Why is it so Important to Have Hope?

"Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today." - Thich Nhat Hanh

Life is full of ups and downs, and when sadness replaces the joy you once had, that's when hope becomes essential. Hope is trusting that things can only get better, no matter how gloomy they look right now. You need hope;  you can't live without it. You are the engine; hope is the fuel, and patience is the oil.  Form a positive image in your mind of the happy ending you wish for, and cling to it no matter what. 

Hope is an uplifting emotion. It pulls you up from disappointment, depression and despair. To cultivate hope, firmly believe that everything that happens to you is for your ultimate good. This becomes evident as you look back on your life and are able to see patterns more clearly. Retrospectively, you can understand the meaning of certain events offering lessons in disguise. 

Hope emerges when you realise that you can't do everything on your own. You need to depend more fully on your Higher Power. God will come to you during your darkest moments and whisper "hope" in your ear. This is your opportunity to allow Him into your heart and find the peace that was eluding you.

Stop fighting so hard. Allow the Divine hand to lift you up and guide you through the maze of your life, with all its endless twists and turns. Allow the Divine to help you with little things, as well as important decisions. Relax into the present moment. Cultivate hope like a delicate flower, and allow God to take over for you. 

With all my love, 

Bella 

"Yes, my soul, find rest in God;

my hope comes from Him. 

Truly He is my rock and my salvation; 

He is my fortress, I will not be shaken." - Psalm 62: 5-6

Painting: "Blue Orchid" by Li-Soro

LOVE is the True Meaning of Christmas

"For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." John 3:16-17

For God, the ultimate act of love and sacrifice was to become a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. Why did He do such a thing? Because He loves us more than we can imagine. At Christmas, he sent us his only Son, his equal, his representative. And why does God love us so much? Because He is love itself. Why do we celebrate Christmas each year? We do it to remember that no matter what's happening in our lives and what we're going through at the moment, love is eternal and Jesus is always with us. Jesus is God's gift to us. 

We celebrate the birth of this extraordinary child by giving each other gifts and worshipping Him. We celebrate His birth and His divine presence by loving and forgiving each other, mending our relationships, and spending quality time together. We celebrate His arrival by being especially conscious of those less fortunate, the poor, the sick, the injured, the abandoned, the neglected and the forgotten. Jesus didn't hang out with rich, beautiful and successful people. Instead he preferred to mingle with beggars, destitute and homeless people, prostitutes, tax collectors: the outcasts of society...

The true meaning of Christmas is LOVE. God loved his human sons and daughters and by sending us his own Son, He provided a way, the only Way, to spend eternity with Him. He gave his only Son to take the punishment for our sins and free us from this cycle. He was crucified and paid the price in full, delivering us from the burden of guilt and condemnation. Thanks to Him , we can now accept the free gift of LOVE.

"But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

Wishing you a Merry Christmas with love and blessings,

Bella 

Painting: "Mother's Love": Mary with baby Jesus by Akiane, aged 11.

Open Yourself to the Light!

Water lilies symbolise beauty, purity and innocence. In Buddhism, the lotus is a symbol of enlightenment. The petals represent the different struggles you endure on your path to spiritual awakening. The centre of the flower represents the state of enlightenment. When there is a dark shadow during any experience, you can turn to the light, and you can do it consciously. You can choose to look at things with renewed hope.

"Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

Children are innocent and open to the light because they have no resistance within them. They don't dwell on the past. They put differences behind them as quickly as possible. Observe them at play, how they live fully in the present, how tolerant and forgiving they are. They don't bear grudges, and their primary concern is to create joy in the now. 

As you become a child again, you become like a water lily: your battles turn into petals. The darkness is overcome... And the Light of God triumphs as you let it into your heart, erasing all negative feelings. You finally leave behind bad memories and face a glorious present and future without hatred or prejudice. Love is all that matters, and as you open yourself to the Light, you open yourself to the power of Love.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

With all my love to you,

now and always

Bella

Painting: "Water Lilies" by Eugeni Balakshin, 1962, Russia.

Nothing is too Difficult !

"Whoever moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." - Confucius (Chinese teacher, writer, politician and philosopher, 551 - 580 BC).

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao Tsu (Chinese poet and philosopher, author of the Tao Te Ching, 604 - 531 BC).

In my book "The Magic of Willpower",  I emphasise the importance of taking "baby steps" when you decide to do something new. To break up your task into small, manageable portions will make it less overwhelming and less daunting, and you will be more likely to stick with it. 

You can achieve anything if you do it little by little, one day at a time. If you want to lose weight for instance, begin by introducing small changes to your dietary habits. You could  eat fruit every time you feel like snacking, instead of reaching for a packet of chips or a chocolate bar. It is better to take many small steps in the right direction, rather than making a great leap forward only to stumble backwards.

There is nothing you cannot accomplish, if your desire for it is strong enough, and if you divide your project into slices that you can handle without difficulty. The secret to big accomplishments is to start out small. If you were to show a student all the books he would have to read, and all the essays he would have to write during the entirety of his study years, he would probably be discouraged and give up right away. 

Inner transformation does not happen overnight. it is a step-by-step process of creation and change. Little by little, you become better at handing over your life to God and surrendering to what is. You stop interfering with other people's business, and concentrate on your own life, without judging others and without complaining. You wake up and become aware of all the little details of your surroundings; you feel appreciation for the beauty and diversity of life.

You vision takes hold of you and little by little, you begin working towards the realisation of your dream...

With all my love,

Bella

"Flowers and Birds": Chinese silk painting by unknown artist.

Addiction is a Decision!

"Life is a series of baby steps along the way and if you add up these tiny little steps you take toward your goal, whatever it is, whether it's giving up something, a terrible addiction or trying to work your way through an illness. When you total up those baby steps you'd be amazed over the course of ten years, the strides you've taken." - Hoda Kotb, Egyptian-American TV host.

We humans tend to get addicted to a lot of things that aren't good for us. We tend to destroy ourselves, instead of looking after ourselves to the best of our ability. Some of us are addicted to nicotine, drugs or alcohol. Others are addicted to junk food or sugar. Some are addicted to gambling or shopping. Others are addicted to work or dysfunctional relationships...

It doesn't really matter what you're addicted to; right now you've reached a stage in your life when you want to rid yourself of these negative patterns. You want to let go of these behaviours as their painful consequences now outweigh the thrill they once provided.

In my book "The Magic of Willpower", I explain that addiction is a decision. You want something, so you make up your mind to obtain it and consume it. This process is repeated over and over until it gets out of hand. As time goes by, this decision-making process gets out of control; it becomes an addiction. Are you going to do it or are you not going to do it? Each and every time, it's a decision, it's a choice. String all these decisions together, and you have a pattern of behaviour that will determine the course of your life. It will determine what sort of person you will be. Every moment of your life, you have a choice.

Live this moment to the fullest, and make decisions that are good for you. Only one day at a time, one moment at a time if necessary. Learn the Serenity Prayer: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Say it over and over. Say it every time you need to make a decision!

With love and bright thoughts of encouragement,

Bella

Painting:"High Above Amalfi" by Mikki Senkarik, American.