Wat is Enlightenment?

Enlightenment is your ultimate goal. Every day brings you closer to this state of mind, in which there is no room for dramas or petty arguments. When you cultivate enlightenment, your consciousness begins to shift. You begin to see the bigger picture. You ask yourself,  "Does it really matter?" or "Do I really have to prove that I am right?"

Why not let it go? Fighting uses up more energy than giving in. Instead of arguing and stubbornly sticking to your point of view, why not do things differently for a change? You can put yourself in the other person's shoes. You can listen to this person, and offer them unlimited understanding and compassion.

Enlightenment allows you to reach a higher level of consciousness. You become more detached, without turning into a robot. Your human heart is not only intact, it is magnified. From now on, you choose NOT to react blindly to what people are doing or saying. You become more introspective. You become aware of your thought processes and how they influence your emotions. You start seeing things from a different perspective, in a different light. You realise that true knowledge comes from the heart, not the head. It shines a light on the darkness inside of you and all around you.

As you become enlightened, you turn into a shining light yourself. You attract other people to you: people who want to be like you, people who want what yo've got. You become a leader to them, a role model. You don't talk about your knowledge; you don't brag. You simply live that way because it makes you feel better, more at peace with yourself and the world.

Enlightenment means you are becoming lighter. All of a sudden, your daily burden is not so heavy any more. Life becomes easier, as you don't take things so much to heart any more. You're not so serious any more; you lighten up and develop a sense of humour. You realise that life is full of problems, but it is also full of solutions and opportunities.

Enlightenment is not something you need to strive for all the time. It is not out of your reach. On the contrary, it is right here, right in front of you, if you open yourself to it. Open your heart to the  light. Let go of your problems, your resentments, your anger, your unfulfilled desires. You inner light will shine and become stronger. It will become your reality, day after day.

Your journey of inner transformation is beginning right now, at this very moment. It's happening while you're reading this! Enjoy it, and have a beautiful, light-filled day.

With all my love,

Bella

Painting:"Large Orange Lotus" by Paul Heussenstamm

Focus on the Positive

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others." - Cicero

Maybe it's a habit for you to have an inner conversation about the things that go wrong in your life. "Oh no, not again... Why is this happening to me? Why me? Why can't I be lucky for a change?"
You may spend a lot of time judging yourself and others: "I shouldn't have done this or that... I'm such an idiot... If only I'd known... This person is so rude and annoying... She's so selfish... He's so arrogant... These people are not doing their job properly..." And so on... Your thoughts continue to run along these lines... Including what you say to yourself about your financial situation: "There's never enough money... When am I going to have more money? Prices are going up all the time... How am I going to afford this? Why do I have to pay so much for this?"

Today you can decide to clear your head of this endless chatter which is not beneficial for you. Instead, you can begin to focus on the good things in your life. Is there anything that's going well for you? It could be your health, your job, your family, your friends, your car, your neighbourhood, your leisure activities... It could be your cat, your dog or even your goldfish. It could be your boss who hasn't criticised you for the last couple of weeks. It could be having a roof over your head and food on the table. It could be as simple as being alive, even if you have nothing else. There is a lot to be grateful for if you really think about it!

Instead of focusing on the negative, you can change your thoughts and begin to like your circumstances and the people around you, rather than rejecting them and fighting against them. No human being is perfect, but as you accept other people's imperfections, while highlighting their qualities, you'll start seeing them in a different light. You'll become more lenient and have less expectations. Human beings are fallible, prone to mistakes, and likely to hurt others, often unintentionally. Others say or do things you don't like, and you can't change them. But you can set boundaries, by not allowing them to intrude into your privacy and interfere with your life and your choices. You give them the right to be themselves, while kindly asking them to do the same for us. This is the true meaning of respect.

You can allow things to affect you and become angry or upset. Or you can choose to maintain an inner peace, an inner sanctuary that nothing can disturb. Temporary frustration is not much compared to inner harmony and stability, a core strength within your self - the intention to see everything in a positive light, no matter what... If you're feeling low, you can look outside the window and reflect on the scenery: the sky, the clouds, the wind blowing the trees around... A single flower, an intricate spider web, a rainbow in a puddle of water, children playing, birds twittering... Beauty and serenity are always available if you seek them out, and you can appreciate them at any time.

As soon as a negative, judgemental thought enters your mind, replace it with a positive, uplifting one. Cling to it and don't let worry or anxiety take over your blissful inner landscape. Trust that all is well, and will continue to be that way, no matter what's happening around you. Don't project crisis and disaster into the future, but expect outcomes to be in your favour. Appreciate what you've got now, and you will attract more of it into your life!

With much love,
Bella

Painting: "Field Flowers" by Nicolae Tonitza (1886 - 1940), Romania, post-impressionism