Savor Every Second!
Brand New Year, brand new slate.
I know that’s technically not true. I mean, just because the calendar flipped one page, we have a brand new slate? But it feels correct, doesn’t it? Every year, on January 2nd, I get very excited about the opportunity to improve my life during the next 12 months.
This morning in meditation the phrase, “Savor every second” came to me and I feel compelled to write about it. It’s a wonderful phrase, don’t you think? Savor every second. It brings to mind delicious things: a hot shower or a warm, fragrant bath; the first cup of tea or coffee in the morning; a glimpse of the sun after a week of stormy weather; a glimpse of snow or rain after months of unrelenting sun. Each of us savors different things but the act of savoring is perhaps the best gift you can give to yourself, every single—well—second!
On New Year’s Eve I went to see the comedian Paula Poundstone and, as I sat in the audience, waves of laughter flowed around me from behind, from below and from either side (and from inside of me!). It was wonderful. I didn’t realize in that moment that I was savoring but I realize now I was. I was drinking it in, amazed by my good fortune to be in the audience with my friend Sharon, joining in the fun.
Savoring is for the small, wonderful parts of life as well as the dramatic ones. It’s all about sights, smells, touch and sounds and finding something wonderful in every moment.
When I looked up the word savor in The Synonym Finder by Rodale, I found the phrase, “Get a kick out of.” That’s a big part of savoring every second. Last night I found on my DVR the Christmas program for Saturday Night Live. It turned out to be a repeat of Christmas 2013 but I watched it because Jimmy Fallon was the host and I get a kick out of Jimmy Fallon. He just makes me smile. He vibrates with excitement even when he appears to be standing still.
My bonus for watching the show? Justin Timberlake was part of the cast and did an impression of Fallon that was spot on! It was so much fun to watch! Even Fallon himself couldn’t not laugh (contrary to the photo).
You can savor anything if you put yourself into the right frame of mind—work, play, chores, errands, noisy kids on planes—it’s all about your mindset.
What do you savor that might surprise me? I’d love to hear.
Fantasy Island
Last week I had the privilege of spending half a day with Esther Hicks, of Abraham-Hicks fame. Esther and her late husband Jerry were pioneers in the Law of Attraction movement, teaching millions around the globe the principles of this law that simply says: You get more of what you focus on.
Focus & Feeling – One of the things Esther shared was Abraham’s concept of “focus and feeling.” In other words, focus on something, and then check how you are feeling. If you are feeling positive, then you are in the mode of attracting what you want. If you are feeling negative, then it is your inner guidance system telling you, “If you stay focused where you’re focused, you are not going to like the results.”
Emotional Manifestation First – Esther also introduced the idea of emotional manifestation. This expression was new to me although the explanation was familiar. Basically, it’s a wonderful way to say that, when you focus on something, you first manifest it emotionally.
Emotional manifestation is very clear when you are worried. You focus on “worst case scenarios” and, even though none of it has happened yet, it feels as if it has. And because worry is such a strong negative emotion, it puts you in a powerful position to attract the very thing you don’t want. So, in essence, it has already manifested for you emotionally and, if left unchecked will ultimately manifest in reality.
One of my very favorite Abraham-Hicks quotes is, “Worry is using your imagination to attracting something you DON’T want!”
Conversely, when you are able to fantasize about something you want, focusing on “wonderful case scenarios,” it begins to feel as if it’s already happening, putting you in a powerful position to attract it. Let’s say you focus on being at the beach in Hawaii and you think about it so much that you can hear the waves and feel the sun on your face. This “emotional manifestation” makes you happy and the real thing is closer to becoming reality. Surf’s up!
The bottom line is that we want what we want because we think that having it will make us happy. If you get happy first (and the fastest way to do that is to imagine that you already have what you want), then it will come to you—this is a wonderful paradox.
5 Ways to Ensure The Best Holiday Season EVER!
Hint: None of them involve $$$
1. LET GO OF NEGATIVE EXPECTATIONS
The Law of Attraction dictates that you get more of what you focus on. Another way to say it is, “You get what you expect.” If you are looking forward to the holidays with a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, then you are expecting the worst. Guess what? You will get it!
Expectations are a story you made up. If you’re going to make up a story anyhow, why not make up one that serves you? Looking ahead to the holidays, begin by asking yourself, “How do I want to feel during this time?” You have 100% control over how you feel.
2. LET GO OF IMAGINARY CONTROL
Memorize this question, “Do I have any control whatsoever over this?” If the answer is “no,” then let it go! This includes any and all actions of others. The ONLY thing you can control is how you feel.
3. FOCUS ON RITUALS, NOT GIFTS
Quick! What gifts did you receive in 2006? It’s rare to remember all the gifts we receive but what we do remember are those special rituals—hot cocoa and cinnamon buns around the Christmas tree, the lighting of the Menorah or the kiss at midnight on New Year’s. If your family doesn’t have rituals, why not create some this year?
4. LOOK FOR WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE OR LAUGH
Remember, you get more of what you focus on. Look for things that bring a smile to your lips. Even the most disastrous of holidays is often remembered with much laughter years later. Why not skip the years and laugh now (even if only on the inside)?
5. PLAN YOUR ESCAPE ROUTE
Maybe you can’t actually “go over the wall” but there are all sorts of ways to escape inside your mind. Fantasies can be great fun to indulge. For example, pick a famous comedian and imagine what he or she would be doing at that moment in your circumstances. Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show has a segment where he writes funny, painfully honest thank you letters. Maybe you can be writing your thank you notes in your head. Or take that trip to Tahiti you’ve always wanted. It’s your mind; you get to say what it does.
Permission to Rampage, Sir!
I am excited to share what the past weeks have been like for me. I have been following the advice of Abraham Hicks, my spiritual teacher, to indulge in “Rampages of Appreciation” and the results have been amazing. And it’s so much fun!
Because I live alone, I can rampage out loud without worrying about someone calling for a straight jacket. Somehow this adds an extra “oomph” to the great feelings being produced. And never have I seen a more clear demonstration of how the Law of Attraction works.
The Law of Attraction says you get more of what you focus on. As I focus on all the things I appreciate and particularly, as I reach for more to add to the list, a momentum is created that sweeps me along in a delicious tidal wave of positive feelings.
These Rampages of Appreciation can be general or specific.
GENERAL RAMPAGES
If you want to have an AMAZING day, do a morning rampage. It’s fun to start before you even get out of bed. Start thinking about all the things you appreciate about your life. Keep looking for more and more and more. Continue this rampage as you prepare for the day and as you travel to work, or wherever your first destination is.
At bedtime, if you want to have a restful sleep, do a rampage as you’re lying in bed drifting off. Think of all the things about your day that you appreciate. Or focus on the wonderful bed, the feel of the sheets, your perfectly broken in pillow, etc. I guarantee that, when you do this at night, you will wake up the next morning in a very good mood!
SPECIFIC RAMPAGES
If there’s something you want to improve, trust me when I tell you that the last thing you want to focus on is what you want to “fix.” Remember, the Law of Attraction gives you more of what you focus on. When you focus on the problem….well, you get the picture. Instead, do a specific Rampage of Appreciation.
Let’s say you don’t like your job. The more you focus on all the reasons for this, the worse it gets; have you noticed? Instead, do a specific Rampage of Appreciation for your job. DON’T MAKE THINGS UP. Look for things you appreciate no matter how seemingly minute. Is the commute an easy one? Are the hours convenient? Is the pay enough to sustain you? Is the work easy for you? Are there co-workers you like? Is there a restaurant close to work you enjoy? Simply begin looking for all the things you appreciate about your job. You will be AMAZED by how transformative this is.
A word of caution: many people resist doing a Rampage of Appreciation about something bugging them for fear they will get stuck with it forever. “What if I focus on what I appreciate about my job and I’m no longer motivated enough to leave?” (Oh, horror!) Actually, the Law of Attraction has the opposite effect. If you leave a job (as an example) because of all the things you dislike about it, you will attract the same negative circumstances in your next job (or even, gasp! in retirement if that’s where you go). On the other hand, if you focus on what you appreciate about your work, you will attract more of that into your life. Your new job will be full of those good things instead of the negative aspects you dragged with you.
Giving thanks is so revered by Americans that we even have a special holiday for it! As we move toward Thanksgiving, have at least one Rampage per day and watch how very special that holiday is when it arrives!
Could it BE more obvious
You haven’t heard from me for awhile. I apologize.
I realized this week that I have been living in fear. It was subtle but I recognize it; it’s an all too familiar feeling.
Fear is always about the future, the unknown. I am fine right now, right this second. Nothing is amiss. Sure, I miss Bill like crazy—he’s been gone over a year now—but that’s a given, not something to be fearful about. Plain and simple, I am fearful about my future. I feel a bit like Scarlett O’Hara when she said to Rhett Butler as he walked out the door, “Rhett! Rhett! If you go, where shall I go? What shall I do?” To which Rhett replied, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
I suppose my fear is that the Universe is like Rhett Butler; it doesn’t give a damn. So foolish and yet, isn’t that what’s behind most fear? Lack of faith. The problem is, the more we lose faith, the more the Law of Attraction works against our best interests. The more I stay focused on the doom and gloom I am making up in my mind, the more likely it will come to pass.
I have been desperate for a kick-start. To fill that need I decided to renew my acquaintance with an audio series entitled The Time of Your Life – More Time for What Really Matters to You. I say, “I decided.” Actually, it was the Law of Attraction at work. On Thursday I had left my house to drive to Los Angeles and realized I had forgotten some CDs I intended to listen to while on the road. So, being only 5 minutes into the trip, I turned the car around to retrieve them. And there, sitting on the shelf next to the CD’s I’d forgotten was this audio program. I laughed, thinking, “Well, I’ve been requesting more energy. This oughta do it!”
You may have seen Tony Robbins, the author of this CD program, on TV as the star of many infomercials for his products. He has an UNBELIEVABLE amount of energy and it is catchy. I purchased this particular program many years ago and it was money well spent. I have used it many times over the years to inspire me to action, kick-start my energy and produce results. The first time I took this course, I found a way to buy a house even though I didn’t think I made enough money or had a high enough credit score.
Robbins made me a believer.
Fast forward to today. As I began to listen to this program for the umpteenth time in my life, I slapped my forehead as I recognized the irony of what I was listening to. Robbins’ primary message is about the power of focus. D-uh! That’s what I have been teaching for the last 15 years—you get more of what you focus on! I guess it’s true that we teach what we most need to learn.
Where has my focus been? The answer is, “On what’s not happening.” I have been mired in fear, knowing I need to shift but not knowing how. This CD series is giving me the much-needed energy I require to turn things around. And, once things start to turn, momentum is always your friend.
Are you “stuck” in some area of your life? Think about what has worked to get you unstuck in the past. If you cannot remember, ask the Universe to bring to you whatever you need to move ahead. Perhaps this blog is the answer to your prayers.
Here are some helpful questions I learned from Robbins:
- What’s my result (outcome)? What do I really want?
- Why? What’s my purpose? (This ignites your passion which, in turn, ignites your journey). Why do I really want it?
- How? What specific actions must I take to make this happen and how can I do it in a way that I enjoy it?
Let me know how you’re doing. Your emails never fail to inspire me to action!!!
The following reminder is as much for me as for you—Change your focus; change your life!
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