Think Positive! Blog - official blog for ipopin.com

Going the extra mile

Napoleon Hill (success guru and author of Think and Grow Rich) suggested that people should always go the extra mile in the service of others. He taught others to give more than they were paid for at work. Not only does giving feel good, but it is also a necessary step on the path of success. If you want to achieve your goals, it is important to help others achieve their goals.

I think people often get so caught up in chasing their dreams and goals that they forget about helping others. They forget how good it feels to lend a helping hand or do something special for someone else. When you render extra value and extra service - beyond that which you are paid for - it is like making deposits in the karma bank of life. All of your extra effort will come back to you many times over. Plus, you will feel good knowing that you have helped others.

Find ways to provide extra value to your customers and you will build loyal customers who will tell others about how much they love your business. Go above and beyond the call of duty consistently and your boss may decide to give you a raise or promotion.

This week focus on helping others. Stay on the lookout for ways to provide extra value to your company or your customers. Remember the adage that it is better to give than to receive. If you want to be more successful, help others become more successful. Share your experiences here by leaving a comment.

Creating a sacred place

It is important to create a sacred space in your home so that you can retreat from the outside world and connect with your inner resources – your soul self. Setting up this special space in your home will give you refuge and a sanctuary to recover from the stress and tension of your daily life.

Creating your space is easy and fun. Decide whether you will use an entire room or a small corner of a room. You then need to gather special and meaningful items that will help you focus your mind. You might include inspirational photos, candles, small statues of spiritual figures, and any other personal items that are important to you. Arrange these items on a table or shelf in a way that feels right to you.

The most important part of a sacred space is your intention to use the space to help you journey inward. Using this space regularly to meditate, reflect, and quiet your mind will help to condition the space. Over time, your sacred space will hold the energy and intention, making it easier for you to connect with your essential spirit and hear your inner wisdom.

You can also create a sacred space in your mind's eye. This internal sacred space is a great place to retreat when you are traveling or away from home. Create this space in your mind's eye as vividly as you can. Use all of your senses and imagine it as if you were really there. Again your intention is the key here. The more you visit your internal sacred space the easier it will be to feel the calm and peaceful energy.

Know thyself

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.” - Lao Tzu

I love this quote! Lao Tzu (Chinese Taoist Philosopher and author of the Tao Te Ching) recognized that self-awareness is a key to success. Unfortunately, our culture does not often support or encourage self-awareness. Our culture often encourages people to look outside of themselves for answers and happiness. When you focus your attention on the external world rather than on your internal experience, you miss the opportunity to connect with your true self and your unique gifts. You miss the opportunity to know yourself.

As a soul psychologist, I see folks all the time who suffer from a lack of self-awareness. Many people (especially women) are so focused on pleasing others that they have lost touch with themselves. Others have spent years pretending to be something that they are not. The result is the same - they no longer know themselves.

In order to achieve success, enlightenment, and self-actualization, you must develop self-awareness. I encourage you to spend some time getting to know yourself. Discover your likes and dislikes. Uncover your strengths and weaknesses. Spend some quiet time to explore your beliefs and values. Identify your greatest achievements and your biggest mistakes. As you get to know yourself, be sure to develop a balanced view. Do not focus only on your faults and weaknesses. Stay open and curious as you discover your true self. Put down the mask that you wear to hide from others. Let your true self out. When you are self-aware, you can follow your dreams and live your life to the fullest.

When bad things happen...

When bad things happen, it is important to acknowledge them and allow yourself the time to experience all of your feelings. Many people want to ignore their feelings of loss, pain, sadness and rush to feelings of happiness again. However, research from the University of Missouri shows that people who take time to think about and experience their losses develop a more durable happiness. It is unrealistic to think that you can go right back to the way you were before a tragic event. Healing takes time and patience.

The beginning of the year is a good time to explore the past year and give yourself time to process the good and the bad. Rather than giving in to the temptation to "put the past behind you" and ignore the negative experiences, do yourself a favor and spend some time going through the past year. Honor yourself by taking time to process all of your feelings. Remember that emotions are energy and if you try to ignore them the energy builds up. The only way to release this built up energy is to feel and express your emotions.

It is also important to try to find meaning in the negative events before moving on. True happiness depends on your ability to integrate the good and the bad from your past into your present. Even really bad events have the potential to provide good in your life. It is up to you to discover the positives and/or the opportunities that come from all of your life experiences.

Synchronicity

You are browsing in your neighborhood bookstore while waiting to meet a friend for coffee. You walk down the cookbook aisle and a book falls off the shelf landing right in front of you. You pick it up to put it back on the self and realize that it doesn’t even belong in this isle – it is about achieving financial freedom. The weird thing is that you just came from the bank and were thinking about your bills.

Have you ever had an experience like this? Is it mere chance? Or is there some meaning to this? This type of experience is known as synchronicity.

Carl Jung (a famous Swiss psychiatrist) first defined synchronicity as meaningful coincidence. It is when two or more events occur in a way that has meaning for the person involved. The timing of the occurrence is not due to chance or a causal relationship. The idea of synchronicity involves a higher order to these events. Synchronicity is one way that our higher self and/or God (higher power) communicate to us.

To get the most out of synchronicity, you need to be open to experiencing these meaningful coincidences. Rather than brushing off these events as random happenings, see if you can identify the meaning or purpose. Synchronicity can help guide you along your soul path and help open up a whole new world of opportunities. It is up to you, however, to be aware and take advantage of the opportunities. Feel free to share your stories about synchronicity here by leaving a comment.