change in my life without my involvement. I know that for the changes to happen in my life, I only need to care about my inner self and inner world. The more I clean out my inner world, the more beautifully it reflects onto my external environment and external experiences.

So, in this context, I have to simply give it my all, fight like hell and know that the unfurling of the beauty of life is happening right now in this moment and at every moment. What is required of me, though, is the full expression of me and full engagement of me in the life I am living.

Strength, Courage and Love to all of you.

-Sophia Ojha

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. -Lao Tzu

Going from one spot to another takes ages for a snail. Perhaps from the snail's perspective, it takes exactly the right amount of time. Seasons change at the right time. The rain falls when the time is right. The day turns into night exactly on schedule. The bees come out to pollinate the flowers when the flowers are in bloom. As per the timetable, the birds begin their migratory journeys into warmer or cooler parts of the world. Just when its time, the baby turtles come out of their shells and make their way to the ocean. Exactly on time, the baby bear goes on its own path, after being nurtured by mama bear exactly as long as needed.  

Nature knows its rhythms. Nature is its own clock. It accomplishes a myriad of things simultaneously; all without being in a rush or in a hurry.

As humans, our experience of time seems convoluted. First of all, the concept of time itself is enigmatic. 

When does it begin? When does it end? But even without dipping deep into the philosophy of time, we seem to be on wobbly feet when it comes to designing our life in full harmony. As our world is getting plump with new activities, more actions, more and more of more, we are constantly hopping from one task to another. I have just returned from a trip to the US last week and already I am scrambling to get a moment to reflect, as new things are screaming for my attention. 

 

Yet, there are a lot of things in our lives that simply happen "right on time". It seems magical how we have timely meetings with new people who have an impact on us. There is a kind of divine timing how our life and the events in it unfold.  

So can we tap into this harmonious cycle of time that Nature seems to embody so 

beautifully? Can we actively design our lives to be in divine harmony? At the least what I can do is set out my intention for a life that is on time, with empty spaces of meditative introspection and meaningful action.

 

I wonder how my experience of life would be when it is fully in alignment with myself and functioning on the principles of Nature. My intention is to create a way of living that is in divine harmony, is active yet balanced- a lifestyle that is rich with moments of introspection, flush with meaningful activity and garnished with joyful relationships with people. I intend to create my life that allows me to experience the phenomenal beauty of nature constantly and live my dream of being of service to people, making meaningful contribution in their lives at all times.

What are you thoughts on this? How do you experience time? How do you envision your life in harmony? What is your intention for your life? You are welcome to share your comments below.

-Sophia Ojha

  

When rain falls on a leopard, it wets him but does not wash off his spots. -African Proverb

This quote is very special to me.

Some nine years ago, when I was a tour guide at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, a colleague of mine brought a piece of cloth that he had picked up from the visitors area. Apparently, one of  the tourists had forgotten it or actively left it there. My colleague asked if any of us would like to hold on to it in case the tourist came back looking for it. I volunteered to be the steward of this cloth until its owner returned.

Years passed by. No owner ever came. And I continue to be its steward till this day.

I held on to this cloth, but what held me on was the African proverb printed on the cloth. As a lover of big cats of all sizes, I loved the reference to the leopard and the proverb itself found a place within me.

Every now and then, when facing a challenging situation, the leopard and her spots enter my awareness and remind me that absolutely NOTHING can wash away the beauty, resilience and spirit within me.

Isn't that true for you, too?

-Sophia Ojha

Thank you Daniel from Madiba.de for contributing this amazing image from Southern Africa of the illusive animal standing with such grace. Madiba.de offers you a chance to witness the beauty and mystery of nature up close whether it is South Africa, Namibia or Mozambique. Check it out!

The most important thing in the world is to be willing to give up who you are for who you might become. -Marc Gafni

I experienced an amazing feeling, today. This feeling was that of exhilaration and satisfaction topped with surprise, empowerment and desire. It all came from my body in water.

Before I could experience all of those wonderful things though, I was required to give up an idea that I had attached to myself in my head. 

I love being in the water. I love it because I can goof around making funny movements like a frog jumping around vertically or a clown going for a walk in water. Splashing water on my friends or being an underwater human chair is something I am really good at, I have found out. I have enjoyed a few yoga positions too in water which look as if someone forgot to tell me that there is water around me! And last week, my seven-year old neighbor and I challenged each other to hear what the other was saying under water. I barely made out that she was saying “hello” and she barely made out that I was saying “Monkey”. All we could hear underwater was a gurgling sound. Yet, we had tons of fun giggling about it all.

But today, was different. I had come into the pool to train. The pool belonged to me and I belonged to the pool. My challenge: Can I make five laps in the pool? 

I realised that it was an ambitious goal for me. I said to myself, “I need the next three to four weeks for hitting this target”.

A moment later, I decided that I needed to test how far I can make it. 

Off I went. The first lap is a breeze. The second is a no-brainer, too. As I began the third lap, my lungs come alive. Now I am at more than half way point. I have to keep going. During the fourth lap, my lungs and my legs and my arms are all starting to give out a unified internal scream. I was so tempted to stop and give it all up. As I considered my fifth lap, all I hear myself saying in my head was: “You can because you think you can...you can because you think you can”.* It was an hallucinating mantra going inside my head as if by itself. It felt as if my body would dissolve in the water any moment. I just keep on paddling. Now at this point, I was just kicking and gasping for air. My legs were flying all over the place and my arms were just making the movement, with apparently no strength. 

It did not matter now. Because I had just finished my fifth lap.

Then came the rush of joy and satisfaction.

I had actively given up the thought I identified with just a few moments ago: that I need three-four weeks to hit this target. I actually needed 5 minutes of realising that this was a carefully crafted hoax created by some force inside of me that had taken root in the crevices of my mind. Once I dropped all of that, the path was paved for me to feel the amazing feelings from the entire experience.

I had come into the pool to train my body. I left knowing that I had learnt to train my mind. 

-Sophia Ojha

* Before my swim this morning, I had glanced at this quote, “They can because they think they can” from Virgil laying on our window sill.

Marc Gafni is an American bestselling author. Check him out on Wikipedia as well as his amazing works on Amazon.

Wanna be a kid again?

The Blue Ridge Parkway is celebrating its 75th Anniversary and the Destination Center in Asheville organized a fun family night yesterday. Park Ranger Emily and Ranger CM talked to us about the richness of the Blue Ridge. Emily spoke to us about how hawks use the thermals and updrafts to fly up high in order to save energy on their long migratory flights. This fall we have a chance to see many of them flying South from the various lookout points on the mountains. And after a bit of nature lesson, CM showed us how to make kites in her uncanny humor that just made us laugh out loud. I did not know kites were used in the past to carry people and the first kites were made in China. We also made the stick contraption for making bubbles. I had no idea these would be HUGE bubbles we were making.

We were making bubbles until after the sun went down. The crimson colors of the sky just made the whole experience absolutely gorgeous. And both Cristof and I were kids again. Hmmmm. Delicious!

 animoto is a great resource for easily and quickly making your own video slideshows.