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

Day 240. Patience is Virtue We all have heard that patience is a virtue. Patience is really what gives us access to the experience. Instead of being anxious to get to the end or to arrive, it is important to be patient enough to enjoy the journey along the way. It’s not just about getting to the destination; it's about enjoying the journey along the way. It’s actually a form of meditation when we are patient because the mind is settled, calm, and relaxed. When we are anxious or expecting, the mind is racing, disturbed, or unsettled; but we can clear our mind or clear an open space so that we can access the experience more fully, completely, and totally. In order to make that happen, we must be in a space of patience. Allow time to work for us today so that we are not racing against the clock to get somewhere. Instead, we are just taking a breath and taking a moment to enjoy the journey along the way. Patience is a virtue, and it is giving us access to our life. It gives us the opportunity to enjoy the scenery and the journey so that the destination becomes much more enjoyable. Allow patience to ease us into the magical moments of our life. Take our time so that we are not rushing to get to the end but instead, we enjoy it right from the beginning. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 241. No Fear There is a story in Patanjali yoga sutras that gives insight into how we believe we know something and run with it, even if it’s not based on what is really happening. We create an idea in our minds, and we run with it. It's like when somebody makes a comment to us and we read into that comment, thinking that they perceive us in a certain way, believe something about us, or are working against or manipulating us. We read into simple actions and create an entire story about them. The analogy given in the yoga sutras is imagining that in the darkness, we see a coiled rope and immediately mistake it for a snake. When we think it's a snake, we inherently feel fear. In reality, there is no snake—it’s just a coiled rope. Now, the time when we created the fear and anxiety about the snake before eventually realizing it was just a rope is a time wasted. It's lost and misdirected. A misunderstanding starts in our minds and can bring us into a space we do not want to be in. We can look at a situation or circumstance or interpret what somebody says and create an entire story about its meaning, but all it does is create a false understanding. It creates this misconception where we start to create emotions that might generate thoughts and actions rooted in something that's not even based in a reality at all. Instead of being fearful of a coiled rope in the darkness thinking that it's a snake, the work is to spend a little less time interpreting what other people are saying or what things mean. Instead, spend

more energy investing in the way we want to feel. Conduct ourselves in the way that we want the energy of the world to be so that we do not feed into the notions and energy of others or into our misconceptions. Instead, we are focused on the energy we want—the calm, the balance, and the happiness. It does not matter whether it was a rope or a snake because focusing on our positive energy, our light, and our love is what's important. Do not let the snake in the corner cause us fear. Do not let the comment make us insecure. Lastly, do not let what is happening out there affect the energy and power we have to create in here. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 242. Earning a Life The cliché that life is more valuable than silver and gold reminds us that earning a life is more valuable than earning a living. Most people that are focused on work and profits feel stressed, tense, and concerned about their financial stability. People who are focused on their relationships, on connecting with the people they love, are less stressed. They enjoy the time they spend with their loved ones and their life more. Because earning a life is more valuable than earning a living, all our energy must not be focused on external pursuits or accumulation of wealth and material possessions. We must focus on the energy that we use to build the connections with the people we love. That is what adds value to every moment of our lives. We all know that we cannot take anything with us; so whatever material things we accumulate in this life will stay here, but the energy that we accumulate stays with us for eternity. Allow ourselves to find the value in our connections, in communicating, and in the energy that we invest in the people we love. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 243. Digest Emotions Think about how long it takes for most of us to process our emotions and the circumstances of our lives. So many of us are holding onto emotional baggage in energy, and that leaves us feeling stuck. It's kind of like digesting food. If we don't digest our food, we will feel blocked up and stuck. The moment we digest, it gives us the opportunity to invite in more nutrients because then we will have space for more of them. If, however, we never digested our food, how would we invite in more of the nutrients we need? How would we have space for the life-giving energy we need to keep moving through life in a productive and positive way? Digesting our emotions is kind of the same thing as digesting our food—processing what has gone on, trying to gain something from it, and using what we have gained to move forward and create something better. Think about digesting not just the food that's in our belly, but also the energy and emotions that we hold in our heart. Process the emotional energy that we too often store in our body as stress, tension, and pain, so that we get rid of them and make room for something better. Processing our emotions is a lot like digesting our food. In order to make room for new nutrients, for new sustenance, for new energy, we must get rid of the old stuff to make room for the new one.

365 Positive Intentions Focus today on digesting not just what we ate in our last meal, but also what we felt in our heart. Process our last love and the last conflict to make room for something better. Allow things to digest easily today so that we can make room for something better tomorrow. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 244. Moments Become Memories In everything we do, we create memories. We create our moments, and our moments become our memories. When we look back on our life, all we focus on are the memories. We reflect, we replay, and we revisit the moments of our lives that seemed particularly profound and important, and those memories create a feeling of how we view the quality of our life. It is easy for us to look back on our childhood and focus on the positive and negative aspects. It is easy to focus on the moments of our lives that were particularly impactful in forming our view of the world, belief, and feeling about ourselves, but we have to be mindful in this moment, knowing that we are the ones creating our memories. The circumstances are not creating them, and no one else can create them for us. We create them, and that gives us power. In every circumstance, walk away from it and create a moment that is positive, inspirational, invigorating, and rewarding so that when we look back on it, it will be a memory that is worth replaying, revisiting, and reflecting on over and over again. At some point, when we look back on life, all that is left are the memories. Create good memories in our moments, and there is no better moment to create a magical memory than now. Enjoy the day. Create amazing memories in our moments so that when we look back on this moment of our life, it will be like one of the most magical moments in time. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 245. Distraction From Procrastination Procrastination is a problem. Procrastination results from a restless mind because it is not able to focus on one task for any length of time. Maybe the best solution for procrastination is meditation— take a little time in stillness and silence, let the mind calm, and prevent it from wandering to the next thing so that we can spend the time completing the current thing. Procrastination is a problem because it delays the inevitable despite knowing we must get something done. We let ourselves be distracted by anything else just to avoid doing what must be done. Even though we might feel compelled or obligated to do our task, we would still allow other things to distract us from it, all in the interest of procrastination. Next time we find our mind wandering and in need to complete a task, allow our mind to wander to meditation because meditation is probably the easiest way to avoid procrastination. Find ways to train our mind to be more efficient and more productive. Get things done now that we need to do so before we move on to something else. Meditation is the best solution for procrastination, so take a little time in stillness. Allow the mind to focus, settle, and calm, and we will surely be able to complete that task. All we need is the focus, determination, consistency, and persistence to do it. Allow meditation to distract us from procrastination. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 246. A Reminder to Shine The sunrise is always a perfect reminder to get up, to wake up, and to rise up out of the darkness. There is a new beginning with every sunrise and a new beginning in every breath. We have the option to create something brand new every day we wake up, and that in and of itself is a cause for gratitude. Find all the things that remind us how important it is to use each moment to create more of what we want. The sunrise is a perfect reminder because as the sun creeps up past the horizon, it brightens up everything around us. The irony is that the sun is not bright only when it rises because it is always bright; we have that same ability. We have a light that shines from within, and it has the power to light up the world. We just have to share and shine it as brightly as we can. Let the sunrise be a reminder of how bright our light can shine and make certain that when we wake up, we share a little of our light with the world. Enjoy the day today. Make the world a brighter place because we are in it and allow our light to make the lives of the people we touch even brighter. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 247. The Source of Anger It is always difficult to watch someone target their anger towards someone else when we know that the anger is stemming from a pain deep within themselves. No one chooses to be hateful or judgmental. It comes from a place of lack. The irony is that the source of the anger projected to the people out there is so much more hurtful to the person in here. Next time we are tempted to take out our anger and frustration on someone else, take a moment to check in and find out where the source of that anger and frustration really lies. There is nothing that anyone can do to make us angry; the only source of the anger is our interpretation of what they have said or done, and the reason why we are angry is because it touches something within us that we are probably working on or need to work on. Everyone in our life is a mirror. Everyone in our life is a teacher, so when we see someone projecting anger onto someone else, it is obvious that they have a lot left to learn about themselves. Be careful of where our anger is projected and make certain that the emotions we share with others stem from the energy and the emotions that we want to hold inside for ourselves. Targeting others will not help us heal ourselves, so take a little time, be patient, and think about where that source of anger and frustration truly lies because usually, it always lies within. Enjoy the day. Be especially nice to someone today and make sure that someone is us. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 248. Pain Killers I have a friend who has been complaining of back pain. She has been taking painkillers to alleviate some of the pain, but I reminded her that the pain is her body's way of communicating that there is a problem and that she has to take her time, be a little slower, and move through life with ease. The painkillers are cutting off the body's ability to communicate— the body is still in pain, but the pain killer is just masking the pain. The pain is regulating the movement of the body, forcing us to slow down and to be more careful with our movements and actions. The pain is actually useful because without that alert of the pain, we could easily create more injury. It is a gauge on how far we should go and how much we should push. Sometimes, we must pull back, slow down, and let the pain communicate what the body needs so that we do not push too hard or too fast. The painkiller is not killing the back pain but the body's ability to communicate. Instead of reaching for a painkiller, just slow down, ease up, take time, and do not push so hard. There is no reason to push through the pain. Instead, listen to the pain and allow what the body is communicating to make us more aware of what our body needs. Listen to the body as it speaks so that it does not feel the need to scream in pain as gentle reminders to give our body a little more attention. Stretch, be open, and relax so that it does not get to the point where we will need a painkiller. Allow the pain to communicate the needs of the body and just

365 Positive Intentions make certain we are listening. Otherwise, the body will feel the need to scream a little louder—we don’t want to wait for that to happen. Listen to the body as it communicates and just be easy. Instead of killing the pain, allow it to communicate more of what the body needs. Enjoy the day pain free one thought at a time. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 249. Storage of Our Emotions We often talk about the hips being emotional storage lockers of the body, but the truth is, the entire body is storing the energy. When we do not communicate our truth, we store tension and stress in the neck and shoulders. When we do not honor our truth, we feel heartache and pain. When we do not follow our instinct well, our gut and belly become nervous and anxious. Our body has physiological responses to the emotion and energies that we create in our minds, so given the option to release stress and intention before it accumulates in our body, why not do that? Why not speak our truth freely, easily, and effortlessly? Why not always try to be as kind and compassionate with our words as possible? Why not feel our truth, follow our heart, and allow it to guide us to where we want our life to go? Follow our intuition? Our gut instinct? Instead of rationalizing away from our instinct, we follow it, knowing that what we feel is guiding us along the path of least resistance. Instead of allowing stress and tension to accumulate in the body and instead of holding onto emotional baggage in the hips or the shoulders, we let it go. It's like planting seeds—it doesn't matter whether they are positive or negative seeds, they will still grow. The seeds we plant are growing the energy that moves through every cell and fiber of our body, so be careful of the seeds we are planting in our mind.

365 Positive Intentions Make certain that what we are planting is exactly what we want to grow and that what we are thinking is worth holding onto and storing. Our body is recording our energy and is storing our emotions, so make certain that the emotions and energy we are storing are worth carrying around as baggage for the rest of our lives. Let go of what we do not need in order to make room for something better. Drop the heavy baggage and walk through this life feeling light and at ease because it starts with a shift in our minds—our thoughts, our words, and our actions. Allow that shift to release the baggage we no longer need. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 250. Potential Energy If someone ever tells us that we have potential, realize that this is their affirmation of confidence in our ability to do anything. Potential is the beginning of everything. Hopefully, we believe that we have the potential to create anything we want, and someone else is reinforcing that by believing in our ability to do something and by believing that we have the potential to fulfill our dreams, to succeed, and to do anything it is we want to do. All it requires is potential. Think about potential energy as the energy waiting to be tapped and to be accessed. Potential energy is just sitting there waiting to be accessed, and each of us is potential energy. We are potential energy, and we can create anything we choose when we put a little energy behind it. Where does that energy come from? It is from our reservoir of potential energy. The energy of our thought and the energy of our action can create anything, and all it ever took was one idea to change the world. That one idea had potential when the person thought of it, and all it required was a little action to back it up. I believe we have potential—potential energy to create anything we want in the world. All we need is a little potential energy to do it, so give someone a little encouragement today and tell them they have potential. Tell ourselves that we have potential and realize that this potential energy is all it takes to change the world. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 251. Believe and Become Take a moment to consider the power of belief. Belief bridges the gap between fact and fiction. It bridges the gap between the concrete and the abstract. Belief is the difference between being afraid of the unknown and feeling a sense of certainty that comes with knowing. It can make something appear true or false depending on the perspective of the observer. Belief is a powerful tool in creating what we want, what we know to be true, and what we believe is real. Regardless of what we believe, we have to make sure that it is working for us. If a belief can mean the difference between fact and fiction, between perception and tangible reality, if it is all that stands between our fear of the unknown and our certainty in knowing what exists, then it can focus and frame our entire reality—that is powerful. If we can discern between fact and fiction based on what we believe to be true, why not choose to believe that we are powerful enough to create something out of nothing? Why not use belief to work for us—to live our dreams, to pursue our passions, and to live and love completely and unconditionally? Belief is certainly a powerful energy, and we have the choice to put that energy to work for or against us. It is as simple as believing we can do anything or believing that we cannot do something. The belief is all we need to create something, so create a delusional reality. Create a belief system that is rooted in creating every dream, living every passion, and pursuing every love. In that way, when we look

back on life, we feel as though we have put our beliefs to work for us. Our belief system has the power to change everything, so allow what we believe to create something brand new in our life today. Believe that we have the power to create anything, be anything, and do anything so that there is no gap between the concrete and the abstract, between fact and fiction, and between perception and tangible reality. If we believe it, we will become it. It does not have to exist in the physical space because the only place it needs to exist is the belief we hold in our heart and mind. That is enough to create something out of nothing. Believe in ourselves today and in our ability to create everything we have ever wanted one thought and one belief at a time. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 252. A Party Waiting to Be Planned Celebrate life fully today. Celebrate the pleasures, the pain, the frustration, the ease—celebrate reality. Frankly, one breath is all we need to be reminded of the magic that this life has the potential to hold. This inhale is an opportunity. We can create anything we want, and we have a free and open space, so celebrate it. Reality is our creation, and it is up to us to choose what we focus on, where we put our energy, and where we invest our time and effort. We have so many options and all we have to do is take advantage of them. Start by celebrating life—celebrate existence, the breath, the possibilities. Realize that every moment should be a cause for celebration. Reality is our choosing and our creation. We have a blank slate and a clean canvas where we can create anything we choose, so make the most of the moment and create everything we want. This is the moment to celebrate life, and that celebration has to start with an image, a vision, or a dream in our minds. Then, we communicate that vision and express it in everything we think, speak, and do. Our life should be a celebration, an illustration of our happiness, our desires, our passions, and our dreams so that we have the fullest, most enjoyable, and pleasurable experience in this life possible. Reality is what we make, so we might as well make it something exciting. Why not make it a party worth celebrating? Make it a life worth celebrating, breath worth celebrating, and thoughts and actions worth celebrating so that when we walk away from this moment, we feel the sense of enthusiasm about creating something magical in the next moment. Enjoy the day, celebrate life, and know that reality is just a party waiting to be planned in the kingdom of our minds. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 253. The Pleasure Principle During the yoga practice and in life, I encourage students to follow the pleasure principle of finding what feels good and doing more of it. Pleasure is not limited to the sensations in the body. In fact, it is stimulated by all the senses, so we can smell something pleasurable, tastes something pleasurable, see something pleasurable, feel something pleasurable, and hear something pleasurable. There are so many options to access pleasure, so why limit it to just one sense? Why limit it to just one experience or one circumstance This also means finding something pleasurable even in those circumstances that might seem confrontational. The yoga practice is a perfect example. Standing and balancing on one foot in a hot, sweaty room on a four cornered amat, the challenge is to find pleasure in the energy moving through the body, the sweat dripping down the skin, and the breath as it moves in and out. It’s almost like having a buffet of pleasure sources. Instead of allowing the senses to give us access to pain, discomfort, or tension, allow the senses to give us access to the pleasure we deserve. Tap into the pleasure principle and try to apply it in everything so that when we move through this life, there is always more pleasure than pain. Use the five senses to give ourselves access to more of the pleasure that we certainly deserve every day. Enjoy the day, find something pleasing in this moment, and allow that pleasure to give us access to the happiness we deserve. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 254. External Becomes Internal The mind is on a search for understanding, for awareness, and for information. It interprets what is going on around us and internalizes it as something that is happening within us. If we see something happening, we might know it to be true and inevitably make an inference about it. We interpret what that thing is, and we assign a meaning to it. We wind up internalizing what is happening externally, so regardless of what it is, we need to make sure that when we internalize it, it's working for us. We assume based on what we see, and that assumption leaves us with a feeling or an idea of what we have seen. What we see is one thing, but our interpretation of it might be a completely different thing. However, the fact that we control that interpretation gives us a lot of power in this life. Certainly, we can look at the evidences out there and make an inference about what is happening, but just make certain that the assumptions we make are leading us into a place of better understanding about the world. If we see smoke, we will presume that there is fire because without fire, there would be no smoke. Similarly, if we see something out there, be careful in the way we internalize it in here. Know that out there and in here are two different places, and whatever exists out there is always separate from what we are creating and here. That gives us the option to create our own reality. Take advantage of the option to make an inference and an assumption that contributes to what we want more of in the world.

In that way, we are not just stuck focusing on what is happening out there. We also have the opportunity to create something much more valuable in here. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 255. Stand Out, Up, and Strong It is always easier to blend in than it is to stand out but blending in leaves us lost. Standing out gives us the opportunity to make an impression and leave something significant behind. We do not want to blend in and be like everyone else; we want to stand out and shine off the best of ourselves to the world. Don't let ourselves be normalized or just walk in line with what everyone else is doing. Find our unique gifts, our unique offering to the world. Then give that generously and unconditionally so that we are standing out as an individual; we are not lost in the masses. It's very easy to just follow along in line and do what everyone else is doing because it does not require any innovation or initiative to do like everyone else. The work, however, is to come up with an idea, a vision, or a dream that is so profound and different from what anyone else has done; it has to be exciting that when we share that dream with the world, other people will get excited about our vision, too. It should be so exciting, so abundant, and so big that we will even wonder if we can do it. That will give us the motivation to be even more of who we already are, tapping into what we want more of in the world, standing out, and sharing it with everyone we touch. Don't blend in. Stand out, stand up, and stand strong. Make a mark and leave an impression that leaves a legacy that will inspire the world to greatness. Stand up today and be our best self, knowing that everyone will appreciate the effort and energy we put into. Stand out, stand up, and stand strong so that we would not need to blend in with everyone else. We are the individual that offers the best of ourselves to the world. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 256. Inspire With Intellect Inspire someone with our intellect today so that we are offering a piece of our soul to everyone we touch. Our intellect, our ingenuity, and our innovation are valuable—probably even the most valuable contribution we can offer to anyone else. It's one thing to look good, but it's a whole another thing to offer an idea, encouragement, or a new perspective that can change the way others feel about the world. It is very easy to spend time on aesthetics and on improvements on the outside, but how many people are really making improvements on their inside? It’s the work we do on ourselves—the most valuable work we are ever going to do in this life. Instead of focusing on changing what is outside, start to improve what's inside. Expand our mind and think out of the box. Think beyond what is presented and inspire someone with our intellect. Tell someone something they do not know yet, and you are likely to impress them much more than showing them something they have never seen. Visual stimulation is finite and passes quickly. Visual stimulation only keeps one interested for so long, but intellectual stimulation is what will keep us thinking from now until eternity. Inspire with our intellect and offer the world more of what we hold inside. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 257. Too Seriously I heard a saying that we don't stop laughing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop laughing. When we take things too seriously, we age ourselves and create stress and tension that did not need to exist. Smiling and laughing make things feel a little lighter even if it's just for a moment. Maybe fake a smile or maybe force a laugh. Creating that happiness by laughing or smiling—even if it is not authentic in the moment and even if we must fake it—changes the way we feel. We don't stop laughing because we grow old but instead, we grow old because we stop laughing. We take things too seriously and live life too hard. We move too fast that we miss out the time we spend smiling and laughing, and that is where the value of life lies. Spend a little more time laughing, loving, and giving the best part of ourselves to everyone we touch. Keep that youthful exuberance by smiling, laughing, and loving a little more. Laugh hard and smile wide today. Offer a little bit of our light to make the world a brighter place to be. Enjoy the day. Keep smiling. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 258. What We Want for Ourselves In the season of giving, try to give someone else something that we want for ourselves. Hopefully, it isn’t a material thing. If it is, make certain it is something that we really want for ourselves, and then offer it to someone else. Most of us want more than material things. We want a feeling. We want connection. Try to give to someone else exactly what we want for ourselves. We do not have to run to the stores in the malls to find the perfect gift because chances are, we already have exactly what someone else wants. When we close our eyes, we can tap into the most valuable gift that exists—us. Our energy, our spirit, our smile, and our heart are the most valuable gifts to offer. Make certain that we give someone else what we want more of for ourselves. That is the best way to find balance, love, stability, security, and emotional connection that we want with everyone else. That is the best way to offer what we want to someone else. Give the love and joy that we want in our heart generously and unconditionally and offer the best of ourselves to the world. Give someone else what we want for ourselves, and we will find that it is the best gift exchange that exists. Enjoy the day. Blessing, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 259. Roadblocks Simply Redirect Realize that the roadblocks and bumps in the road are not obstacles meant to block our path. They are simply guiding us in a new direction. If we shift our perception of the circumstances of our life to create opportunities instead of obstacles, then we have more possibility in everything. We are never limited or obstructed. There is nothing intruding into our space because the roadblocks are not meant to stop us. They are meant to redirect us so that we are more focused on where we really want to go. It is easy to walk a straight path to get to the destination, but the work is to enjoy the journey along the way regardless of where the path takes us. Realize that roadblocks are not meant to shut us down but to give us a new direction. Don't get discouraged when there are bumps in the road. Don't get worried when things don't go exactly as we want them to because the roadblocks are not there to stop us but to give us a new direction. That new direction is guiding us exactly where we are meant to be, so follow that direction. It is guiding us towards our dreams. Don't let a roadblock, an obstacle, or anything stand in our path because there is nothing preventing us from creating what we want except ourselves. Everything can be an obstacle if we allow it and similarly, everything can also be an opportunity if we create it. Focus on the opportunities and don't let the roadblocks make us feel stranded in the middle of the road. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 260. Road Rage I was talking to a friend and he was telling me about his experience of road rage where he found himself cursing and shouting at another driver. I asked him that if he were to objectively observe himself cursing and shouting at the other driver, knowing he's sitting alone by himself in the car, how would he perceive his actions? After all, all he would notice is himself—sitting in the car, shouting at himself, and realizing that what he is shouting isn’t affecting the other driver in the next car because they probably can't even hear him. He is lucky if they even notice the aggression on his face as he shouted at himself in his car, but regardless, that energy hits him first. In the time that we spend trying to communicate our frustration to someone else, we are just increasing that level of frustration for ourselves. Think about the responses we have to confrontational circumstances in our lives. Often, those responses are just enhancing the frustration or anger and perpetuating it for longer than it needs to go. If we experience frustration, acknowledge it then let it go. Instead of festering, speaking about it, and repeating it over again, why not just let it go? What could be the most functional and effective way to get rid of stress and aggression? It is obvious to let it go; my friend was under the impression that it felt better to curse and scream at the other driver, but I suggested it might feel better to just send them blessings and unconditional love because the energy that we give off is not so much affecting

365 Positive Intentions the people that we're speaking to. It isn’t that much affecting the people that we think we are targeting the aggression at. Instead, that aggression is ultimately affecting us. Set the intention today to stay rooted in the unconditional love, the generosity of spirit, and the compassion that we want more of because the biggest tests are in giving that unconditional love to the people we don't like very much. Make it a great day and try to avoid road rage today. Instead, tell ourselves and others what we want to hear, realizing that since we are only talking to ourselves anyway, we might as well make sure that what we say is what we deserve to hear. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 261. The Smarter, The Lesser I've heard it is said that the smarter the person is, the less they speak. If we think about it, it makes a lot of sense because smart people take time to think about what they are going to say so that they can communicate their truth authentically. The smarter we are, the less we speak because we are contemplating what we will say. We make certain that we communicate it in the most effective and clear way and that when we speak, it comes from the heart. It comes from our soul, our spirit, so that we are speaking our truth and are taking our time to contemplate and formulate the best way to communicate what we feel. In that way, we clearly communicate it so that they understand exactly what we want to say. Think clearly about what we want to communicate and articulate it carefully so that the person on the receiving end truly understands what we want to communicate. The smarter we are, the less we speak. Think about all the great philosophers, all the people that have had something poignant to say; they say it clearly and concisely. When there is too much fluff, too much embellishment, and too much extra, our point can get lost in all the extra. It is better to spend time and formulate a clear and concise way to communicate what we feel. When we do have something to say, people listen because they know that what we are saying has the potential to affect, inspire, and impact them in a profound way. The smarter we are, the less we speak, and the more likely people

365 Positive Intentions are to listen to what we have to say. Enjoy the day. Share some wise words with the people we communicate with today and they will know that the smarter the person is, the less they have to speak. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 262. We Are the Valuable Gift As people search the stores to find a valuable gift to share with their loved ones, I am going to suggest that we are that valuable gift. In a society that measures worth by money and material objects, too many of us have objectified ourselves thinking that the race to accumulate material things results in a winner. We think that what we accumulate over time defines our success and that giving a material object is the best gift we can offer. We measure our worth and our love based on the material things that we give and by the dollar amount on the receipt, knowing that what we give to others is only as valuable as what they are able to do with it. Material things depreciate over time, and the moment we purchase them, they lose value. The energy we give, however, increases in value over time, so the most valuable gift is the work that we invest in ourselves and the energy that we offer to others. The cultivation of ourselves defines our value, and our work to increase our ability to love and be generous and compassionate is our value. Our contribution to the cosmic consciousness and our service to others—that is our value. Instead of searching the stores and looking at the price tag, offer the most valuable gift we can give—our time, our energy, and our love. Know that the material things will be forgotten, but the time and the energy that we spend will be cherished forever.

365 Positive Intentions Focus on what is truly valuable today and offer what is most valuable to us to someone else. Think of what we want and how we want to feel, and then give that energy to someone else. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 263. Look Beyond What We See Look beyond what is visible because what we see on the outside is only one dimension of the story. It’s just one moment in time, and there were millions of moments in time that led up to this moment. Each of us has a story behind who we are and how we feel right now. Just because someone might seem to be angry or sad in this moment does not mean they're an angry or sad person. That is just how they are feeling at that moment and there is an entire story that built up to that feeling, energy, or emotion. As we look at the people we meet each day or even the strangers we run into on the street, it is easy to look at what they are wearing or how they carry themselves and make assumptions about who we think they are. Those assumptions, however, rarely give us insight to who the person really is. We must look beyond what we see so that we don't allow just the visual to define how we perceive the people in our lives. We do not base on one instance or one interaction to define who that person is. Instead, we look beyond it, knowing there is a story behind everything that exists right now. This moment is just one moment, and there were millions of moments that came before this moment that led up to the energy of the person we see today. Look beyond what we see and know that everyone has a story, that everyone has substance, and that there is more that exists than just what we see right now. Don’t get distracted by what we see but instead, look beyond it.

365 Positive Intentions As we look beyond, we get to know ourselves a little better. When we close our eyes, we can see more than we can with our eyes open. That means there is more to the story than what is seen in the physical space and more to the story behind every person we touch. Enjoy the day. Look beyond what we see, and we will see much more than what exists in the physical space. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 264. We Need Space It is okay to say that we need space. We need to sit in silence to contemplate, to think, and to clear our mind from what is going on outside so that we can be clear about what we want inside. We need silence to create our next big idea, to manifest all that we want for our life. The only possible way to make a change in the external space is to have some internal space. For some reason, we have begun to believe that it isn’t okay to spend time alone or to tell our friends and loved ones that we need a little time for ourselves. It's a shame that when we say we need to take time for ourselves, people interpret that as not wanting to spend time with them when that isn’t the case at all. It’s just that we need to replenish and rejuvenate. We need time in meditation, silence, and stillness to clear our space and invite in something brand new and better than what was there before. We need space to give ourselves a little room to breathe, a little room to slow down so that we are not rushing from one thing to the next or thinking about the next task to be accomplished. We give ourselves the space, the clarity, and the awareness of the present moment to just be in stillness and silence because once in a while, we need that space. Frankly, I need space regularly. That is why I schedule time for meditation in the morning. I schedule time to be on my yoga mat because I need space. I encourage scheduling time for ourselves and prioritizing our space, our silence, and our stillness so that we can prepare to share the best of ourselves with everyone else. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 265. No Small Talk I have decided that I can no longer engage in small talk—no frivolous discussions about the weather, the traffic, or anything that does not have meaning or significance with the goal of changing and impacting the world. Each of us has the power to impact the people we touch in a positive way, but how many of us are really taking the opportunity to do that? We waste time bantering back and forth and complaining about simplicity when there are things so significant that if we were to put our energy into changing them and making positive change, we certainly would change the world. It would define the quality of our life and the legacy that we leave behind in this life. Every person I interact with, I am going to have discussions about big dreams, big goals, and visions to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world so that each of us can make an impact that is more significant. We are not just moving through time and space and allowing it all to pass us by. We are making an impact and spending our energy in discussing solutions instead of pointing out the problems. We are spending our time and effort, contributing, giving back, and offering a piece of ourselves to be able to leave something significant behind. I don't want to engage in small talk. I am not going to talk about the weather and might not even ask someone how their day went. Instead, I will ask about their dreams—what are their dreams? What do they want to do to make a positive impact in the world? How can I help them in their efforts to support their dream? What

can we do collectively and collaboratively to make positive change in the world? These are the kinds of discussions I want to have, and I hope these will create a revolution in the world so that positive change, energy, and impact begin to describe every discussion, every interaction, and everything I do. There is no small talk; there's nothing frivolous. Instead, everything is significant. I encourage everyone today to avoid small talk and instead, talk about big dreams, big goals, and big solutions. Realize that what we create in this time has the potential to change the lives of everyone we touch. Enjoy the day and feel powerful today. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 266. The Enemy of Connection I recently heard that one of the creators of a major social media platform feels a deep sense of guilt; he realized that social media has sabotaged the social structure of our communities. He admitted that technology is the enemy of connection. Because we feel we are connected by seeing a picture or a post from someone, we are less likely to connect with them in real time. We simply like on their page or leave a simple comment—that kind and degree of connection. The truth is, until we have a real-time conversation with someone, very rarely do we know what is really happening in their space. In fact, typing, in and of itself, already eliminates a big part of communication; there is no feeling, no energy, and no vibration to the voice or the interaction but only a connection between two keyboards. Technology seems to be the enemy of connection because seeing a running review of their life on a timeline can already make us feel like we know what is going on in our friends’ and loved ones' lives when in fact that is just a small glimpse of what is happening. We do not know how they are feeling, how happy they are, or how in love they are. Those are things that can only be known once we hear it in their voice, see it on their face, and feel it in the vibration of their energy. Technology is the enemy of connection because it is not until we take the time in real time to communicate with the people that we care about will we really know what is happening in their lives in the

present moment. Surely, looking at pictures from the past or reading through the comments can give us a little insight into one area of their lives, but not as much insight and awareness as when we hold a ten-minute conversation with them to just catch up and connect. Let go of the phone or computer and limit the interaction through social media. Instead, decide to be a little more social in real time- pick up the phone, make a phone call, schedule a tea, coffee, or a walk in the park. Do something that will truly leave us feeling connected so that machine isn’t the only connection that exists. Enjoy the day. Feel connected to someone today, and what better way to do that than a hug that gives us a real-life connection. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 267. Think Valuable Thoughts Value ourselves enough to think valuable thoughts. Our thoughts are an investment in our state of mind, so create a state of happiness and love for ourselves and for the people that we touch. Value ourselves so much that we only think valuable thoughts because those things hold the most value when they are generously and unconditionally shared in abundance. Think valuable thoughts, speak valuable words, and make certain that everything we do creates some value for the people in the world. We will know if it is valuable if we feel that our time, effort, and energy were spent wisely and if we feel that we got the most out of the time, energy and effort that we spent. That is how we know how valuable our thoughts, actions, and words are. How valuable do we feel as a result of offering them to someone else? The best measure of the value of our energy and our time is the way we make others feel because our energy is certainly the most valuable currency that exists. Value ourselves enough to think valuable thoughts and speak valuable words. Do things that are of such value that people hold our actions close to their heart and that they are inspired by what we do and say. Everything we think, speak, and do is an investment into the bank of energy, and that makes us feel wealthy beyond measure. Value ourselves enough to think valuable thoughts today and know that it enriches and enhances the value of our own experience. Blessings, blessings, blessings. Spoken Word Yoga, Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 268. We Thought We Knew Let’s close our eyes and forget everything we thought we knew about ourselves and the world. Use this breath to start from scratch and create everything we want for our life right now. Forget everything we thought we knew so that we never compromise now for something that we believed yesterday or five years ago. We are brand new in this breath and living in the moment means that we can let go of the past. There is no need to worry about the future because now is all that exists. Feel the liberation from the past and embrace the gifts in our present. We have the option and opportunity to create anything from that free space, so live in the moment. Live in the now. Let go of what was and don't worry about what will be. Find freedom right now in this breath and what better time to create what we want than now. Close our eyes and forget everything we thought we knew. Redefine ourselves in the now and feel the freedom, the possibility, and the opportunity that this new breath brings. Forget everything we thought we knew and freely create everything we want right now, one thought, one word, and one moment at a time. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 269. Be the Change Decide to be the change instead of being the same. Change up our routine a little bit. Many people live with the feeling that they have not yet lived their life, as though they are waiting for some point in the future to live life to the fullest. A little change can change the way we feel about our routine. We aren’t just stuck doing the same thing over and over, but we also get a chance to feel something different. That is the spice of life because truly, the best part of life is now. It isn’t at some point in the future and we do not have to wait to celebrate. We can choose to make things more interesting now by making a change. Be the change instead of being the same because in the change, we have the chance to make progress, to move forward, and to start living our best life. As we change, we also evolve—that evolution in progress will eventually bring us into a space where we realize that we can live better, breath by breath and moment by moment. Create something better in the change so that we aren’t just stuck in the same. Change up our routine today. Do something different just to remind ourselves that we can create anything we choose in any moment we want. We are not stuck in the same because we can always choose to change. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 270. Pain or Pleasure There are several times during the yoga practice when we are intimately connected with discomfort. We are confronted by what could easily be interpreted as pain until we choose to look at it as something different. The response of the body and the sensations that we feel are up for our interpretation, so we can choose to contemplate pain, agony, and misery and think that they are all that exists, or we can realize that the sensation is the beginning of an opening or expansion and the indication that something is changing to become more pleasurable. We can shift our focus from pain to pleasure just by focusing on what the result and the benefit will be because when we think about it, neither pain nor pleasure exists until we define it that way. When we have the option to look at the circumstances of our life, look at the sensations in our body and everything that exists from our perspective as either painful or pleasurable and then decide what we prefer, pain or pleasure? It ought to be an easy choice. Too often, it isn’t until we get ourselves wrapped up in the pain that we long for the pleasure, so why not bypass the middleman and go straight for the pleasure, the easy road? Enjoy the day today. Find something pleasurable and do what we can to keep our focus away from pain. Realize that even the struggle is preparing us for greatness. Blessings, blessings, blessings. Spoken Word Yoga, Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 271. Resolution Creates Revolution Start a revolution by creating a resolution that will change the course and direction of our life. When we think about a New Year's resolution—a resolution for a new day, a new time, and a new moment—what better way to do it than by starting with changing the way we feel? The energy can always be explained by the feeling. The circumstance, the relationship, and the interaction can always be explained by a feeling. The feeling, therefore, is the root of everything that exists in our interactions, in our lives, and in our circumstances. When we look back on our lives and we think about the memories, they are all rooted in a feeling. Go back to the feeling today and create a resolution that is rooted in the energy that we want to create more of; that will be the revolution that will define our new life. We don't need a new year. All we need is a new breath, a new idea, and a new thought to create a resolution that can cause a revolution in our lives. Be the best we can be today and allow that resolution to be rooted in the feeling we want to feel and the energy that we want to share with the world. Create a revolution today and allow it to be the beginning of the rest of our life. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 272. Let Go of the Expectations When the circumstances of life are not what we expected, the only option is to let go of the expectations. The expectations are robbing us of the experience because we become so busy comparing what the experience is to what we thought it was going to be. When the circumstances aren't exactly what we expected, the easiest way to find happiness is to let go of the expectation. Once we let go of our attachment to the outcome, then we can just freely enjoy the experience. Expectations are limitations, and the only way to free our minds and to access infinite and consistent happiness is to let go of expectations. There are infinite possibilities for the present moment—we can create anything, be anything, and feel anything. Letting go of the expectation is what gives us access to everything we always wanted. Let go of the expectation and release the attachment. Who cares what it's supposed to be? Enjoy what it is and appreciate the magic that is inherent in the moment. Let go of the expectations and just appreciate the experience. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 273. Learn From Our Teachers In the time we spend reflecting on our past, it is important to learn from our teachers. Everyone in our life is teaching us something about ourselves. Every circumstance that is presented to us and every interaction are meant to teach us something more about ourselves and the energy that we want to leave behind in the world. Our life ultimately is defined by the legacy we leave behind. What have we inspired in others? What have we created that will live long after our physical body is gone? That is our legacy. Our life's accomplishments are not so much what we did while we were physically present but what we have left behind once our physical body is gone. Our teachers are not necessarily people who are still present in our lives right now. They could be the people who have left something behind that taught us something. Think about all the people that are most significant in our life. Think about how we can play a significant role in someone else's life. Each of us is a teacher; we are leading by our example and illustrating with our actions. We are teaching someone else through our actions and through our life. What will we leave behind? How can we play a significant role in the lives of the people we touch in the same way the teachers in our life did? Make the effort to be a teacher and a role model for someone else. Learn from our teachers in order to make progress, to move forward, and to be better than what we were yesterday. What better way to pass along that energy than being a teacher to someone else? Enjoy the day. Leave a legacy of love behind and let it start with the energy of our next interaction. Blessings, blessings, blessings. Spoken Word Yoga, Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 274. The Key to Community Collaboration is the key to creating community. When we all collaborate our efforts, we build a strong connection with everyone we interact with. We realize that each of us has a contribution to offer our community and when we honor that in each other, we build a stronger connection. Collaboration is the key to connection. The more that we work as a team, the more we build each other up and build the bonds of our community instead of judge, criticize, or debilitate one another. Those bonds are less likely to break down when we elevate, compliment, and encourage each other. A kind word and a simple loving gesture make all the difference in the world. It makes us feel as though we are a community that is connected and are working together. After all, we all want the same things. We want the same happiness and love, and the only way to create it on a large scale is to live it on a small scale. Start with small collaborations with our neighbors and friends then gradually start to collaborate with strangers to create something better for our community than what existed before. Collaboration is the key to community and connection, so collaborate with someone today and build something that contributes to the strength of our entire community. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 275. Our Energy Is Valuable Acknowledge how valuable our energy is by being very particular about who we share it with. We would not give an untrustworthy person a loan because there would be questions as to whether they can pay it back. Why give an untrustworthy person our energy? Similarly, there would be questions about whether we would be getting that energy back. It isn’t that we should always give with the goal of receiving, but energy must be in a balanced exchange. What we give should also be received in balance because otherwise, there would be a deficit that could lead us to bankruptcy. We want to make certain that the people we are investing our energy in have the potential and ability to give us a return on that investment. If we wouldn’t give an untrustworthy person a loan, we certainly would not want to give an untrustworthy person our energy. We wouldn’t want to spend energy on someone or something that is not positively contributing to our lives. That makes it easy to decide on where to invest our energy. When we think about how much of that energy we can get back in the same way, it becomes easy to decide where we want to invest our money because similarly, we are thinking about how we can get that money back. It is the same thing with our energy, consider that our energy is even more valuable than our money. Be mindful where we spend our energy and make certain that we get a return on that investment wherever it is we choose to invest it. Enjoy the day and spend wisely. Blessings, blessings, blessings. Spoken Word Yoga, Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 276. Mental Manifestation Practice mental manifestation, the idea that when we can create anything in our mind, that idea will inevitably turn into a reality. Mental manifestation is creating a reality in our mind and knowing that when we put a little action behind that idea, it can manifest into something in the physical space. In mental manifestation, we put our thoughts to work for us and create a clear vision of what we want. Eventually, we put a little energy behind that vision to create in the physical space exactly what we created in our mind. It's like magic in which a magician creates something out of nothing. Whatever it is that we want, start with the thought. Start with the idea. Put a little energy behind it with our words, and then put a little more energy behind it with our action. Practice mental manifestation to create everything we want in our life one thought at a time. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 277. Turn Things Upside Down Sometimes, we need to look at things from a different perspective to get a different interpretation of the situation. We do not let the circumstance define how we feel because we define how we feel about the circumstance. If all we have to do is shift our perception, then a little shift can help change the way we look at everything. Life is much easier when we shift our perception of the circumstance rather than wait for the circumstance itself to change. Oftentimes, the way we look at things is different from the way someone else does. Imagine standing on one side of a six while someone else is standing on the other side and sees it as nine. Who is right? It’s the same figure; it’s just both are from a different perspective. In other words, where we are standing—the reference frame we are viewing things from—defines how we feel about it. It does not make us right or wrong nor does it give us the right to try and change someone else's mind. If we think about looking at things from a different perspective, we get a broader perspective of the world. It makes sense to sometimes shift things upside down, right side up, all turned around, in order to get a well-rounded view of what is happening. We are not stuck in a circumstance and the circumstance does not affect our energy. Instead, our energy affects the circumstance. From that place, we have power and control over everything. If things aren't working out from this perspective, we can freely shift, flip things upside down, and see if that helps and at least