Inspiration: Set New Year’s INTENTIONS
by Tony Burroughs
On the eve of 2010, thousands of individuals throughout the world are set to write their New Year’s intentions using Tony Burroughs’ simple and effective methods for putting the laws of manifestation to work. Burroughs has authored nine books, including The Code: Ten Intentions for a Better World and The Intenders Handbook, and he explains that intentions are considerably more positive and powerful than New Year’s resolutions. “As Intenders, we deeply comprehend that our thoughts and words are constantly creating our future. Therefore, we state our intentions out loud every day, framing them in positive and powerful words that are most apt to produce the results we desire.”
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emotionalfitness: Awakening the Self to Consciousness
By Kathleen Noone
There’s a wonderful scene in the classic movie, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, where the father beautifully speaks of his observation that only during the holidays, do people behave so kindly to one another. I was about ten years old when I saw that film on a NYC-based television program called The Late Show. After the 11pm news, my parents would usually go to bed, and religiously I would sneak into the den to watch my favorite movies on the weekends. Holiday movies were some of my favorites.
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emotionalfitness Mastering The Madness In Honor of The Simple Life
By Kathleen Noone
In this busy world, with very busy people, doing very busy things, where is our centering line? Where is that place in each of us that finds peace, home, breath, and a place to live quietly? That is a question that each of us must answer for ourselves. It takes an authentic heart to answer this truthfully. By that I mean a willingness to examine what is keeping us hooked into unhealthy situations, and where stress is showing up in our lives. We need to be brutally honest about our relationship to everything in our lives – work, significant others, friends, surroundings and ourselves.
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emotionalfitness What Surrounds Your Life?
By Kathleen Noone
There’s a wonderful article in the “Health Briefs” section of the September issue of Natural Awakenings NYC. The article discusses how music harmonizes the brain. It references a study charting a patient’s recovery from heart surgery, while listening to the tranquil tones of a Brazilian guitarist.
In measuring the brains response to musical notes, doctors are discovering music’s harmonizing path, from head to heart. I was taken with this article because if music can have this affect on a healing body, and help its progress, what other things in our surroundings can assist us in a healthier way of being? In certain hospitals that recognize the importance of this kind of care, they already use music and animals in service to those who are ill and/or in the process of transitioning from this life.
I have seen patients light-up when a service dog comes into their room for a visit. I’ve also witnessed the joy on the faces of the family members. Music feeds our souls and the dogs help us remember unconditional love.
Have you ever walked into a room and there was a certain personality that literally sucked the life’s blood out of it? Conversely, have you ever attended a party and were instantly drawn to that upbeat, warmhearted person who felt so present and alive? We’ve all had these experiences.
The key is, IT’S TIME TO PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE EXPERIENCES. This is your life. It is not a rehearsal. What surrounds your life is your life. It is its reflection. You get to choose. Isn’t that great! We have been given the grace of choice. So, what can you do this month to begin to pay more attention to your surroundings?
Here are some questions to ask yourself to support this process.
What surrounds me that I truly love?
Do I like my apartment…the furnishings, paintings, family and friend photos, the colors in the rooms?
Do I choose the right foods to eat that give my body life-affirming energy?
Do I speak in an affirming way about and to people I’m in contact with on a daily basis?
Do I give my body good exercise to be in my surroundings in a health filled way?
Do I keep good company with people who
support and nurture me, and my surroundings?
Do I have enough fun?
Do I honor my spiritual yearnings?
Do I allow myself to be in silence, even if just for a few moments a day?
Do I accept and honor my vision for a
health-filled, joyous and abundant life?
Have a great journey being of greater service to your Self, and lovingly enjoying your surroundings.
Award-winning actress, Kathleen Noone, holds master of fine arts and master of spiritual psychology degrees. Send questions and comments to KathleenNoone@nugreencity.com or visit her website at KathleenNoone.com.
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Wisewords
A Conversation
with Wayne Dyer
by Ellen Mahoney
Internationally renowned author and speaker Wayne Dyer, Ph.D., has devoted his life to helping others become healthier and happier. He is the author of more than 30 books and producer of the motion picture, The Shift. His newest book, Excuses Begone! How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits, was inspired by the ancient teachings of the Tao Te Ching.
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Emotionalfitness
Creative Expression
Effortless Expression
By Kathleen Noone
“You make the arrangement with your feet because it is your walk through nature that teaches you the truth.” – Hisako Shohara, Ohara School of Ikebana.
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emotionalfitness
Playing in the Sandbox
OF YOUR LIFE
By Kathleen Noone
Have you ever watched children play in a sandbox? Have you ever sat in a sandbox with them, and observed their single-minded focus on what they’re creating, and their ownership of it? ( ie: “No, no, let me do it!” ) Take a moment to look back and remember the feelings of warmth, joy, comfort and happiness you felt when being a part of that experience.
There is something about watching a child’s freedom of expression that touches our yearning for the ability to do the same thing as adults. Yes, as adults, we have had to learn to express ourselves within the behavioral guidelines acceptable in society. But, have we ‘thrown the baby out with the bath water’ by stifling our creativity? Have we set up so many boundaries that we can no longer feel safe enough to think outside our familiar world? What would it feel like to not only observe children playing in the sandbox, but to join them in that sandbox?
Could we allow our hands to feel wet and messy in our creative process? Could we stick with that uncomfortable feeling long enough to see the germ of what we are creating start to take shape?
A couple of weeks ago I was out for my power walk and turned down a quiet side street off Columbus Avenue. In that relative silence I heard the sound of a gaggle of little children, happily chattering away. Within a half second of identifying the sound I looked up and saw a small sea of colored balloons bobbing along. All the children were holding the balloons they received on their outing to the frozen yogurt store.
I got that information from the excited, happy, chattering faces that greeted me when I inquired about their adventure. As soon as I saw and heard them from a half block away there was a smile that immediately came to my face. That smile only broadened when I was among them. The sound of that joy, and the beautiful, radiant colors of the balloons brightened my day.
I was so taken by there openness to be present in the moment. I asked myself to be present like that for the rest of the day, and what happened is that it turned into a better one. I said hello to more people on the street. Believe it or not, in the middle of NYC, they said hello back, and some of them with a smile. I made a better effort to acknowledge the sales people at the stores. I asked the checkout guy how his day was going. I remember he looked at me with that hesitating look of, “Did she really ask me how my day was?”
Two days later I went back to that store and that same clerk went out of his way to get something for me. I was surprised at his effort. I shouldn’t have been.
We are in a world that distracts us from our basic good, kind and playful nature. We need to set our intentions, which I discussed with you in previous articles, to carry an open heart for adventure, and then keep it open to receive what good comes from it.
My hope is that this month you will give yourself permission to play in the sandbox of your life, with your inner child’s open heart, and carry your own colorful balloon, with your inner child’s eagerness and expectation. Happy adventure!
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EmotionalFitness:
Feeding the Body, Nurturing the Soul
By Kathleen Noone
When told this month’s theme for Natural Awakenings NYC was natural foods, I thought, “How am I going to relate this to Emotional Fitness?” I have used the word natural in many conversations with complete confidence as to what it meant to me, but never specifically defined it. One of Webster’s Dictionary definitions is: “not artificial.” I liked that. It felt right. I came to the conclusion that “not artificial” meant being authentic. I started asking myself, “Where and when in my life am I not authentic? This turned out to be a very specific question, which has given me specific answers. This month I invite you to do the same.
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Set Your Intentions for a Great Summer
by Kathleen Noone
The cold months of winter in NYC are over. Say “Amen” somebody!
Soon the full force of summer will be upon us with hot air, lots of humidity, short tempers and a general malaise of “oh my God, I can’t breathe, it’s so uncomfortable.” Well, breathe, we must! I’m talking about breathing new life into how we approach our experience of summer in the city, and the Emotional Fitness starting point is in setting our intentions, and giving ourselves permission to fulfill them, and enjoy the process of getting to their manifestation.
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Emotional Fitness The Positive Power of No:
Honoring our Boundaries,
Honoring Ourselves
By Kathleen Noone
There is a wonderful song in the Rogers and Hammerstein musical, “Oklahoma” titled ‘I Can’t Say No’ It’s a problem many women have. It’s important we all learn how to set and honor boundaries. Equally important is the knowledge that saying “no” can be a healthy influence in our lives and the lives of others we touch.
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