Christine Lewis - 365 Positive Intentions (flipbook version w social back cover)

Day 176. Explore Our Imagination Take some time to daydream and explore our imagination. Think back to when we were children. We created so much with our imagination. We had dolls or action figures that we played with. We gave them an identity, a personality, and we had conversations with them. We would create an entire scenario and circumstance with our toys and board games. We would create so much with our imagination that it seemed like anything was possible. Our mind was free, the possibilities are infinite, and all the time playing with dolls and action figures, creating these scenarios and circumstances in our imagination gave us a reference frame from what is possible in the world, for our relationships, and for our dreams. Unfortunately, many of us live in front of a screen. We spend our time relaxing in front of a television screen or computer, and whatever is on that screen somehow is robbing us of our imagination. The images on the screen are planting seeds and are giving a reference frame for what is possible. When we were kids, we just had a blank slate, a clean canvas. We could create anything with no boundaries or restrictions, but now, the images on the television or computer influence how far our imagination can go. Take time away from the screens and away from the preconceived notions of what we should be doing. Instead, take some time to explore our imagination. Let it run wild. Think beyond what has been presented to us and know that in exploring our imagination, we expand the possibilities for our life. Explore our imagination today and create all the magic we deserve. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga, Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 177. Why History Repeats Itself We often wonder why history repeats itself. We are thinking the same thoughts, doing the same things, and creating a routine in the way we live, with the people we invite into our space, and with the things we think and speak. Certainly, history is going to repeat itself if we do not do something different in the now. What better way to create something brand new than starting to think of something brand new? We have been simply drifting back into the same stuff, just reliving the same thing over again and ultimately missing out on what is happening now. Now is the time to find something new and to create something better. Be everything that we have always wanted to be. When we think the same thoughts and do the same things, we are missing out on the miracles of now. Take a moment to break the cycle and do something different so that history doesn't repeat itself. Create a new path, vision, or dream—something that opens us up into something better. We deserve it. Enjoy the day today. Allow something brand new to come into our space and make it something magic. Blessings. Blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 178. The Practice of Moderation Common sense tells us to do everything in moderation, but very rarely do we listen to common sense. Moderation is the ability to find contentment in anything. It is finding the place between too much and not enough. One of the more important parts of the yoga practice is the Brahmacharya or the concept of moderation. If we do too much of one thing for too long, we will wear ourselves down. On the other hand, if we do just enough of one thing for a moderate amount of time, we have the potential to really gain something from the experience. In the practice of moderation, we find balance, so we are not one extreme or the other nor pushing too hard and too fast for too long. Instead, we find that perfect balance between too much and not enough. Just as with anything in life, the harder we push something, the more likely it is to fail. The more extreme we are, the more out of balance we become. The idea in the practice of moderation is to find that perfect balance between too much and not enough. Know that often, that balance is one that we find in the mind before we find and create it in life. Focus on moderation today. Find that perfect balance between too much and not enough because that is the recipe for contentment. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 179. Be Authentic Be authentic. When we think of how long it takes us to figure out exactly who we are and what we really want in our lives, it seems a shame to waste time trying to live up to someone else's expectations or conforming to a role we think we should be playing in this life. Being authentic is the only way to share the best of ourselves with the world. If we are stepping into a role that someone else has designed, trying to live a life that someone else has dreamed, or doing anything other than what we really want to do, we spend the time of our life not offering the best of ourselves to the world. Be who we are—no need for apologies, no need for justification, and no need to rationalize. As long as our intentions are rooted in the greatest good for everyone and in offering the most of ourselves to the world, that is the measure of success. Too many people spend too much time doing things they don't want to, being someone they don't want to be, or attempting and struggling to create something that is not exactly what they want, just because they think someone else wants them to do it. Think about what we want. Honor our dream and our passions. Make certain that what we are doing right now is everything we want to do. Acknowledge what we love and do more of it. It is in tapping into our authentic self, our life's purpose, and energy we hold inside that we get the opportunity to share our best self with the world. Be authentic, be everything we have ever wanted to be, and know that once we step into our authentic self, we will be offering the best of ourselves to the world. Enjoy the day. Be authentic today. Blessings, blessings, blessings. Spoken Word Yoga, Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 180. Assumptions Are Robbing Us There's a cliché that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Unless anyone questions what is going on, chances are someone will step into the role to dictate how we should think, feel, and behave. The work is in questioning authority and questioning assumptions. Think of how much of our life is based on assumption. We presume that success in life is measured by our access to resources, our financial stability, or our ownership of property and luxury items. We make assumptions about almost every aspect of our life and too often, we live life based on those assumptions without questioning why we have allowed those assumptions to dictate our behavior, our feelings, our interactions, and our emotions. Think about the assumptions that we have about religion, ethnicity, politics, education, sex, family structures, and society in general. The assumptions we make are almost robbing us of free thought. Because it is so easy to fall back on the assumption, it takes away our ability to think outside of the box and to create something brand new. It also takes away our ability to live authentically in the way that we want. The assumptions rob us of the freedom to explore and find our own path because we allow them to dictate the terms and conditions of our lives. Question authority and let go of assumptions. Free ourselves from preconceived notions of how our life should be and take a moment just to feel how we want to be. Success in life is not measured by money or by anything out there. When we let go of the control that those assumptions place on our lives, we become free to create

365 Positive Intentions something better. Question authority today and let go of the assumptions that are restricting our access to life. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 181. Hungry for Change At some point, we have all experienced a feeling of hunger, that inherent urge that we feel to feed our physical body. During those moments of hunger, it becomes hard to focus on anything else. In fact, the pangs of hunger distract us from everything else, so much so that we cannot think of anything else but to eat. I have noticed that hunger does not only apply to food. Many of us create a feeling of urgency, a hunger for material things, for relationships, or for things that exist outside of ourselves that really are not an inherent urge, but one we have created in the mind. I was talking with a friend who is very excited for the next cellphone update to come out. All she wanted to do was upgrade her phone so that she was spending a lot of energy in anticipation of the latest upgrade. I cannot help but think. What if that urgency to upgrade a phone was directed towards helping her neighbors, towards ending world hunger or inspiring world peace? What if that same sense of urgency that we feel when we are hungry was directed towards something else? Instead of feeling this urgent need to upgrade and accumulate material things, we could channel that sense of urgency into doing something positive in the world. That urge for material things or urge to upgrade is not going to be satisfied. Even after we upgrade the phone, there is going to be something else. Even after we purchase that material thing, there is going to be something else that we will be hungry for. Instead of channeling that hunger and sense of urgency toward

365 Positive Intentions things outside of ourselves, let us make an effort today to channel that towards making positive change in the world. We can feed that hunger. We can channel that sense of urgency towards something more significant. Tap into that sense of urgency to make the world a better place to be. Enjoy the day today, tap into that hunger inside, and make positive change in the world. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 182. Our Excess Is Denying Access The concept of abundance can either be empowering or demoralizing. For us who believe that everything exists in abundance and that there is plenty to go around, we want to share in order for everyone to benefit from the abundance that already exists. On the other hand, for those who believe that there is not enough, it is easy for them to rationalize that there is going to be someone who must go without. It is also easy for them to rationalize that they would have to hoard resources in order to have enough for themselves and their family despite knowing that inherent in that hoarding is the consequence that there will be people who will not have access to anything. When we believe that there is not enough, when we do not believe that everything exists in abundance, that fuels our idea of separation - them versus us. It fuels the idea that if we don't get it, somebody else will, and that means we will not have enough. It's absurd—the idea that there is not enough. We live in abundance, and it is a matter of knowing that the more we share, the more we give to the people around us and the stronger our community will become. It does not make sense to believe that we need excess, knowing that someone else will not have access. The idea is that if we live in moderation and balance and make certain that our neighbor is taken care of, this energy manifests more abundance and more of what we want and need. There is no reason for us to have excess and deny someone else access. Be aware of how abundant our universe is and how we have access

365 Positive Intentions to abundance if we choose it. It is all rooted in the belief that I am enough, that you are enough, and that there is enough to go around. All we need is the belief in abundance in order to give everyone access to everything. Enjoy the day. Live in abundance today. Give an offering to a stranger or a friend and know that the more we give of ourselves, the more abundance we create for everyone. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 183. Maintain Eye Contact Set an intention today to try to make eye contact with everyone. Those moments of eye contact are connection. When we make eye contact with people, we are communicating without using words. It's just energy. The more of ourselves we share with the world, the more of an impact we make on those we touch. Each of us has the power to change the energy of every person we interact with—a compliment or a kind word can change the way someone feels about themselves in the same way that a criticism or a judgment can change the way someone feels about themselves. Imagine if all we have to do is look someone in the eye and smile to change their energy. What if each of us did that with every person we met? What if we use eye contact, a smile, or a compassionate glance to share a deeper connection with the people we meet? How often do we make eye contact with someone and the moment we feel that energy, we are tempted to look away? We must resist the temptation to look away. Instead, maintain that eye contact. Smile, offer a piece of ourselves, and know that this offering is changing the life of the person that we are connecting with. Ultimately, this offering is also changing the world. Set the intention today. Make eye contact. Connect a little deeper— maybe spend a little more time lingering in that hug, in that embrace, or in that handshake. Whatever it is, try to connect a little deeper today with every single person we meet. Maybe all it takes is just a little time maintaining the eye contact. Enjoy the day today. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 184. Reciprocity as Social Currency Imagine if every exchange was rooted in reciprocity—the idea that we take care of each other, that we exchange goods and services to benefit each other, that we make a little more of what we have so we can offer it to our neighbor, knowing our neighbor is going to have something that we also need. In this even and balanced exchange of energy and resources, we all support each other as a community. It’s not that we need to hoard more money or more stuff. I realize that it is in sharing it that we all benefit. If I have something to offer, I give it generously and unconditionally because I know that when I am in need, my neighbor is going to have something to offer me. When we all take care of each other and look out for each other, we feel supported. But when we are all just out for ourselves, we feel excluded. We feel like it is us against the world. It is more of an idea that we are the world, and in being so, we have the option and opportunity to create a society where we each take care of each other. However, it must start with our individual actions. That might mean starting by giving something to someone with no expectation of what we will receive in return. That is the way to start the trend and to get the ball rolling. That is how we can help people feel that it is okay to receive and that it is even more rewarding to offer, to give of ourselves, and to share more of what we have.

Allow reciprocity to be the foundation of our social currency so that we are exchanging energy, exchanging goods and services, and exchanging a feeling of support, security, and stability, knowing we are taking care of each other. Enjoy the day today. Make an extra effort to take care of someone else today because that will certainly inspire them to take care of someone else. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 185. Acceptance and Understanding Relationships are inherently complicated. For two beings to come and work together to create something together—whether it is an intimate relationship, a working relationship, or relationship with a stranger we have just met—they all require effort and energy. We are investing our energy into every relationship we have, and the work in trying to create a positive and productive relationship is to be understanding and accepting rather than dictating and demanding. Instead of trying to impose our vision on someone else, our only work is to be accepting and encouraging. We are each walking an individualized path and our past experiences have also contributed to the way we see the world. Our present moment’s energy, that's a function of how we choose to see the world right now. We are all at different points, times, and spaces, so the work is just to accept, encourage, and appreciate what our partners in these relationships have to offer us. Everyone in our life is a mirror of us. They teach us more about who we are, so whoever our partner is right now, that person is teaching us more about ourselves than we would have known otherwise. Take a moment to appreciate the people in our life, to build the connection, and to build the quality of our relationships. Know that the best way to make a deeper connection is through acceptance, understanding, and encouragement. Release the need to dictate and demand because we will get the most out of every relationship through acceptance and understanding. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 186. Absent or Present Are we absent or present? Remember in grade school when the teacher would ask us to raise our hand to declare we are present in class? If we did not respond when the teacher called our name, we would be marked absent. We could have been sitting there in the class, but if we didn't respond when the teacher checked, we would still be marked absent. There are many instances in our lives when we are absent. We were just mindlessly moving along without awareness of what was actually happening. Maybe we need to check-in with ourselves and ask if we are absent or present. How present are we in our conversations and in our interactions in the tasks that we are working on in this moment? Are we moving through life absent- mindedly, unaware, uninvolved, or unengaged? Do we just allow time to pass by? Be present today. Step into the role that we want to play in our life. Be the example of the energy we want to see in the world. What better time to do it than in the present? Decide to move through life today by being present to everything that is going on to every emotion, every feeling, and every conversation. The only way to get the most out of life is to be present. It is in those times when we are absent that life passes us by. Enjoy the day today. Be present and be active in creating all the things we want and deserve. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 187. Choreographed Coordination The yoga practice, just like most things in life, is a result of a carefully choreographed coordination of movements. It is the coordination between breath, physical movement, balance, and stability. If we think about it, everything in life requires a carefully choreographed coordination of movements. In order to do anything, there is a step by step process. Just waking up in the morning and getting out of bed is a process. We create a routine, and that routine becomes familiar. Once we are familiar with that routine, it does not feel like we have to make such an effort to coordinate it. It is already perfectly choreographed. That is how creating happiness works. Contentment, fulfillment, and creating balance in life are carefully choreographed and coordinated groups of actions. If we think about the steps required to create what we want, each individual step requires effort and energy. When all those steps come together, they lead us to exactly where we want to go. Think about where it is we want to wind up today. How do we want to feel at the end of the day? What do we want to create for ourselves today? What impact do we want to have on the world today? From there, carefully choreograph and coordinate our movements to get there. Our thoughts, words, actions, and belief system have to come together in a carefully choreographed and coordinated merging of energies to create what we want our life to be, but we really have to focus on the destination in order to know how to get there.

Decide today to make certain everything we are doing is part of that carefully choreographed and coordinated action that is required to create our dreams. Be carefully choreographed and coordinated today and enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 188. Center of Gravity Without a stable foundation, it is impossible to build anything. Without a center of gravity, nothing is stable. The center of gravity controls energy and prevents us from tipping to one direction or the other. Our center of gravity is our belief system—the belief in ourselves and in our ability to create what we want. It is in our emotional state and in our sense of security and stability—how confident are we in our ability to create anything and everything we want? Without a center of gravity, there is no way to possibly control the energy. It's like trying to pick up a bag filled with water. When there is no center of gravity, the water is going to drip and seep into the corners, away from where we are holding it. Our work often is to convince ourselves of our power and our ability to create that center of gravity from within and to create this point of stability, security, and confidence from which we then can build anything. There is no way to pick up that bag filled with water without holding it from all sides or creating a foundation. Similarly, only with the foundation are we able to create stability. Our center of gravity is our emotional state and our belief in ourselves, so even if it starts out as a delusional belief or by believing things that are beyond what is apparent in the physical space just to convince ourselves that we have the ability to conquer the world right now, that belief can be our center of gravity. Create a strong center of gravity, knowing that it can provide a foundation that is strong enough to build our dreams on. Focus on our center of gravity today, and don't let anybody push us off that

access. Don't let anyone rattle our foundation, especially not ourselves. Feel stable in our center of gravity today and prepare to rule the world. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessing, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 189. The Power of Generosity The power of generosity is the power to change the way we feel about ourselves and the world. Very often, people think that in order to be generous, we have to give money. We have to give stuff. Energy is much more valuable than the stuff. Wouldn't it be nice to be known for what we have given rather than for what we have accumulated? To be known for what we offer rather than what we own? How different might our world be if we spent time admiring the actions of people instead of their accessories? Instead of focusing on what they were wearing or what they were driving, we spend more energy acknowledging the positive change that they make in the world? How might our priorities change if we spent more energy complimenting people for their actions instead of their accessories? If we focus on the positive change that they make in the world instead of their change of clothing? If we spent more time looking inside than looking at the package on the outside? Generosity can transform people—being generous with our energy and our time and giving an offering of anything. What we contribute has the power to make the world a better place to be. Imagine being known for what we have given instead of what we have accumulated. Imagine being complimented for what we offer instead of how we accessorize. Just think about how we can change the world by changing ourselves. Be more generous with our energy, our time, our love, and know that the energy of generosity is powerful enough to inspire others to offer more of themselves. Be generous today. Be generous in offering the most valuable thing we have to give—our love. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 190. Strength versus Flexibility There is an inherent irony in the physicality of the yoga practice. Too often, people think they cannot do yoga because they are not flexible. What they don't realize is that yoga is much more difficult for those who are flexible than for those who just carry strength. People who are strong immediately feel the resistance of the stretch. They know where the edge is and how to back away from it. They know how to ease themselves deeper into the stretch because frankly, it does not take much movement for them to feel the stretch. The moment they feel it, they are already in it. Meanwhile, those who are more flexible are challenged because they are forced to be aware from where they need to pull back. Pushing to the full extent of flexibility can cause injury, and flexible people can go very quickly to the full extent and even past what is healthy in a stretch. Knowing where to stop or when to pull back is hard for them as they can easily access most areas of the body. When we are flexible, we need to engage strength in order to find that careful balance. We need to find that spot where the stretch will benefit us and not push us into the edge. Those who are stronger have the resistant body. It already needs expansion, extension, and opening, so it is easier to feel where to stretch. When we are strong, we can tap into the stretch and ease into it, but when we are flexible, we have to know that even though it feels like we can go farther, we have to find that spot, pull back, and ease our way into it to avoid pushing past where we need to be for the stretch.

365 Positive Intentions Always know that even if we are in a yoga class as an individual, we have a unique experience in the yoga practice. It is that balance between strength and flexibility, the balance between emotionally being okay with where we are and having a vision to improve and evolve. Finding that balance on the yoga mat helps us find that balance in life so that we don't push too hard, too far, or too fast. Instead, we find that balance that ultimately gives us access to everything. Enjoy the day, find that balance, and remember that pushing too hard or too fast for too long will never get us to where we want to go. It is in finding the balance that allows access to everything, and that is exactly where we want to be. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 191. Direct Our Dreams Imagine harnessing the ability to direct our dreams. Before we go to sleep at night, we write an outline of what we want to dream- What would we like to come to us in our dream? Where would we like to go in our dream? What do we want to create in our dream? How do we want to feel when we wake up from it? Outlining a direction for our dreams gives our subconsciousness a place to go. It's like planting seeds in the garden of our minds and allowing these seeds to blossom and flourish. We can plant seeds in our subconsciousness, just like we can tell ourselves how we think a circumstance will be before we even get there. Often, we dictate how the circumstance will evolve before we even get a chance to experience it in the present moment space. If we can do that and impose expectations on events and circumstances in our lives, why not try to do it productively and positively for our dreams? Plant seeds of what we want to create. Create space for understanding and awareness so that we can give ourselves the opportunity to direct our dreams. The same technique would work in life when we outline exactly what we want. In that way, we always have a direction, a path, and a strategic placement of ideas that guide our life to where we want it to go. All we need is to be the director of our dreams. Instead of waiting before we fall asleep at night to direct our dreams, it becomes easier to do it in the conscious space. We are aware of what we want, and we are clear that every thought, every

365 Positive Intentions word, and every action is helping us get there. Be the director of our dreams and allow what we create in the kingdom of our mind to be the seeds planted in the garden of possibility. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga, Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 192. The Lesson in the Pain Everything we experience in life has the potential to benefit us if we allow it. Everything we experience, even the times that seem the most confrontational or catastrophic, can contribute something to our lives. It is all in the way we choose to look at things. Most of us know people who have experienced some profound spiritual awakening or breakthrough after going through a traumatic experience, but we do not want to wait for trauma or catastrophe to make us appreciate life a little more. We do not want to wait for physical pain to be reminded that we are alive. Even in the face of what might be an unpleasant experience, there is always a lesson. In fact, it is in these confrontational circumstances that we often learn the most about ourselves. We learned to identify our strengths, to acknowledge, and to improve upon our weaknesses. We have the potential to evolve, change, and grow. Instead of just looking at a painful situation as though it is just rooted in pain and that's all there is, realize that even the most painful circumstances have the potential and possibility to benefit us if we allow it, if we learn something, if we become more aware, and if we become more in tune with who we are, what we want, and what we need. Instead of running away from the pain and using other outlets to distract us from the pain, maybe spend a little time searching for the pleasure that inevitably lies somewhere deep within the pain. Every experience in our life has the potential to benefit us, and it is

365 Positive Intentions just a matter of the perception we choose to have of it. Focus on the benefits. Focus on the ability to evolve, to grow, to expand, and to open into something more. The universe is our university, and all we are required to do is to learn the lessons. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 193. Calm Before the Storm There is always a calm before the storm. It sounds like a cliché, but it kind of is. The calm before the storm is allowing us to feel settled and to get our firm foundation so that we can feel sturdy when the storm comes. The storm is the unknown. It is the uncertainty of life. But in the midst of uncertainty lies the possibility for anything, and in the calm before the storm, we brace ourselves. We prepare, get supplies, and batten down the hatches. We are prepared for whatever might come next. Whether it is the storms of nature or the storms of life, the calm before the storm is allowing us to be prepared for everything that comes next. So when the calm is there, find the stability, the sturdiness, and the foundation that we need to feel like we can ride out the storm. Whatever comes, as long as we can remain calm in the calm before the storm, we will be better prepared for what comes next. Take a moment, enjoy the calm before the storm, and allow that to prepare us for everything that life brings. Stay calm in the midst of the storm. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 194. You and Me It is always comforting to see people coming together in times of need to support each other, look out for each other, and take care of each other. We are not in a space of it's you or me. Instead, we are in a space of you and me. We are all in it together. There is no reason to try to accumulate more than what someone else has or to fight against anyone else to create what we want. Instead, we work collectively. We make certain that everything we do is mutually beneficial so that it's you and me instead of you or me. Think about how that changes the dynamics of our society— how we feel a part of something when it's you and me while we feel separated and alone when it's you or me. If we believe that what we have is taking away from what others have, it changes the way we feel about what they have. If we all feel like we are supporting each other, when we think that one person’s success is not just their success alone but our success, too, we are all working together to support and sustain each other. Try to live today with an attitude of you and me, knowing that we can all do it together when we support and encourage each other. Create a sense of community because we are all in it together. Enjoy the day. Help out a neighbor, give an offering to a friend, and do something to create a sense of you and me so that there is no division of you or me. Blessings, blessings, blessings. Spoken Word Yoga, Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 195. Scarcity versus Sufficiency Think for a moment about the difference between scarcity and sufficiency. Scarcity makes us think there is not enough to go around. We feel the need to accumulate as much as possible regardless of what we are taking from someone else. Sufficiency implies that there is enough and that everyone will have access to the abundance they need and deserve. It is a very different mentality. Sufficiency is not so much a measure of resources. Instead, it is a measure of our perception and experience. It is not a matter of how much resources there is but of what we perceive we need. It is more of a matter of our perception of what we need. If we can shift our perception to sufficiency instead of scarcity, there is always more to go around. The idea of scarcity is limiting because there is only so much. It is finite, as if abundance is somehow out of our reach. Sufficiency means there is plenty to go around and that we are already enough. Sufficiency is acknowledging the abundance of our existing resources while scarcity is the belief that the existing resources are not enough to sustain our needs. All it requires is this shift in our ability to let go of the attachment, of holding on, and of hoarding. Instead, share a little more of the resources that already exist. Scarcity will always leave us one step short of abundance, but sufficiency will always make us feel like we have everything we ever wanted. It is simply a shift in perception—a shift from scarcity to sufficiency. The more we focus on abundance, the more that it becomes available for everyone especially for ourselves. Blessings, blessings, blessings. Spoken Word Yoga, Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 196. Hunter and Gatherer Our instinct is to accumulate as much as we can to support ourselves. Early humans were hunters and gatherers. They would search for food, gather it up, and often preserve it for times of need. Somehow, we have switched from hunting and gathering food and resources to hunting and gathering money. We feel that the money is the access to the resources that we need when truthfully, the money is just a means to an end. When we consider what we need, it is not the money nor the stuff. What we need is the fundamental resources to sustain ourselves. There is no point in being greedy and certainly no reason to accumulate too much. We do not need more than the next person; we just need enough to sustain ourselves. Be mindful when we are thinking about accumulating more, whether it is more stuff, more money, more property, more clothing—whatever that more is. Figure out what the need is we are trying to fill. Instead of hunting and gathering money and material things, get back to the fundamentals. What do we need to create the life we want? We are not accumulating excess. Instead, we are appreciating abundance. All it takes is a shift from gathering the stuff out there to being grateful for the abundance of everything we have in here. Enjoy the day. Focus on the abundance that already exists so there is no need to accumulate anything else. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 197. Cause for Celebration When was the last time we took a moment to celebrate life? Not a holiday, a birthday, or the new year—just life. This moment and this breath. How often do we celebrate it? The best way to celebrate life is to inspire greatness in ourselves and happiness in someone else. Making the most of every moment we have is often reflected in the impact we have on the people we touch as well as the energy we leave behind, so why not create a celebratory energy in everything? This moment is cause for celebration. This breath—cause for celebration. Waking up in the morning, seeing the sunrise in the morning and the sunset in the evening—cause for celebration. We do not need a holiday, a birthday, or a new year. All we need is a new breath. This one moment in time is cause for celebration. Be happy today and inspire that happiness in someone else. Celebrate life and the moments. Celebrate the breeze, the sun, the moon, and the stars. Celebrate everything and celebrate today. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 198. Not Changing the Past Every night, I make it a point to journal before I go to sleep. Journaling helps me reflect on what has happened that day- the lessons I have learned as well as the intentions I have said. Reflecting helps not so much to change the past, but to create the present and intend something more significant and profound for our future. The work is never in changing the past. It is always in creating the present. Our focus has to be on the mindful observance of the things we have done and said that serve us and the awareness of those things that do not. In that mindful awareness, we can improve. Those improvements will inevitably create a better future and better energy for ourselves, for our relationships, for our interactions, and ultimately, for the world. In reflecting on what we have done today, we can create something better tomorrow. Take some time to reflect—maybe journal, meditate, or spend time thinking about what we would like to do more of tomorrow. Then, set the intention to put the practice in place right now. The work is never to change the past. It's always in creating a better future, but it is in reflecting on the past that we start to learn what is working and what is not. It gives us the ability to work on something better right now. Enjoy the day today by creating everything we want in the present moment. Use the past as a lesson to teach us more about what we want our future to be. Blessings, blessings, blessings. Spoken Word Yoga, Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 199. Start or Finish Today can be the first day of the rest of our life or just another day. It can be the beginning or the end. The start or the finish. We have the option to decide that life is over when there is a catastrophic event, or we can choose to embrace the opportunity for a new beginning. If we have the ability to shift our perception of everything that exists in our life in such a way that everything that happens serves us in a positive way, why not do it? There has to be a positive spin for everything that occurs. Nothing happens without a reaction or response, and the beauty of it is that we are the ones who control that reaction and response. When we consciously acknowledge the power that we have to create everything we want, we leave no room for the things that no longer serve us. When we consciously create our reality and shift our perception to create a positive view of everything that exists, we create more of that positivity in our space. Today is the day to decide- is it just another day or the first day of the rest of our life? Is it the end or the beginning? Are we standing at the finish line or is it the starting point for something brand new? Decide at what point we prefer to be and make certain we stand there firmly, securely, confidently, and ready to embark on our dreams. Enjoy the day today. Let it be the beginning of everything we want our life to be, so we are always at the starting point of the rest of our life. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 200. Better to Travel Than to Arrive I often say that the joy is in the journey. It is in the experience. The memories are made in the moments of interaction, communication, and connection, and it is always the journey that has the story of our lives. The destination is just one point, but the journey is what prepares us for the arrival. It is always better to travel than it is to arrive. Once we have reached our destination, we are there, but all the interesting stuff happened on the way to get there. The joy is in the journey, so don't be in such a rush to get to the destination. What we are doing right now is the moment to savor. This is the time to enjoy and to look around. Notice the scenery. Feel the feelings and emotions that come along with the preparation for the arrival at our destination, and hopefully, the destination is our dream. Always know that it is better to travel than it is to arrive because the joy truly exists in the journey. It is through the effort and experience of the journey that the arrival becomes that much more significant. Enjoy the journey today and find the joy in the journey. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 201. Share Our Wisdom I enjoy reading spiritual texts to just tune in to the wisdom that has been passed down. It is like listening to love songs that teach us about heartache and unconditional love. It makes us feel comforted, knowing that someone else has been through the same thing. We get inspiration, knowing that we are not alone. We feel like someone has been there and done that before, and they share their wisdom with us. Whether it is through words, poetry, music, or art, there is a contribution; and we all serve as an inspiration to each other. Each of us has the potential to inspire someone towards greatness. It does not mean that we have to be a great philosopher, artist, or musician to do that. Inspiration can be in the forms of a kind word, a compassionate glance, or maybe a gesture of kindness for someone who we know needs it. How can our energy be passed down? It does not mean we have to write a book or record a song. We do not need to be a great poet or speaker. Instead, it is in the small gestures that we can create big change and inspire greatness in others. Think about what we want our contribution to be today and what we will offer to the world—whether it's sharing a profound philosophical insight or just offering a bit of advice to someone who is going through something that we have already been through. Our experiences have prepared us to offer our wisdom to the world, so share a little of what we know today with someone else

365 Positive Intentions because what we share has the ability to inspire, comfort, and make others feel like they are not alone in whatever they are going through now. Our offering of wisdom can connect us to the world. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 202. Make Eye Contact Many people wait until the later stages of life to look back and reflect on what they have done with the time they were given. When we think about the span of human life, if we are lucky, we have a hundred years to play with. The irony of it is half of the time we live is spent sleeping, so much of our life is devoted to dreams. Think about the first 20 years of our life in childhood—we spend time playing, learning about ourselves, experimenting, and trying to figure out what works for us. The time spent in youth is often frivolous—we are just feeling out life. The last 20 years of life is when our physical body starts to wear down. We are not nearly as active as we were the first 20 years. The middle of our life is often focused on working, raising a family, or giving our energy to others. When we think about the time we spend in the course of our life, how much of it are we actually living? There are several philosophers that say that we should take advantage of life while we are young; that in our youth, we should be making the most of our moments, exploring the expansive possibilities of the universe. Too often, we wait until the end of life. We wait until retirement to decide to travel or to spend time with family and loved ones. Every moment is precious, and the time we spend right now is valuable. Be aware that a little time and reflection can help us prioritize what we want more of in this life. Instead of waiting for retirement to look back and reflect on what we have done with the time we were given, decide today to be proactive in creating everything we want

365 Positive Intentions and deserve. In that way, those moments are turning into memories that are worth looking back on years and years from now. Enjoy the day. Take advantage of our moments and use this time to create everything we want our life to be. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 203. Cause and Effect There is always an underlying cause for every occurrence. It is cause and effect. There is always a trail to follow to an origin of everything that occurs in this life. If we wonder why something exists as it does in the present, all we need to do is investigate all the possible contributing factors so that we can explain why what exists today exists as it does. Unfortunately, we may not have the information to identify every factor, but at least we can narrow down the possibilities. That will get us closer to the origin. Once we know why something is, then we have a better awareness of how to deal with the circumstance as it exists. Think of how many areas of life this can help us with. There is always a contributing factor, a gradation, a building of everything that starts from an origin. If we start to identify why things are the way they are, then we get a better awareness and ability to create the things the way we want them to be. If we identify a problem, having a clear understanding of how that problem came into existence helps us to prevent it from happening again. Through that, we can identify the source of the problem and we know how it started. Once we figure out how it started, we can control how it ends. Identify what is going on right now. Figure out how it got to be the way it is now. If we want something different, make different choices so that we wind up where we want to go. Once we identify why the problem exists as it does and make

365 Positive Intentions different choices, we can create a different outcome. All we need to identify is the cause and effect. Once we figure out the cause, we can create a different effect. Enjoy the day. Make certain that what we are causing right now is creating the change we want in the future. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 204. We Have Enough There is a game we play in our minds when we are preparing for a challenge. We start to wonder if we have done enough in preparation for the challenge that lies ahead. The funny thing about enough is that it is all a matter of perspective. There are people who have a lot and still don't feel like they have enough. There are also people who have very little and feel like they have enough. Are we in a place of security and stability because we believe we have enough regardless of what we really have? It is all a matter of perspective and of whether we can convince ourselves that we have enough or not. The irony is that a person can believe that they do not have enough even when they have everything. It is a matter of what we choose to focus on. Certainly, gratitude is a good way to feel like we have enough because we focus on all the things we have. We are grateful for what we already have in our space without wanting for anything more. Decide to be one of those people that already has enough. Regardless of the challenge and the circumstance, if we firmly believe we have enough, we already have everything we could ever want. Focus on having enough and share a little bit of what we have with someone else. That is how we create the abundance and the sense of community where we support each other by sharing the enough that we have as individuals.

365 Positive Intentions Together and collectively, we have enough to get through anything. Embrace enough today and enjoy the day because we have enough to create everything we have ever wanted. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 205. Table of Contents of Our Life I have never been interested in small talk. I want to talk about big things—dreams, passions, desires, and even the vision a person wants for the world. What are you passionate about? What do you want for your life? What do you want to leave behind as your legacy in this life? How do you want to be remembered? What do you want people to say about you when you leave a room? When you leave this life, what do you want people to say? What do you really want? Do you know what you want? These are some of the first questions I ask. If somebody were to ask us these questions, would we be able to explain clearly and concisely what we ultimately want? If anyone ever asks me for advice, I usually ask them first if they journal or write down what they want. I suggest creating an outline of exactly what we want to be very clear about it. In that way, we would be able to give a clear and concise answer if somebody were to ask what we want. In the last few pages of the journal, create an outline of the big picture, the ultimate vision, and what we want the ideal space to look like. In that outline, leave a couple of spaces in between— maybe leave a couple of pages at the end so that we can be clear about what it is we want. Add in a few things and take away what does not seem so important. Spend time really building the vision of everything we want for our life. At that point, now that we have that outline, it becomes a table of contents for our life where all the things we really want, all the bullet points, all the major hot topics,

365 Positive Intentions and all the big moments of your life are written. That outline should remind us of everything we want, the vision we have for ourselves, and the energy we want to create in the world. Once we create that outline, we can now fill in the pages. Day to day, write down what has happened, reflect on what was, and set an intention for what will be. Make certain that everything we write in that journal is ultimately contributing to filling in the story from the table of contents, the outline of the dream. In that way, it all falls into place perfectly. The next time somebody asks us what we want, we will give them such a clear and concise answer. We will be so confident in the dream that they will become excited to support us. We never know who can offer the one piece of the dream that allows the puzzle to fall into place. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 206. Dreams and Daydreams Our dreams offer endless possibilities for potential. The other night, I was dreaming that I was jogging and that I actually enjoyed it. Anyone who knows me knows that if they see me running, they probably ought to start running too, because there is something coming. Running is not something I do for fun, only out of necessity. The fact that in my dream I actually enjoyed running, I could not help but wake up surprised. I realized that I was exploring another dimension of myself, a self that enjoyed running. That might have been a self from a past life, certainly from a past life, but we realize that in the dream we get to experience and appreciate things that we might not otherwise do in the conscious reality. Why not daydream and maybe explore something we might not do in the conscious reality? Maybe write down the dreams we have at night, so we are aware of where we went, what we did, and how we felt about the experience in the dream. Trying to be more conscious of what happens in our dream state is giving us extra opportunity to explore and do things we might not do in our awake and conscious state. Dreams are giving us access to something different, something more, and something beyond what we perceive is possible in the present moment space, so why not use that? Take advantage of it. Spend a little time doing something different, even if it's just in a daydream, and see how we feel about it. We might open ourselves up to something brand new that we actually

365 Positive Intentions want to do in our awake and conscious state. Enjoy the day today. Take a little time and daydream. Start daydreaming about something we might not ordinarily do in this present moment reality. Give ourselves the option to explore something else, to move beyond the boundaries that we create, and to create infinite possibilities. Explore that dream world. Who knows, that dream world could just easily turn into our reality. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 207. Why It Didn’t Work Out Instead of spending time questioning why something did not work the way we wanted it to, it might be a better strategy to shift that energy and start making everything work the way we want. Spending too much time analyzing what happened in the past will keep us stuck. On the other hand, creating something brand new for the present will lay the foundation for what we want in the future is progress. It is very easy to identify what is wrong and spend time analyzing, but the productivity in the analysis is still uncertain. Creating something brand new that works a little better is productivity to me. Spend a little time trying to focus on what we want more of so that we are not stuck focusing on what went wrong. Instead, we spend the energy in creating what is right. Spend time in what is right so that we are not spending a whole lot of time wondering why it went wrong. Create something brand new. In this space of now, the options are infinite, and in this moment, there is a whole lot of room for what is right. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 208. Quieting the Mind The real work in a yoga practice is in quieting the mind. We do all these physical movements to distract the mind from wandering to many different places. It is in those times when we quiet the mind that meditation becomes easier. The irony is that the act of meditation requires silence inside and not outside of us. The true test of meditation is to be able to find a quiet space in our mind. Everything around us can be very complicated, convoluted, noisy, and disruptive, and if we can quiet our mind in the face of all those distractions, then we know we have successfully achieved access to a higher consciousness. When we are not distracted by the mundane occurrences out there, when we are not discouraged by confrontation and catastrophe that exist outside of us, and when we are able to maintain a quiet and peaceful space in our mind, that is meditation. Even if that quiet and peaceful space only exists for a few minutes a day, that is already a few minutes of peace, serenity, and bliss. Even if we need to be on our yoga mat, sweating and balancing it out for hours to find that peaceful place, it is worth it. The time of physical exertion is meant to give us access to the peaceful stillness that exists in the mind. That peaceful space truly exists, and it is just a matter of gaining access to that space. Our yoga practice is allowing access to that peaceful space. The meditation practice is the gateway to bliss, happiness, peace, and serenity, and we should not let anything out there throw off the

peace and balance that we can create in here. Allow every breath to be a meditation in and of itself, and allow that breath to bring us peace, calm, and serenity. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 209. Listening Never Offends The magic in listening is that there is no possibility of offending or alienating anyone while we do it. It is only possible to offend someone while speaking. The work in any difficult discussion is to listen more. There will certainly be an opportunity to get our point across; but in our ability to listen, we make room for empathy, sympathy, compassion, and understanding. The work in any conversation is listening, so instead of spending more time thinking about what we will say, we spend more time considering someone else's point; because in doing so, we are much more likely to understand where they are coming from and why they feel the way they do rather than try to change their mind about how they feel. Very rarely does trying to change someone’s mind work very well. In fact, it can result in alienating and offending. Listening is the best mode of communication, so take time to really absorb and hear what someone is saying and understand their point of view. Know that listening is the only way to make sure that we are not offending someone or alienating them. By listening, they feel respected and valued. They feel like their opinion and point mean something, and that is more important than getting our point across. The magic of listening is that it is not possible to alienate or offend, which only happens when we open our mouths. The best advice for ourselves is to make an effort to listen. Open the lines of