Religion

All posts tagged Religion

Positivity

Published 14/10/2016 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends,

Positivity.. noun. ….’The quality or state of being positive’. “Something that is positive’

What does this word really mean to me and to you?….Well, I believe that waking up with a positive attitude is really important to our lives, positivity brings us to where we want to be, it connects us to our heart, it connects us to our divine self, to our true self and it takes us away from our negative self, our ego-self!

We believe that things or people make us unhappy, but this is not accurate. We make ourselves unhappy. Very little is needed to make our lives happy; we all already possess this skill,  it’s all to do with our way of thinking.

Suffering and the onslaught of negativity and pain is brought on from our desires. Our desire to remain in the current state, to keep our youthful looks, our trim figure, our beautiful hair, our desire to gain wealth, desire to achieve greater control, greater power, more authority, our desire for sensual pleasures, for alcohol, drugs, food, money, and of course our desire to be happy….So we constantly strive to find this happiness everywhere, we seek it each and every day, we see people on the street, on the TV in the media who look happy in their big houses, their jobs, in their relationships..so we want the same, right?

I have learned that happiness starts within, it starts with our thoughts and our positivity helps is live happy contented lives, I know for sure that when my ego mind steps up, then my happiness and positivity levels drop through the floor. It eats away at you, controls you, and brings you down to its level, to where it wants you to be.

So, I have decided that ‘positivity’ is my new keyword, I have been through a lot, especially over these past few months. This has allowed my ego mind to play tricks on me, to put me in ‘The Victim’ mode, to make me feel sorry for myself, to allow me to have negative thoughts about all that I do, and all that happens to me. My negative emotions have taken control of my life…..and, ‘enough is enough’…I’m taking my life back,

……I’m taking my life back, I’m getting back in the saddle, taking up the reigns again for my life, I’m moving on, I’m holding my head high and ‘I’m happy 🙂

So, this morning when my dogs came in to wake me, I got up straight away, I greeted them with a smile as they wagged their tails and gave me their usual dose of unconditional love, I gave thanks in prayer to The Buddha, to the Ascended Masters, to My Parents, to my family and friends, and I vowed to continue my journey of self-discovery with a new vigour, with a bounce in my step, and with new love in my heart, a new love for me, for the person I am and for the person I will be.

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Lost for Words!

Published 27/08/2016 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends,

I’m just lost for words!

I have been going through one of the most challenging times of my life and honestly I’m just lost for words……

Each day, for the last few months, I have wanted to put my fingers on this keyboard and spell out my feelings, to share with you what has been going on in my life, but when i go to do so, I’m just lost for words!

I cannot seem to conjure up the words that will make the sense of what my heart has been feeling, I cannot seem to express the brokenness of my heart through words alone, only tears can start to convey how I have been feeling.

Sometimes only my lovely dogs can understand, they come to me when I’m crying, they feel my pain and without any judgement, they lie by my side, no words are needed only their unconditional love, which is ‘Always’ there for me.

I look outside to the world that surrounds me, my family, my friends, and, sometimes I, see only me…The world continues on, I am just a blip on the landscape, a soul in transition, a source of energy that moves along with the movement of time, my life is my life, yes, people care for me but it’s my life and only I am responsible for it, only I can live it, only I can find the words to continue my way….

The world continues on, I am just a blip on the landscape, a soul in transition, a source of energy that moves along with the movement of time. My life is my life! Yes, people care for me, but it’s my life, and only I am responsible for it. Only I can live it, only I can find the words to convey how I feel, only I can feel the pain, only I ,…. Only I……..

As more tears run down my cheek, and, start to wash away my pain, only I can feel the hurt inside, only I can listen to my ego, only I,…. Only I….

Today is a new day, maybe today will bring me more joy….

Only I can make a difference, Only I can take away the pain….

Only I….

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

 

Hollow Words Bring Us No Hope!

Published 27/07/2016 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends,

It’s been a while since my fingers touched this keyboard and my heart has spoken words to you!

I, like many others, have been lost for words as we watch the unfolding dramas of our 21st Century world, our so-called civilised societies which have been caught up in wars for no reason, and whole communities within these civilised societies turned against each other in the name of race/colour and religious belief.

As I look at all that has unfolded over this past year alone, I shed tears, tears for mankind, tears for our world and tears for our future. As we continue to look at each other with hatred in our eyes, it is like we are caught up in an elaborate computer game in which the players manipulate the drones to follow their lead, to fight and to die at all costs, and move on to the next stage of the game in search of more power and wealth!….Elaborate computer game….Is it our real truth?

……….Elaborate computer game….Is it our real truth?

As we become more fixated with games or war, of power, of seeking greater riches and strength, we lose track of who were are!….We no longer socialise face-to-face, we only communicate in a digital world, we have, or are certainly losing our abilities to communicate, to connect to others with empathy, to see the pain in someone else’s eyes and to understand their point of view, as we push forward relentlessly to reach our own goals…to win at all costs!

I see hundreds of innocent men, women and children mowed down as they watched the fireworks and celebrated a national days holiday, I see thousands of displaced men women and children forced from their own countries due to war, to the greed for control and power, I see innocent families held hostage in a Church and a Priest murdered….All for what!….

Where, my friends, does it end!….

We are all born into this world equal, we have no belief systems, no hatred and no goals to attain…life takes all on different journies, some of the beliefs we take on are good, and some are bad….it’s a flip of a coin which pathway we decide to take, what we choose to believe and how we choose to behave…!

Anyone who is not working towards the truth is missing the whole point of living!

Your beliefs don’t make you a better person, Your behaviour does!

My heart sends out love and compassion to all those in pain, to all those who are suffering and to all those who need some love in their life.

Namaste, with Love

Always

Mark

 

 

 

 

 

Taking Time Out in the Concrete Jungle of Shanghai

Published 17/05/2016 by inspiringyourspirit

My Dear Friends,

One of my dear blogging friends Saymber said to me a few days ago, and I quote “.it’s important to stay grounded in these things. I would suggest a nice bit of time outside without shoes and socks and maybe some of your favorite music”. I replied that  its not so easy living in a concrete jungle with 28,000,000 (that’s 28 million) other souls, but I agreed with her that what she was saying was so true and i really needed to get myself grounded, take my shoes and socks off and re-connect with Mother Earth, so today, I did it 🙂 And I feel fantastic 🙂 I took a walk to my closest Buddhist temple for some we deserved meditation and prayers and on the way back I spent some quality time reconnecting, standing amongst the trees, observing the gentle breeze in the leaves, listening to the birds and totally clearing my mind.

Mother nature is so beautiful and she will share her beauty with you whenever you need it, she can be found on the corner of a busy street, under a shady tree set in the concrete walkway, or even in a simple window box of flowers, all we need to do is ‘Open our Eyes’ 🙂

Blessings Saymber, and thank you Mother Earth for bringing me home today,

Namaste, with Love

Always

Mark

Lost then Found

Published 06/05/2016 by inspiringyourspirit

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Lost then Found

Lost in the spinning vortex of my mind

Thoughts rushing around like clothes in a washing machine

Thought after thought, never ending

Where do I begin, what do I do

 

Time stands still as my thoughts take control

I’m going nowhere fast

It’s like I’m standing at the crossroads of my life

Stuck, no idea which way to go

 

How do I break free, know which road to choose

Is it left, is it right or is it straight ahead

My life is in tatters as my mind keeps telling me

You’r useless, no use to anyone

 

I’m tired, I’m lonely, I’m sad with my life

Is my mind right or can I break free

Free from these chains holding on to me

Show me the light to please set me free

 

From a flicker to a flame

The light breaks the darkness of my life

The shadows begin to disappear

And new life blooms in front of my eyes

 

New life, new beauty, new focus

Beyond the shadows and darkness is life

Life for you, a new day is dawning

Breaking free now and rushing forth

 

On to tomorrow, setting myself free

Living in the now as it’s meant to be

Understanding self, whom I’m meant to be

A joy, at last now I know who I am

 

A being of light, a son, a brother, a husband, a friend

In service to humanity

At peace with the world

Seeing joy and in gratitude for each day

 

Love, peace and kindness to all beings

 

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Peace, One Simple Word!

Published 26/04/2016 by inspiringyourspirit

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Peace, what does this commonly used word mean to you?

  • The normal, nonwarring condition of a nation, group of nations, or the world.
  • An agreement or treaty between warring or antagonistic nations, groups, etc., to end hostilities and abstain from further fighting or antagonism:
  • A state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations: Try to live in peace with your neighbors.
  • The normal freedom from civil commotion and violence of a community; public order and security: He was arrested for being drunk and disturbing the peace.
  • Cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension.
  • Freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquillity; serenity.
  • A state of tranquillity or serenity: May he rest in peace.

 The term ‘peace’ originates most recently from the Anglo-French pes, and the Old French pais, meaning “peace, reconciliation, silence, agreement” (11th century). But, Pes itself comes from the Latin pax, meaning “peace, compact, agreement, treaty of peace, tranquility, absence of hostility, harmony.” The English word came into use in various personal greetings from c.1300 as a translation of the Hebrew word Shalom, which, according to Jewish theology, comes from a Hebrew verb meaning ‘to restore’. Although ‘peace’ is the usual translation, however, it is an incomplete one, because ‘shalom,’ which is also cognate with the Arabic Salaam, has multiple other meanings in addition to peace, including justice, good health, safety, well-being, prosperity, equity, security, good fortune, and friendliness. At a personal level, peaceful behaviors are kind, considerate, respectful, just, and tolerant of others’ beliefs and behaviors — tending to manifest goodwill. This latter understanding of peace can also pertain to an individual’s introspective sense or concept of her/himself, as in being “at peace” in one’s own mind, as found in European references from c.1200. The early English term is also used in the sense of “quiet”, reflecting calm, serene, and meditative approaches to family or group relationships that avoid quarreling and seek tranquility — an absence of disturbance or agitation.

In many languages, the word for peace is also used as a greeting or a farewell, for example the Hawaiian word Aloha, as well as the Arabic word salaam. In English the word peace is occasionally used as a farewell, especially for the dead, as in the phrase rest in peace.

“World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.”  Dalai Lama XIV

“For a day, just for one day, Talk about that which disturbs no one
And bring some peace into your Beautiful eyes.”  Sweet Poems of Hafiz

“Peace begins with a smile..” Mother Theresa

“You cannot find peace by avoiding life.” Virginia Wolf

“If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace.” John Lennon

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” Albert Einstein

“If someone thinks that peace and love are just a cliche that must have been left behind in the 60s, that’s a problem. Peace and love are eternal.” John Lennon

“The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.” Mahatma Gandhi

“Peace comes from within.  Do not seek it without.” Gautama Buddha

“You have peace,” the old woman said, “when you make it with yourself.” The Five People you Meet in Heaven

 

 

“The Simple Path ,Silence is Prayer, Prayer is Faith, Faith is Love, Love is Service,The Fruit of Service is Peace”  Mother Theresa

“Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.” Albert Schweitzer

“It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.” Aristotle

“As long as Man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.” Pythagoras

“You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.” Eckhart Tolle

“If you love me as you say you do,’ she whispered, ‘make it so that I am at peace.” Leo Tolstoy -Anna Karenina

“Peace is the only battle worth waging.” Albert Camus

“How come we play war and not peace?” “Too few role models.” Bill Watterson

“Instead of hating the people you think are war-makers, hate the appetites and disorder in your own soul, which are the causes of war. If you love peace, then hate injustice, hate tyranny, hate greed – but hate these things in yourself, not in another.” Thomas Merton

“The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that its center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.” Black Elk

“Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.” Gautama Buddha

“Peace is the number one beautiful ornament you can wear, I really believe that. They say you should always wear a smile, but I don’t believe that you should “always” wear a smile, seriously, you’re going to look stupid! But peace, you should always carry peace within you, its the most beautifying thing you could ever have or do. Peace makes your heart beautiful and it makes you look beautiful, too. You want to have perfect physical posture when you stand, sit, and walk, and peace is the perfect posture of the soul, really. Try perfect posture outside as well as inside. Peace creates grace and grace gives peace.” C.JoyBell C

My Dear Friends,A few samples of what ‘Peace’ means to some individuals. For me, Peace is within, we strive to find it everywhere we go, we wish for it to be there as a reality for everyone, but ‘Peace’ is within everyone of us and unless we can find that inner peace then we cannot wish for there to be ‘Peace on Earth’ simply because to have World Peace, WE ALL NEED TO FIND IT, IN OURSELVES!

I wonder how often the word ‘Peace’ is spoken each day? Peace to you, Peace and Love, May your life be filled with Peace, May they Rest in Peace, Peace Be With You, What a Peaceful Day, etc

All I know is, I can find Peace within; and that allows me to try and promote this well kept secret to others, I know Peace can be found in meditation, I know Peace is available for everyone, all you have to do is ‘Want It and search inside, because your Soul is waiting to share with your physical body….

……Go on my friends and as John Lennon once said…

Give Peace A Chance J

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Madness, Utter Madness!

Published 24/03/2016 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends,

Madness!…….Terrorists, Suicide Bombers, Religious Belief!…Hatred for anyone not believing in their belief system….Why?

My Prayers go out to all those who lost their lives in the Brussels bombings yesterday, senseless waste of life under the guise of religious belief, the bombers killing innocent travellers…why!…Easy targets..yes!…..Could they fight back….No! and were they given a chance to fight back…No!

Peace and Love……Peace for all beings…Love for all beings, this is the message of all God’s……

Not hatred, Not Persecution, Not Death!

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

 

Surrender to Receive all that you Need

Published 26/01/2016 by inspiringyourspirit

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Wow!…I have always had problems with this statement.. ‘Surrender to Receive all that you Need’. Like many, I have been travelling my own life’s journey and to date that’s about 55 years and 210 day’s to be precise in my case 🙂 and I still have trouble with the letting go, the surrender of the past!

The past is the past and it should firmly remain in the past. The future is the future and it should firmly remain in the future. The only thing we have for sure is ‘Now’, the present moment, all that we do, ‘EVER’ is in the ‘Present Moment’, so why do we waste so much time thinking of the past and worrying about the future?…Our previous life experiences, good or bad; play perfectly into the hands of our Ego Mind, adding fuel to the Ego’s fire and allowing it to hold us hostage with previous life experiences especially if the were bad, caused us trouble, held us back etc. And the uncertainty of the future, what it holds in store for us does exactly the same thing, allowing our Ego Mind to take yet another opportunity to cause us grief, ‘Your not worthy of that, you will fail at that, “Remember when you did that before and it caused you this problem? ‘so you had better not do that again’…and on and on these old thought patterns control us. Memories are good and they allow us to equip ourselves as we move forward but we do our lives a major injustice when we allow our Ego Minds to control who we are and from reaching our full potential.

Living our life in the ‘Now’ is perfect when we read about it in books, listen to self-help recordings, attend seminars, training programs and self-help groups but the reality is like the never ending diet, we try, then try, then try and try again but we just can’t stop that Ego Mind, that little demon on our shoulder from saying, “Watch out for that”, ‘Don’t do that”, ‘Remeber what happened before”, “you will fail at that”, “you will never loose weight”, etc, etc, etc, So in my opinion, and for what it’s worth my advice is…….

“Stick With It”…..Meditate often, everyday if you can, break free from what holds you back, from what ties you down and ‘Just Be’, ‘Just Breathe’, connect with your inner self, meditate and go into your heart, love yourself for what you are ‘Now’ and for what you ‘Have in your life now’, be grateful for all that you are and ‘Just Be You’, let go of all the pressures that surround your day and ‘Let Go’ to ‘Receive something far greater than your own plan allowed’ and you will find ‘Peace and Love’ because my friends, they ‘lie within’.

Blessings to you all my friends, may your meditations take you to your heart and connect you to your soul 🙂

Namaste, with Love

Always

Mark

What A Difference A Day Makes!

Published 27/11/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends,

I came across this image and quote by ‘Thich Nhat Hanh this morning and I just had to use it and create a post as a follow up to my previous two posts. Because his statement is so true “The amount of happiness that you have depends on the amount of freedom you have in your heart”…Wow!

I always felt that my heart was very open and very free, I always hold love in my heart and share my love freely with all, and I truly felt that my life was full of happiness. Yes, we all have bad days, days in which we feel unhappy, unhappy with a relationship, unhappy with our family, our children, unhappiness at work, blah, blah, blah…but generally I felt happy and for most of the time you will always see a smile on my face and I would certainly always try to put a smile on yours 🙂

But how do you really measure happiness?…..

I have been through a few radicle issues and experiences this past few days following on from my sudden death, the experience of watching my body being worked on in the ambulance from above; I guess from the viewpoint of my soul, from my energy being, the true me, and, I realised that I am a being of light, pure energy and my body is just a vessel, a place where my soul has laid its hat for this lifetime, and I am in this body for a brief time, the briefest of time and how easy it is for this life to be STOPPED and for my soul to take flight and move on to its next incarnation, maybe within another physical body here on earth, who really knows!

So what is happiness for me now?…

Well, the jurors are still out thinking about that but what I can say right here and now is….I see life so very differently from that of three days ago, I have always had very strong thoughts on what was and is important in my life, family, friends, humanity, the environment, love, my spirituality etc…But has that changed from this experience?….Yes, it has!

Life is short as I said, and none of us is in control of when its time for us to leave, death is waiting for us all!…… I now have no problem with that, and I now know there is a ‘light at the end of that tunnel’ so to say, and my soul will continue its journey and take me on to continue my service. I now in these past three days sit and contemplate more, I sit in silence, meditate, calm my mind and just be ‘me’, I’m spending more time with me, connecting with my heart and my soul, I look out of the window and actually pay attention, real attention to all the beauty that my eyes can see, what a wonder this is 🙂 The slight differences in the colours of the sky, the shades of blue like the full range of mixed colours on the artist’s palette, the white, the grey and the tints of brown and blue within the clouds, the sun, the shadows, the trees, the green, the brown, the yellow leaves falling to the ground with each gust of wind that passes through the leaves, the noises of my day, the cars on the street, the hum of life as it passes me by, the warmth of my chair, the feeling of unconditional love and warmth as my little dogs pass by my legs as I sit writing this post….My coffee, its aroma, the steam rising from the cup, drawing me in, intoxicating me with its richness, my mind, its openness, its instant ability to just do, the way it directs my fingers to dance its thoughts upon my keyboard…..and my wife ‘May’, the thoughts of her right now, the love she has for me, the support and caring she has for me, her very being, her beauty, her voice, her grace, her compassion, her kindness….My journey, my pathway, my life…where will it take me?

Life is to live, we spend too much time dealing with things of low importance and low value but for most we never even realise these very facts, we amble through life thinking we are happy until the end of days comes and we think ‘I wish I had done that’….!

Well for me, I am going to do ‘That’…I am going to live my life, I am going to do what makes me happy 🙂 …..As I now really, really understand that happiness does not have to have a $ value attached because happiness is what you already have inside your heart, happiness is in each and every one of us….So, my friends, STOP looking for happiness outside, stop looking for happiness through money, just go into your heart and use the senses that were given to you as a child….and LIVE 🙂

Namaste, with Love

Always

Mark

 

 

I, Me…What About Us?

Published 17/11/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends,

In the aftermath of the terrible terrorist attacks on Paris, our world is now, more so than even going into retaliation mode, hatred is back in full force, reprisal and revenge attacks will take place and once again innocent people will lose their lives. Now, I’m not for one minute saying that we should not take revenge for what has happened, and, on the other hand; I am not condoning such revenge either. To me, I feel that humanity has lost track of what’s important! We now see death and suffering as a norm, it’s in our news every day and until it directly affects us, our families, or friends or our community then we just turn a blind eye and get on with our lives only thinking about I, me!

Humanity,

humanity [hyoo-man-i-tee

noun, plural humanities.
1.

all human beings collectively; the human race; humankind.
2.

the quality or condition of being human; human nature.
3.

the quality of being humane; kindness; benevolence.
My Dear Freinds
This is what we have lost sight of.….‘All Human Beings, collectively; the human race; humankind’!
No one person, no one country, no one voice, no one religion, no one political power, no one control!!!!!!!!!!
Collectively, the human race!
And, until we get back on track and remember that we are ‘ONE HUMAN RACE’ and each person has a right to live, then we are ‘NEVER’ going to solve our problems and we will ‘NEVER’ see Peace on Earth!
Remember, we were all born into this world ‘INNOCENT’, we had no knowledge of race, religion or political party,’ we were one with all’, we were one with love, we were one with compassion, no hatred was in our hearts…We have become this way, we have learned how to hate, we have learned how to kill and most of the time it’s for the best interest of others!
So, please take a moment my Dear Friends to stop, to connect with your heart, to go within and connect with your soul and bring your new found love back to our world, stand up for peace, stand up for ‘HUMANITY’.
Blessings of Love, Peace and Compassion to you all, wherever you are on our planet 🙂
Namaste, with Love
Always
Mark

Moving House Madness, Like Our Life in a Box

Published 21/10/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends,

I’m sorry for not posting for these past few days but I have been so preoccupied with moving apartments that i have not had the time to think and had no internet connection at our new home. But during the moving madness I noticed just how much ‘Stuff’ ( for those of you not from the UK or who may not know the term ‘Stuff’, it means things, miscellaneous items etc ) we have accumulated over the years, boxes and boxes of ‘stuff’, many boxes of ‘stuff’ are still boxed since our last move three years ago, and some even longer than that. This brings me to the thought of how we cling to ‘Things’, to ‘Stuff’, in the hope that it will come in useful one day, it brings us fond memories, the suit or dress may fit me again one day when i loose weight, so they follow us from one home to another never seeing the light of day again, taking up much needed space and costing us money in expensive real estate square footage/meterage!

So, then it go me thinking how this clinging to ‘stuff’ actually mirrors our lives, our personalities and our behaviours, where we cling to ‘Stuff’ that hurts us, holds us back and stops us from ever reaching our potential and achieving our life purpose. The clinging to old relationships, holding on to grudges, allowing aspects of our lives and old Karmic ties and bonds from this life; and previous lives to continue controlling us, stopping us in our tracks and leading us back to the past each time we try to move on with our lives!

So, moving home is a great time to have a clear out, to open up those boxes and shed those items from your past, especially those that hold you back, those old clothes will probably never fit you again so give them to friends or to charity, allow someone else to gain the benefit, to bring a smile to their face when they try those clothes on and feel good maybe for the first time in ages! Give those toys and ornaments away, or if you like sell them off and do something nice with the money…but, shedding those items will bring you a new lease on life, it will bring a smile to your face and it in doing so you bring happiness and joy to someone else…even better 🙂

Now, on to your personal life, maybe it’s time you shedded some weight, not physical pounds/Kilo’s, but excess baggage that you have been carrying for years, old karma holding you back, old grudges, old relationships that you have not fully let go, and of course people in your life that continue to hold you back…..

There are many groups out there who can help you with this process of shedding/letting go, if you don’t know where to start or need my help, please let me know and I will be happy to help you with this process.

Make today, the first day of spring, clean out the old and make way for the new 🙂

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

The more we know, the more ignorant we become!

Published 13/10/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends,

Take just a brief moment to think about these words…

“The more we know, the more ignorant we become…and, it is only through enlightenment that we become conscious of our limitations”…..Tesla was right!

Education and the further knowledge that we gain through daily experience, ‘What does it do for us’? Does it awaken us to the realities of our world, does it make us  STOP and THINK about some of the critical issues facing humanity and our planet right now?……Hardly!

A new day brings our own selfish reasons to put our heads down and follow the masses, keep on the straight and narrow road that we have been TOLD to follow since birth, the education, the career, the family, the friends, the religion….we just keep on walking, keeping our heads down as if it will be ok in the end,…. RIGHT?…..WRONG!

If we want change in our world, we must stand up and do something, if we want to stop wars, WE need to do something, even sharing your thoughts with the world sets you apart from the majority, holding out your hand to someone in need sets you apart from the majority, joining a local group to help feed the homeless sets you apart from the majority, standing up and against GMO, Fracking or drilling in the Arctic sets you apart from the majority…Whatever you do HELPS…

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Remember on thing……’Nobody’ is important !

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Creating A New World

Published 11/10/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends

I often speak about ‘Oneness’, ‘Togetherness’, ‘One Humanity’ and how the realisation that we ‘are’ all connected, will eventually effect our ego minds and help us move forward to make our world a better place to live. ‘Oneness’, is the way forward and although we cannot make everyone understand; and want this, but we can still make a difference, “One seed at a time, one person at a time, one community at a time until this planet is embraced in a circle of resurgent life and resurgent love.”

I used to get so down when I watched the news on TV, read the newspapers or listened to the radio, ‘Wars raging, starvation, homeless, drugs, human trafficking, global warming, pollution of our environment, race hatred, religious hatred, corporate and political corruption and their need for global power and control’, but, now I realise that our world is changing, we ‘are’ starting to sit up, to notice and to awaken to these things, we are now starting to come together towards the ‘Oneness’ that is needed for our collective futures on this planet, we are starting to see the light and realise that ‘together’ we can make a difference, we can help someone in need and in turn they will help someone else in need, we can share the love, we can be grateful for what we have in our lives, we can love ‘ourselves’ and we can love ‘Humanity’.

Today my friends, I share my love with you, unconditional love from my heart, may your day be filled with the light of your God, may your heart be filled with love, happiness and compassion and if my words resonate with you, please hold our your hand to others and share this love.

Blessings to your all 🙂

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Honestly People, It Is Time That There Was No ‘Us and Them’!

Published 09/10/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends,

It is about time that we came to the conclusion that there should not be a ‘Us and Them’ in our world, after all we are all humans and we all come from the same genes! Yes, we have different colours, languages, religions, belief systems and cultures, we live in different parts of the world, eat different foods but at the end of the day…We are all humans!…..

So, 2,000 and 15 years since the death of Christ and we are still waging wars, we are still trying to get one up on each other, we lie, cheat, steal from each other and we kill and maim each other in the belief that ‘We’ are best, ‘We’ are number 1….but as I said earlier, ‘we are all humans’ and it is about time that we came to realise that we should be in this together because there is only ‘1 Humanity’ and there is only ‘1 World’…So…

Let’s for once, get our act TOGETHER…..

Love, peace and happiness to you all.

Namaste with love

Always

Mark

Look deeply inside and connect with the soul

Published 08/10/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends,

If only!

As the old saying goes ‘Beauty is only skin deep’ and it is oh so true. If only we could peel back the outer layer of everyone we meet and connect directly with their heart and their soul, we would make perfect connections and see the real person inside the human cover.

Connecting heart to heart and soul to soul would teach us so much and our understanding re the needs and wishes of the other person would not be tainted with what we see through our very ‘Ego centric eyes’, he/she is handsome, beautiful, fat, thin, ugly, pretty, smart, scruffy, black, white, yellow, brown, short, tall, blond, brunette, bald, etc, we would truly feel the other person and connect as connections should be made, deeply through the heart and to the soul. Our world, I am sure would be a happier place, a more peaceful place. There would and always will be differences of opinion I’m sure, misunderstandings, cross cultural differences of some sort but I do feel that all in all, our lives, our communications and the relationships forged would be better and stronger than they are now.

Food for thought my friends, food for thought!

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Inspire Someone Today

Published 17/08/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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Go on, you know it makes sense …’Inspire Someone Today’

Nothing More 🙂

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Bringing Unconditional Love Back to Our World, One Person at a Time

Published 09/06/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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What does unconditional love mean to you?

For most of us we think it is simply the love between two human beings, love of a partner, a husband, wife, child or friend but unconditional love is actually much more than that, it transpires the relationship between two human beings into the realms of love that are sadly missing from our daily lives, our relationships between religions, our relationships between countries, our relationships between race, colour and creed. Most of the conflicts in our relationships arise because of our greed, our desires and our expectations, and, when both parties are selfish and self-centered, they do not remain in a relationship for long as the suffering becomes greater, distance comes about until total separation is the end result. The ideal relationship is that which is based upon mutual unconditional love and respect. It is as difficult as finding an ideal saintly human being upon earth. We cannot practice it if we have desires and expectations and if we are guided by fear, egoism, greed and self-interest.

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We may study scriptures and participate in intellectual debates, but it will serve no purpose if we do not have a loving heart. We may judge others based on the religious morality we learn. But it is of no use in our own spiritual development, if we do not follow it ourselves and validate it based upon our own experience. Religious dogma is not meant to develop a blind following, but rather a deep curiosity to search for truth.
Unconditional love or our infinite innate capacity to love others unconditionally, can take us beyond the mortal plane into the realm of the immortal gods. When you go beyond desire-ridden judgments and selfish expectations and accept people and things with love and compassion, you earned the right to reach the abode of God. When you do not act with moral superiority and religious prejudice, you become a source of love and healing to others.

As human beings, we all have our weaknesses. We are incapable of exhibiting the virtuous qualities of God in our ordinary selves. However, our weaknesses and imperfections can be overcome if we strive to transcend our lower nature with abundant faith and love in God and cultivate the single most important virtue of unconditional love. Unconditional love can arise only in a mind that is truly detached, that has no preference and is established in equanimity and oneness.

Therefore, bring love into your life and radiate it unconditionally, like a flower radiates its fragrance, by cultivating detachment and equanimity of the mind. Accept everything that comes into your life as part of your divine creation and as a part of your destiny. Build relationships not for mutual satisfaction of wants and desires, but for the sake of unconditional love, without expecting anything in return.

First, practice it towards those whom you may harbor negativity and resentment of those whom you find difficult to forgive. Learn to forgive them and let go of your feelings of hurt and indignation. Then gradually spread the same attitude towards one and all. As part of your practice, you should radiate your love in your daily life towards one and all, and try to be forgiving and helpful. If you start practicing these suggestions, slowly you develop a compassionate heart, which will open the doors of God’s unconditional love to you.

If you look carefully, most things in creation already practice unconditional love. It is usually humans who have difficulty in practicing it because we are the subjects of freewill, desires and attachment. A tree does not choose whom to give its fruit. It is we who build a fence around it. A well does not choose whom to give water. A river does not choose whose boat it will carry. A flower does not choose to whom it will spread its fragrance. The sun and moon do not choose to whom to radiate their warmth and light.

God’s unconditional love manifests when we silence our desires and suspend our judgment. Both are difficult to practice. When they are absent, God’s love manifests itself. It is in the silent heart of a Buddhist Monk, an Ascetic Yogi, Priest, Pastor, Cleric, Brahman, holy person that the unconditional love wells up.

Universal Love….

Every religion in the world today talks about love, peace and harmony, to love your brothers and sisters, to do good unto men

  • The only love worthy of a name is unconditional.
  • The only way love can last a lifetime is if it’s unconditional. The truth is this: love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love.
  • Intense love does not measure, it just gives.
  • Love is the doorway through which the human soul passes from selfishness to service.
  • Where there is great love there are always miracles.
  • Where there is love there is life.
  • Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.” St. Augustine
  • Love is life…and if you miss love, you miss life.
  • Universal love gives without expecting anything back.
  • Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the Children of God. 1 John 3:1
  • Greater love has no one than this, that he laid down his life for his friends. John 15:13
  • God is love, and he who lives in love, lives in God and God in him 1 John 4:14
  • God loves you no matter who you are. He will cover you within his feathers. Under his wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4
  • These is only one love that loves unconditionally-The love of the Divine.
  • Love is patient, love is kind, love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on it’s own way, it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
  • God loves each of us as if there was only one of us- Augustine
  • I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant. – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
  • Love is the absence of judgment
  • Until he has unconditional and unbiased love for all beings, man will not find peace. – Buddha
  • The greatest gift you can give to others is the gift of unconditional love and acceptance.

Go with unconditional love my friends, be the love and share the love with all beings.

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

What Beliefs Are We Feeding Our Children?

Published 03/06/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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How do our children learn to hate, become racist, judgemental or prejudiced?

We all come into this world innocent, we don’t harbour any belief systems, we don’t hold any hate in our hearts, we see every other human being as the same as us, we make friends easily irrespective of social, religious or ethnic differences and we love each other unconditionally…..

…….So what goes wrong, how do we learn these behavioural and emotional traits?

As parents, grandparents and siblings, it is our duty to help our children to grow, to learn and to evolve, to help them achieve the best life they can and live their lives in peace with love and compassion in their hearts, this is our duty…..

Is it yours?……….

Be a part of your child’s life, show them the right ways in life, allow them to meet with and integrate with other children from other religious backgrounds, countries and cultures, take them out and show them the wonders of mother nature, let them feel the warm sun on their skin, the rain on their face and the grass beneath their feet, teach them to respect nature and all it glory, teach them to love animals as equals and to foster if you can.

Our planet is under great threat, humanity, and our natural resources are under great threat, these threats including global warming, famine, severe water shortages and wars between countries, religions and ethnic races are just a part of these threats, animals are becoming extinct, wiped out from the face of this earth due to greed and we,…and our children can turn it around….

We can make a difference,

We can bring back love, compassion and a true sense of brotherhood for mankind…… for the benefit of us all!

Now is your chance….

Make a difference in a child’s life,

Make a difference for humanity.

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

The Laughing Buddha Will Help You Through Your Day

Published 19/05/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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Post by Susan Jeffers Ph.D.

As many of you already know, I am a lover of the Laughing Buddha. I think you’ll agree that we all take life much too seriously! Because of my love of the Laughing Buddha, I’ve placed a number of them around our house and office as a reminder to lighten up and enjoy it all.

I have a wooden Laughing Buddha on my bedside table next to a picture of my laughing husband (who is also a Laughing Buddha!), a gorgeous pink quartz Laughing Buddha on my desk, a magnificent amber Laughing Buddha on my husband’s desk, a large stone Laughing Buddha sitting outside on our balcony…and many more. What they all seem to have in common is that they have all learned how to enjoy the feast and they certainly seem to have no worry about the future. They are always laughing!

My outdoor Laughing Buddha is the one that never ceases to amaze me. He is laughing when the rain pours down on him. He is laughing when the sun bakes down. He is laughing when we put a Santa hat on him at Christmas time. There is nothing that takes away his laughter. I know he would be laughing even if a tree fell on him and crushed him into a million pieces. I would be crying, but he would be laughing! Obviously, the Laughing Buddha has learned that, It’s all happening perfectly! The spirit that emanates from his smile is one of trust, appreciation and inner joy.

I believe the Laughing Buddha represents the inner intelligence that lives within us all. He represents the part of us that is in tune with the Grand Design. He doesn’t try to control the chaos. Instead, he listens and moves comfortably within the chaos as the world unfolds around him. He stays open to a constant flow of joyous survival versus turbulent survival. He makes us realize that we can’t get rid of the chaos, but we can get very creative with the turmoil. We are all the creators of how we want to see this world.

As a constant reminder to lighten up, I suggest you purchase a Laughing Buddha. They come in all sizes. A little one to put on your desk or next to your bed…or both…would be a good start. Understand that the Laughing Buddha does not have to be seen as a religious symbol. Buddhism is considered by many to be an inspiring philosophy…a way of seeing the world and becoming more enlightened about life. There are Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Atheists and others who embrace the teachings of Buddhism as a way of improving one’s life. So no matter what your religious belief, the Laughing Buddha can bring you great wisdom and peace of mind.

Once you acquire your Laughing Buddha, make sure you look at his joyous presence every time something is troubling you and ask yourself what your Laughing Buddha would tell you. I know you will find answers that will lift you out of your upset and elevate you to a more cosmic space. That’s what the Laughing Buddha does for me. Any time I am driving myself crazy trying to control everything around me, I look at my Laughing Buddha and laugh right along with him. I let go and lighten up. The Laughing Buddha reminds me that peace and joy lie within…not out there somewhere. And we all need reminders!

To take it one step further, you can pretend you are the Laughing Buddha. Some years ago my husband, Mark, was having difficulty with a few people in one of his projects at work and he decided that instead of letting it get him down, he would go to work as the Laughing Buddha. To him, that meant radiating a happy, loving energy no matter what was happening in the office. He created a list of his favorite happy affirmations and a few times throughout the day, he would repeat them over and over again. He would also e-mail me daily a message from himself as the Laughing Buddha.

The little game he was playing became our private joke, but the effect on his experience at work was very healing. He was actually able to deflect the negativity of the people in his project and embrace the happy nature of the Laughing Buddha. This enabled him to interact with everyone in a much more positive way. His demeanor changed so much that his assistant jokingly asked him what drugs he was taking! Mark just smiled.

We can all play the Laughing Buddha game in any area of our lives. Each time we play it, it shows us how to stay in the highest part of who we are, our Higher Self, for longer and longer periods of time. And lightening up and appreciating the beauty in our lives makes our spirits soar. Powerful stuff, so rewarding, and a lot of fun.

It is clear that appreciation of today is one of the most powerful tools for helping us embrace tomorrow. So take it all in. And once you do, you will be astounded by what you have been missing in this life, right here, right now. I keep going back to the telling words of Emily Dickinson…

As if I asked a common alms

And in my wandering hand…

A stranger pressed a kingdom

And I bewildered stand.

These beautiful words tell us that when we finally open our eyes, we stand bewildered by the riches in front of us. Life is beautiful…and funny. Open your eyes to it all…and don’t forget to laugh!

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Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Waking Up To Who You Are!

Published 11/05/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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Who Are You?

This is a deep question, one in which many people find very hard to answer, or many fall into the trap and say ‘I’m Mark’ or I’m a Father, a mother, a husband or wife of, or “I’m Mark and I’m a Manager etc

But who are you?

Some people say, Hi, I’m Mark, I’m a lightworker living in this physical form here on Earth and I’m sharing the knowledge ,love and compassion from the heart of God here on Earth……

So, What is your life’s purpose, who are you and do you really want to know?

Food for thought my friends, food for thought 🙂

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

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