Let the curves take you !!!

Letting the Curves Take You: Surrendering Control When you resist what's at every turn, your whole being becomes tense and anxiety is your close companion. Trying to maintain control in this life is a bit like trying to maintain control on a roller coaster. The ride has its own logic and is going to go its own way, regardless of how tightly you grip the bar. There is a thrill and a power in simply surrendering to the ride and fully feeling the ups and downs of it, letting the curves take you rather than fighting them. When you fight the ride, resisting what’s happening at every turn, your whole being becomes tense and anxiety is your close companion.
When you go with the ride, accepting what you cannot control, freedom and joy will inevitably arise. As with so many seemingly simple things in life, it is not always easy to let go, even of the things we know we can’t control. Most of us feel a great discomfort with the givens of this life, one of which is the fact that much of the time we have no control over what happens. Sometimes this awareness comes only when we have a stark encounter with this fact, and all our attempts to be in control are revealed to be unnecessary burdens. We can also cultivate this awareness in ourselves gently, by simply making surrender a daily practice. At the end of our meditation, we might bow, saying, “I surrender to this life.” This simple mantra can be repeated as necessary throughout the day, when we find ourselves metaphorically gripping the safety bar. We can give in to our fear and anxiety, or we can surrender to this great mystery with courage. When we see people on a roller coaster, we see that there are those with their faces tight with fear and then there are those that smile broadly, with their hands in the air, carried through the ride on a wave of freedom and joy. This powerful image reminds us that often the only control we have is choosing how we are going to respond to the ride.

Count your Blessings!

WHEN I WORKED with the poor in New York City, I was always amazed at the gratefulness in the hearts of so many who, in a material sense, had very little. What were they grateful for? They were grateful to be alive, to have food on their table, to enjoy the sun on a beautiful day, to have their health, their friends, their family, and to be a contributing member of their community.

At the same time, I was always amazed by the lack of gratefulness in the hearts of so many who, in a material sense, had so much. If you were to ask me which of the two were happier, without hesitation, I would say the poor with gratefulness in their hearts.

What I am talking about here is very simple:

When we focus on abundance, our life feels abundant; when we focus on lack, our life feels lacking. It is purely a matter of focus.

It is true that we can’t be in denial about the pain in our life. That is damaging to our physical and emotional health. And just as importantly,

We can’t be in denial about the abundance in our life!

I suggest that you create a “Book of Abundance” for yourself. Each night before you go to bed, jot down at least 50 wonderful things that happened to you that day. “Fifty things, Susan! I can hardly think of three!” Obviously, you have not been noticing the blessings in your life! The purpose of this exercise is to help you do so. Some of the items you can include are:

• My car started
• I am able to walk
• I have food to eat
• Someone paid me a compliment
• My kids haven’t gotten into any trouble today
• I felt the sun’s warmth on my face
• I spoke to one of my best friends
• The flowers are starting to bloom
• I have hot water in my shower
• I’m breathing
• The sun came out

The items in your Book of Abundance do not have to be splashes of brilliance. In fact, it is better if they are not. Always keep in mind that if we focus only on the splashes of brilliance, so much of our life will seem drab…which it definitely is not! Take breathing, for example. Isn’t it incredibly, wildly extraordinary?!

In the beginning, finding these 50 things to be grateful for may take you a LONG, LONG time. Soon, however, the blessings will pour easily onto the paper. That is because you will spend much of the day LOOKING FOR the blessings in your life so that you will have new material to add to your Book of Abundance that night. And you will find them! The benefits are obvious…

As you start looking for the good, your focus automatically is taken off the bad…and you feel blessed!

If you can make noticing the abundance a habit, your life will be transformed!

I remember sitting with my mom in her living room on a cold, dreary winter day just months before she died. She was in much pain and was feeling very weak. At one point when I was in pain about her pain, she looked at me and said, “It’s cold outside…I’m warm and cozy inside. My daughter is here…sometimes you get lucky.”

Wow! I was focusing on her pain. She was focusing on her blessings. Thanks, Mom, for that beautiful lesson!

Excerpted from "Noticing the Abundance" by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. in Gratitude: A Way of Life by Louise L. Hay and Friends. Copyright © 1996 (The Hay Foundation).

Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. is considered one of the top self-help authors in the world. The Times (London) named Susan "the Queen of Self-Help" ranking her alongside such influential gurus as Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Deepak Chopra. Website www.SusanJeffers.com

FILED UNDER:SUSAN JEFFERS | ABUNDANCE | GRATITUDE | BLESSING | AWARENESS | JOURNALING

I Love Myself Affirmation - Louise Hay

I Love Myself Affirmation
 - Louise Hay

Deep at the centre of my being, 
there is an infinite well of love.


I now allow this love to flow to the surface. 
It fills my heart,
my body, my mind, my consciousness,
my very being, and radiates out from me in all directions 
and returns to me multiplied.

The more love I use and give, the more I have to give.

The supply is endless.

The use of love makes me feel good,

it is an expression of my inner joy.


I love myself; 

therefore, I take loving care of my body.

I lovingly feed it nourishing foods and beverages, 
I lovingly groom it and dress it, and my body lovingly
 responds to me with vibrant health and energy. 

I love myself; therefore provide for myself
 a comfortable home, one that fills 
all my needs and is a pleasure to be in.

I fill the rooms with the vibration of love
 so that all who enter, myself included, 
will feel this love and be nourished by it.


I love myself; therefore I work at a job I truly enjoy
 doing, one that uses my creative talents and abilities, 
working with and for people I love and who love me,
 and earning a good income.


I love myself; therefore,
I behave and think in a loving 
way to all people for I know that that which I give out 
returns to me multiplied. 
I only attract loving people in my world, 
for they are a mirror of what I am. 

I love myself; therefore I forgive and totally release 
the past and all past experiences and I am free.


I love myself; therefore I live totally in the now, 
experiencing each moment as good and knowing that 
my future is bright and joyous and secure,
 for I am a beloved child of the Universe 
and the Universe lovingly takes care of me
 now and forever more.

And so it is. 


by Louise Hay,

from "You Can Heal Your Life"
Reprinted here with permission
Louise is author of many transformational self-help books and tapes.
Visit her site at Hay House

Words to live by !

To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.
To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature I meet.
To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me.

-- CHRISTIAN D. LARSON

Thorns and Flight

When eagles build a nest, they create the foundation with small branches and rough twigs, many of which bear thorns. Then the parents feather the nest with softer leaves that make the bed comfortable for their chicks.
As the chicks grow, they thrash about the nest and gradually displace the softer bedding. At some point the softer material is scattered away, and only the thorny foundation remains, making it quite uncomfortable for the chicks to stay in the nest. Thus they are motivated to flap their wings and take independent flight, as they are meant to do. Sometimes when you are facing an uncomfortable situation, you may complain and resist it. Yet, like the young eaglets being pushed out the nest, your situation may be prompting you to exercise your wings that will allow you to soar in ways that you never would have enjoyed if you stayed in your familiar haven. Life is about movement, expansion, growth, and actualizing potential. If you stay in a home, relationship, or job beyond the time it is healthy for you, the universe will prod you with thorns as if to say, It's time to move to a broader domain.” If you do not heed the message, the thorns will get sharper and at some point you will have no choice but to fly. When you do, you will understand why a once comfortable situation became uncomfortable....

Daily Quotes

"If we have no peace it's because we have forgotten that we belong to each other"

-Mother Teresa

Welcome to Dragonflye Retreats

Welcome to the new Dragonflye Retreats blog...I have set up this blog site for information and questions regarding the upcoming retreats!

Please feel free to post any questions you might have. Or, mail info@dragonflyeretreats.com

If you would like a return phone call please send me your information and I will return your call as soon as possible.

Namaste'
Felicia