Not Too Bad

Recently during my everyday contact with people, I was struck by the most common reply received after an initial greeting of “Hello, how are you?” or “Hey, how are you doing?” What was said most often was, “Not too bad”. Now, you might say, “Well, what’s the issue with that response?” I am just wondering why that answer would be put forth so frequently instead of a more positive response. On a few occasions after receiving the response of “Not too bad” my husband said, “Well, isn’t ‘not too bad’ the same as “Pretty good”? The people we asked looked at us smiling interestingly and said, “Sure, I guess so.” So, after asking that question we asked, “Well why wouldn’t you just say that?” The most common answer was, “I have no idea, I just didn’t think about it.”

Here is my question. Why do we find it so incredibly easy to respond using a negative word like bad, as opposed to using positive words like good, great, couldn’t be better, if things were any better I’d have to be twins, and the list goes on and on which is my point? Why would we choose negativity in our communication when we really are not intending to be negative? Perhaps it is because we don’t place value on negative comments. Maybe most people think it probably doesn’t really mean anything to say ‘not too bad’. It is the subtleness of the usage if negativity that is disturbing.

Being thoughtful of the words used in our conversations is of great importance in that it is a reflection of what thoughts we are holding. If our first response is “Not too bad” what thoughts are we holding? Did we think that we were going to experience a sort-of-bad day or a not-great day? In our lackadaisical approach to conversation we fall into the grips of the water-cooler chat where we repeat what we have heard rather than speaking with knowledge and intention and attention to the words that we use. Our lives reflect the usage of negativity in words and behavior but most of us do not connect this usage with the outcome. If you think you had a really “ugly” day and things did not go your way, you can be assured that negativity was involved at some point. If you are constantly dwelling on thoughts of fear, worry, anger, hate, and failure, you will become depressed and unhappy.

The words that we use are like the ingredients of a recipe. If the outcome of the dessert recipe (our reality) is to be sweet, then we should make the effort to use sugar (positive), instead of salt (negative). We, alone, are responsible for what we think, say and do. We all make choices every minute of every day. Remember, your life is what your thoughts make of it. Is your reality “Not too bad…?” Positive thinking is at the very least a habit. Maybe it deserves your consideration.

“Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” ~PHIL 4:8~

”All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think…we become.” ~Buddha~

About the Author:
Savannah Blue is a Freelance Writer, a Spiritual Comforter, Motivator and Life Coach. I live at the beach with the love of my life (my husband) and work from home doing what I love most..Helping others live their Dreams!

Lights...Camera...Action

Each day we create our own, unique episode of a production called, well, in honor of a famous soap opera we all have most likely at least heard of, we’ll call it, “As Our World Turns”. We are the Director, the Actor, and the Writer of each and every one of our episodes. Our episodes (days) can be happy and full of compassion and joy and represent peace of mind and a feeling of pure bliss. We can choose.

So, what thoughts will your episode for today reflect? Will it start with gratitude and thankfulness or anger and fear? Will you mostly smile or will you carry a frown? And what kind of energy will you exude? Will it be positive or negative energy. Which will yours be? Have you ever even thought about what kind of energy you are expressing? You can have a desire to engage the world with loving-kindness or hatefulness. You can blame things and circumstances on others or will you accept the responsibility for your perception of those things and circumstances? What exactly will make you happy today? Will you allow someone else’s perception of life make you angry by the words they choose or by their deeds? Or, will you recognize that you hold all of the power…it is, after all, your episode. It isn’t what other people say or do that is important…it is your perception of what they say and do that really matters. Others don’t control what thoughts you are holding, or do they? Are you in full control of what you are thinking or have you ever even thought about the things that you think? Do you know what thoughts you are thinking today or any other day for that matter? About how many random thoughts do you think you have in any given day?

Can you just “Be” or are you one that reaches out in an attempt to control and create “what ifs” that don’t exist or will you dwell in subtle negativity of yesterday? We become what we think. Our daily episodes become manifest through our thoughts. So, pay attention to what you are thinking, be grateful for your blessings, and become aware and understand your thinking process. In our minds we can create wonderful episodes of happiness or episodes of discontent. Which are you doing?

About the Author:
Savannah Blue is a Freelance Writer, a Spiritual Comforter, Motivator and Life Coach. I live at the beach with the love of my life (my husband) and work from home doing what I love most..Helping others live their Dreams!

If Tomorrow Never Comes

Many of us find ourselves so very busy these days and complaining that there just isn’t enough time…for whatever. There are a few who would actually consider the possibility that this might be the last day. For most of us, that thought is just too scary so we don’t go there, yet there are several people, loved ones of everyone or maybe even us, who may not wake up today or will not wake up tomorrow. I found the following poem by an unknown author so perhaps the words will help someone “slow down” long enough to experience and express "the now."

If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you or talk with you on the phone
The time would be shared together as neither of us would be separate or alone
If I knew it would be the last time that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss and call you back for one more.
If I knew it would be the last time I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video each action and word, so I could play them day after day.
If I knew it would be the last time, I could spare an extra minute or two
To stop and say "I love you," instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.
If I knew it would be the last time I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more, so I can let just this one slip away.
For surely there's always tomorrow to make up for an oversight,
And we always get a second chance to make everything right.
There will always be another day to say our "I love you's,"
And certainly there's another chance to say our "Anything I can do's?"
But just in case I might be wrong and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you and I hope we never forget,
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight.
So if you're waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day,
That you didn't take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
And you were too busy to grant someone what turned out to be their last wish.
So hold your loved ones close today, whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them and that you'll always hold them dear,
Take time to say "I'm sorry," "please forgive me," "thank you" or "its okay".
And if tomorrow never comes you'll have no regrets about today.

About the Author:
Savannah Blue is a Freelance Writer, a Spiritual Comforter, Motivator and Life Coach. I live at the beach with the love of my life (my husband) and work from home doing what I love most..Helping others live their Dreams!

In The Moment

In most of the articles and books that I have read there seems to be a common message addressing the value of staying in the moment. The opinion most frequently offered is that we humans DO NOT experience “staying in the moment.” We apparently spend our waking time on thoughts of “past happenings” or “future what ifs”. Most of us have no idea that we are skipping from one thought of a past occurrence to the fear of something that might happen in the future and then back again and then to judgment and suddenly, we find ourselves in our self-made “DRAMA”. Here is an example of what can happen when we do not stay in the moment.

My brother has medication that he has filled every sixty days with a price tag of $658.00. Recently, he was preparing for an overseas holiday which included getting his prescriptions filled before leaving. He had picked up his prescriptions and gone home to continue packing and making ready for his departure. We were on the phone sharing love and good wishes for a great trip, when suddenly, sheer panic set in. He could not find his medication. The panic and disappointment in his voice broke my heart. We stayed on the phone as I was attempting to assist with thoughts of places to look that perhaps he had not thought of. “Do you remember coming home with the medication?” I asked. He said that he did remember coming into the house with it but it was not in any of the places he would have put it. The complications of this scenario were overwhelming in that he could NOT get another refill immediately because of the controls on the drugs (not to mention that it would be another $658) and his flight was scheduled to leave before he would have an opportunity to speak with his doctors for their assistance to correct the situation of “I don’t remember what I did with my medication”. We hung up with the parting thought…let me know what happens. He said, “Okay” in the most frustrated voice I have ever heard.

He was “busily preoccupied” thinking of everything except staying in the “Present Moment”. We experience stress while dealing with these types of “not being in the moment experiences” which causes damage to our mind, body and soul. Most of us have probably felt that gnawing feeling in the pit of our stomachs. Some have developed ulcers and other illness due to this type of practice. There was a lot of self-talk during the medication hunt like “How could I not remember?” and “Why wasn’t I paying attention?” and “Oh great…now what…I might have to cancel my trip so now I’m out the money for the medication and the trip, *&$#%^^**((!!!! The next day he phoned to tell me that he had found the medication. “Where did you find it?” He explained that he had hung the bag on the handle of the closet door and then apparently placed a jacket over the same knob. Now, we can say that everything turned out okay because he did find the medication, however, this is just one of thousands of examples experienced on a daily basis by all of us when we are NOT in the moment.

Realize that staying “in the moment” is accomplished by first recognizing what is actually happening this minute and thinking in the "now". When we are fully in the present moment our mind is focused on what we are doing right now and not frantically jumping from what we perceive to be our past poor experiences to the future negative "what-ifs" and all along our thought highway we are speaking that non-productive self-talk. Staying “in the moment” is just a way to train our mind, which will always be engaged in thinking because that's what it does. Experiencing the present moment takes 60 seconds at a time and some practice! Can you do it?

About the Author:
Savannah Blue is a Freelance Writer, a Spiritual Comforter, Motivator and Life Coach. I live at the beach with the love of my life (my husband) and work from home doing what I love most..Helping others live their Dreams!

From the Sanskrit

Poetry is often very beautiful and many times I find those that truly touch my heart. The Heart of the Matter will from time to time share some of these writings in an effort to touch your hearts too. The one I have chosen for today is simple and full of truth.

Sanskrit Writings/ Journey of Hearts

Look to this day, for it is life,
The very life of life.
In its brief course lie
All the realities
And truths of existence,
The joy of growth,
The splendor of action,
The glory of power.
For yesterday is but a memory
And tomorrow is only a vision.
But, today well-lived
Makes yesterday
A memory of Happiness
And every tomorrow
A vision of Hope
Look well, therefore, to this day!

About the Author:
Savannah Blue is a Freelance Writer, a Spiritual Comforter, Motivator and Life Coach. I live at the beach with the love of my life (my husband) and work from home doing what I love most..Helping others live their Dreams!

Thinking Ourselves to Death

Most people profess to have a belief in something larger and certainly more powerful than mankind. Some call this “something larger” The Source or The Great Spirit, God or The Creator, Bhagavan or Allah or Jah, as well as many, many other names. Most admit that in their perception the “Source” is capable of ALL things. When I read the comment below, I wondered…do we say one thing knowing that we don’t really believe and if so, why do we do that? How many of us fall into the category described below?

“We humans are quick to be convinced that somehow we are not good enough or smart enough for whatever...the truth is that we have the potential to be and already are perfect...it is our perception that is not accurate...if God is all that we proclaim then he surely has the ability to create “Perfect-ness”...he does it with other living things which perhaps we recognize like beautiful flowers, plants, trees and animals who just do what they do...they don't have the capability to think things to death... but we just can't quite get there with ourselves...that's what we do...we think ourselves to death and while doing so, we are content and arrogant in thinking that we know something...our ego and intellect are the stifling energies of our true being...unconditional love which is what was created in the first place and is perfect and created perfect by the creator.”

If our true being is being stifled by holding the thoughts that we are not good enough, let’s please reconsider what we are thinking and take some positive steps to restructure what thoughts we hold about not only ourselves, but all of mankind. We have the ability to choose what we think. What really matters is that we understand clearly that we are what we think we are…period. What other people think of us is irrelevant but what “Me, Myself and I” think is the only perception that matters. We know what other living things are doing and we know that they are NOT thinking themselves to death. What are you doing when you “just do what you do?” By getting in touch with what we are thinking and what thoughts we are holding helps to broaden our growing understanding of our thoughts and may reveal new truths that have the power to change our lives. The thoughts that we hold today create the foundation for our tomorrows, if indeed we are gifted with a tomorrow. Each day could be our last day so let’s be encouraged to be the best at doing what we do by showing and being unconditional love. And remember, Each Day is a gift…that’s why it is called the Present.

About the Author:
Savannah Blue is a Freelance Writer, a Spiritual Comforter, Motivator and Life Coach. I live at the beach with the love of my life (my husband) and work from home doing what I love most..Helping others live their Dreams!

Universal Principles

I speak of frequently, live by and understand the validity of the Universal Principles. The Journal Edition presented below states that these Universal Principles are the guidelines that govern our lives perfectly. My perception and awareness of these principles has enhanced my life experience in ways that are profound. Perhaps you will find clarity and meaning that will assist you along your path.

(The Journey Edition)

1. Energy
The basic component of the Universe, energy, occurs in either materialized or un-materialized form. All that we see and feel is an expression of energy. Energy is synonymous with love. When we resist the flow of energy, or love, we experience discomfort. When we align with the energy flowing around us, we feel joyful and at peace.

2. Infinite Intelligence, or God
Within all energy is an intelligence that is infinite, eternal and purposeful. This Infinite Intelligence, which we sometimes refer to as God, or simply love, is the source of all creative expression and the essential power in the Universe. The way we view our Infinite Intelligence, or God, is precisely the way we experience life. When we perceive God as an unconditionally loving and supportive energy at all times and under all circumstances, we experience our world and everyone in it as totally safe, loving and generous.

3. Oneness
Since the essence of everything is pure loving energy, in the truest sense, we are One. When we feel our connection to our Oneness, we feel the power of who we really are. Our Oneness, love, is indivisible. Whenever we attempt to withhold love from anyone, we withhold love from everyone, including ourselves. The truth of this principle becomes clear as we allow our hearts to open and feel our interconnectedness.

4. There Is Nothing Outside Of Us
In order to have our human experiences, we created the apparent reality that we are living outside the Oneness; that there are things and people that can affect us without our consent. The truth is that there is nothing outside of us; all that we see is our Self. This becomes our new reality when we open the belief in separation and accept the truth that we are the Power of God.

5. Perfection
Our Oneness, God, is perfect and expresses this perfection as unconditional love and support. Whatever unfolds is God happening. When we see other than unconditional love unfolding, we are not seeing clearly. We create unclarity to have the experiences that we came into the human to have. When we are ready to see with greater clarity, we embrace whatever is before us in unconditional love, trusting that the Universe, in its constant expression of unconditional love, is sending us the perfect support. With practice, our clarity grows, along with our appreciation for the unconditional love and support that is always present.

6. Beliefs
Under the guidance of our Souls, we intentionally adopt the beliefs we hold in order to provide ourselves with the precise experiences we are having. These beliefs help us hide our power so that our journey as humans can unfold as we planned before we entered this realm.The urge to explore life as a human beyond the limitations of these beliefs is a signal that our Soul Selves are looking to guide us in finding and reclaiming the power we had previously hidden, and to awaken us to the truth of who we really are.

7. Intuition, Feelings and Power
Our Infinite Intelligence communicates to us through our intuition, which we access through our feelings. The more willing we are to feel our feelings, the more able we are to connect with the power that resides in them.The true power in the Universe is a totally peaceful power. It is the power of love, fully, freely and joyfully felt.

8. Mutual Support
Our Universe functions as a mutual support system in which each and every thing in existence relates to and affects every other thing. Every person and circumstance in our lives is there to support us by reflecting back to us the present state of our consciousness. The prevalent belief that we are naturally competitive and adversarial is just a mirroring back to us of our acceptance of that belief. The more we look for the support that is present in each event and circumstance in our lives, the more we appreciate how perfect the Universe’s support for us truly is.

9. The Mirror Principle
Everything that we see and feel is a reflection of the state of our own consciousness. Every person we attract into our lives is showing us a perception we hold about ourselves. Every feeling expressed by another mirrors a feeling deep within us. This reflection is a gift, for it allows us to be aware of the beliefs we hold, and the power that we have hidden in them.

10. Non-judgment
We have been carefully taught to evaluate and judge much of what we experience. However, right and wrong, good and bad are just beliefs, places where we have hidden a lot of our power. The truth is that everything that occurs is just another event or circumstance. Judging something keeps whatever we judge the way we judge it. Also, judging anyone or anything tells us that we are judging ourselves in the same way.Judging creates discomfort within us that can only be relieved by opening our hearts, first to the judgment and then to the person or thing we have judged. Expanding this openhearted energy leads to the joyful feeling of unconditional love for ourselves as the wholeness and completeness of who we really are.

11. Purpose
Our Soul knows our purpose for this lifetime and initially supports us by helping us hide our power and our knowing so that we may have the experiences we came here to have. When we are ready to reconnect with our God Presence, our Soul supports us in uncovering our power and our knowing. We are always on purpose, and we are always a God Presence receiving the perfect support for experiencing and expressing ourselves in accordance with our purpose.

12. Comfort and Discomfort
Our bodies are magnificent instruments that we create to support us in having the experiences we come to the human to have. Our bodies are created and maintained in consciousness. They mirror the state of our consciousness, which includes the collective consciousness beliefs in how to look, act, age and die.Unencumbered by our beliefs, our consciousness is unlimited, as are our bodies. The natural state of our consciousness is perfect ease, as is the natural state of our bodies. The limited beliefs we have about our bodies are there to love and embrace just the way they are. This opens the energy held in the beliefs as it opens the energy in our bodies from that of dis-ease to ease.

13. Abundance
Abundance is our natural state as God Presences. Everything we experience is part of the abundance. When limitation appears, we are seeing a reflection of our beliefs in limitation. Opening these beliefs provides us with a clearer view of our abundance.

14. Giving and Receiving
Giving and receiving always occurs in balance. It is important to receive gratefully as it is to give voluntarily, generously, and with no expectations. Our willingness to keep the energy flowing in and out of our lives supports the energy in expanding. The corollary to the principle of giving and receiving is that we give only to ourselves. Since we are all One, when we are giving to another, we are giving to ourselves.

15. Non attachment and Freedom
Our perceived need to hold on to anything or anyone demonstrates our belief in shortage and personal incompleteness. Holding on to anything -- people or possessions -- blocks the flow of energy around our experience with the person or object and reduces the joy of the experience. It also inhibits new people and new things from coming into our lives. As we open our hearts and expand our trust in the natural abundance of the Universe, we give ourselves and everyone else the gift of freedom.

16. Expressing Who We Really Are
Each of us has one or more talents we love to express. When we are fully and freely expressing who we really are, we feel joyful and fulfilled. The more love we feel for ourselves, the more we allow the creative energy of the Universe to flow through us. Since how we see and feel about ourselves is how we see and feel about other people, feeling more love for ourselves is the most mutually supportive focus we can have

17. Means and Ends
Means and ends are the same. The action and out come are one. To achieve peace, we feel and express our inner peacefulness. To enjoy a life that works perfectly, we see and feel the perfection of everything and everyone, including ourselves. To experience the natural abundance of the Universe, we feel and express gratitude for everything just the way it is.

18. Harmony in Relationships
Every relationship in our lives reflects our relationship with ourselves. Every person we attract is there to support us in opening our hearts and reclaiming our power. When we feel love for ourselves, and the perfection of ourselves, just the way we are, we attract loving and harmonious relationships with other people.

19. The Universe Handles the Details
Taking care of the details of our lives is generally considered a rational-mind activity. However, when our rational minds are active, we shut out our Infinite Intelligence, which has the capacity to handle the details in ways that are vastly more supportive of us and everyone else. As we learn to relinquish our rational thinking and surrender to our intuition -- our connection to Infinite Intelligence -- we discover how easily, effortlessly and spontaneously events unfold for us.

About the Author:
Savannah Blue is a Freelance Writer, a Spiritual Comforter, Motivator and Life Coach. I live at the beach with the love of my life (my husband) and work from home doing what I love most..Helping others live their Dreams!