CHAPTER 1
Resilient Attributes
Spiritual Awareness
The resilient mind executes from a position of spiritual awareness
My Thoughts
What lies behind us and ahead of us matters, but it cannotcompare to what lies within us.
Value yourself for who and what you are. Do not allow externalforces to take you off course.
You are pure spirit cast into human mold as a manifestation ofdivine intelligence, existing in this little form while on earthto help carry on the divine plan. Being pure spirit, you are apart of the only intelligence there is, and all the power andunderstanding of this intelligence are yours to draw upon.
Believing in yourself is an internal process. No one else canmake it happen, and no else can keep you from doing it.
The feelings of frustration and irritation can serve as mentorsto our souls. By working through them with identification andownership, obstacles can turn into opportunities for growth,and we can receive resilience with the Creator's grace.
No matter who you are and how confused you are about life,there is one prayer that will provide the key to your tranquility,and it is simply to say, "Thank You."
I can now see my life not as a journey of achievement to fit mypreconceived purposes but as the gradual discovery of a purposethat stems from a spiritual place.
Sick of trying, tired of living, and afraid of dying, so what doyou do? Pray and strengthen your relationship with the Creator.
The ultimate measure of a person is where he or she stands attimes of challenge and controversy.
Discover the bliss of yourself in your heart. Without it, you'llnever know joy or peace. Wherever you are, your pain willnot cease.
The more we allow ourselves to be guided and empowered bythe Spirit, the more we experience the freedom to create.
The highest point of powerlessness is death. We must acceptand trust the Creator who is sovereign.
I believe in:
• the deep blue sky and the waving water;
• loving friendships given by the flowers and the trees;
• the days that have gone and the days to come;
• my belief in and my love for all things; and
• my love for the source of my belief and love.
We don't have to be directed by anything outside of ourselves.
Thank God for being inside of us. It provides us with sustenanceas human beings and is always in our reach.
Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience,and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
Spiritual living may require being willing over and over againto look within and discover you're a unique contribution tothe world.
Thoughts of Others
I asked God to take away my pain.God said, "No,it is not for me to take away,but for you to give it up."
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.God said, "No,his spirit is whole.His body is only temporary."
I asked God to grant me patience.God said, "No,patience is a by-product of tribulations.It isn't granted. It is learned.
I asked God to give me happiness.God said, "No,I give you blessings.Happiness is up to you."
I asked God to spare me pain.God said, "No,suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings youcloser to me."
I asked God to make my spirit grow.God said, "No,you must grow on your own,but I will prune you to make you fruitful."
I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.God said, "No,I will give you lifeso that you may enjoy all things."
I asked God to help me love others as much as He loves me.God said, "Ah, finally you have the idea."
—Anonymous
Spirituality is nothing more than giving up your resistance towhat is. Living spiritually is daring to see what is in front ofyour and daring to experience your life as it is right now.
—Annemarie Postma
Have you ever thought that maybe death is the master teacher?Are we taken out of life or is the life taken out of us?
—Aubrey Smith
You are the most powerful magnet in the Universe! Youcontain a magnetic power within you that is more powerfulthan anything in this world, and this unfathomable magneticpower is emitted through your thoughts.
—Rhonda Byrne
God has been better to me than I have been to myself. Evenwhen I let Him down, He never let me down.
—Reverend Al Sharpton
If your spiritual philosophy is not moving you to the state ofpeace, health, wealth, and love your spirit desires ... you needa new spiritual philosophy.
—Sun Bear
Whether your duty is humble or great, complete it withenthusiasm, with love, and with total absorption of the mind.
—Kahlil Gibran
The Universal Mind knows no big or little, rich or poor, greator insignificant. It gives of itself according to need, and it createsaccording to desire. It is creating for you right now exactly whatyou are thinking into it!
—U. S. Andersen
Avoid heeding the call of anger, bitterness and resentment;instead, rely on God to give you discernment, energy, and theability to do all He has purposed for you to do and the wisdomto let go of the rest.
—B. Glover-Williams
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself, and if youtruly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
—Oriah Mountain DreamerNative American Indian
There's a rhythm to the universe. When we're able to get quietenough, we experience how we're a part of that perfect rhythm.
—Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Subversive joy is the ability to transform tears into laughter, a laughterthat allows one to acknowledge just how difficult the journey is, andto delight in one's own sense of humanity and folly and humor inthe midst of a serious struggle. This is a true freedom of spirit.
—Dr. Cornel West
Many people go from one thing to another, searching forhappiness, but with each new venture they find themselvesmore confused and less happy until they discover that what theyare searching for is inside themselves and what will makes themhappy is sharing their real selves with the ones they love.
—Susan Polis Schutz
Living a spiritual life, being connected to your passion and lifegoal, is a matter of not suppressing your inner voice, but slowingit to be heard.
—Annemarie Postma
Purpose
The resilient mind has purpose.
My Thoughts
Within the ancient Sanskrit language lies the word dharma. Atits core this word means purpose in life. According to this word,you have a specific reason for being here, a unique talent, a gift.What is your purpose? What is your talent? What is your gift?
It is important to think positively and monitor your thoughtswhile you are examining your feelings. Keeping your thoughtsand your feelings in a spiritual condition lays the foundation forseeking God in you at any God-given time.
People must pay more attention to who they are and what theyare creating for their lives and reexamine their purpose in life.
A person who overcomes his desires is braver than one whodominates others because the most difficult task is conqueringone's self. A man who overcomes his desires places himself ina spiritual position to confront the key things that are feared.
As you begin to pay attention to your stories and what theysay about you, you will begin to understand the importancebetween the connection to your inner self and becoming as youshould be—the author of your own life, the creator of your ownpossibilities, and the master of your own fate.
At times, I do feel passionate about my life. But, I am alwayspassionate about inspiring others to become enthusiastic abouttheir lives.
Through reflection of a resilient mind, I arrived at the realizationthat I was enslaved to a pattern rather than being empoweredby the purpose. The purpose is to empower others.
You have always had the power. You just have to be still to find it,and when you do, you are on the way to finding the fullest of you.
Once you discover what you want to do, seek out and talk tosomeone who has overcome similar challenges, someone whois currently doing what you want to do and doing it well. It isgreat when that someone has both to offer.
Without a clear understanding of why you are here, what yourcalling is, and what life wants from you, regardless of how muchmoney you make, you will not have healthy self-esteem.
Everybody wants to be heard, wants to be validated, and wantsto know that they matter. So stand up for what you believe andtake command of your feelings, because they are valid and youdo matter.
Some questions to ponder to help you find out where you aregoing and assist you in developing a plan for purposeful livinginclude the following: What do you value in life? What are yourmotivators? What are your innate skills and talents?
When you do what God wants you to do, the money won'tmatter. You are willing to stick it out during the bad times andignore the negativity. With this surrender, you will experiencehappiness and success you deserve and be at peace.
Thoughts of Others
One's own thought is one's world. What a person thinks is whathe becomes—that is the eternal mystery. If the mind dwellswithin the supreme self, one enjoys undying happiness.
—Maitri Upanishad
The purpose of life is the expansion of happiness and the abilityto love and have compassion.
—Deepak Chopra
A sense of purpose isn't something that you find; it's somethingthat you are. Truth isn't something that you look for; it'ssomething that you live.
—Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow thetalent to the dark place where it leads.
—Erica Jong
Ask yourself, "How would I seek, serve and love this year ifI believed I was perfectly and permanently secure in the armsof God?"
—Susan L. Taylor
This life is yours.
Take the powerto choose what you want to doand do it well.
—Susan Polio Schultz
We live very close together. So our purpose in this life is tohelp others.
—Dalai Lama
Many persons have the wrong idea of what constitutes realhappiness. It is not obtained through self-gratification but,through fidelity to a worthy purpose.
—Helen Keller
Knowing God's purpose for creating you will reduce yourstress, focus your energy, simplify your decisions, give meaningto your life, and, most important, prepare you for eternity.
—Rick Warren
If you don't like the way your life is going redesign it. Redeemthe years you lost. Restore your vision, revive your passion forliving and reclaim what was dormant inside of you.
—T.D. Jakes
Valuing Time
Time is valuable to the resilient mind.
My Thoughts
Do tomorrow's tasks today. The time that passes never returns.Why squander your time?
The more the resilient mind acquires knowledge, the more isknown and the more is understood that there is little time to learn.
One may travel and return to a place and unexpectedly meetoneself still lingering there from the last time. You cannotescape you!
It is impossible to look both backward and forward at the sametime. The resilient mind plans for the future. However, youcannot move forward by patting yourself on the back.
It's time to make time count. Once it has past, there's no goingback. Improve with the very next second, utilizing your pastexperiences.
You only have one life to live. When it is your time to leavethis earth, you want to be able to say, "I have lived my life andfulfilled my dreams. Now I am ready to go home!"
Don't waste your time in idle gossip and lecturing others. Holdfast to your goals, remain vigilant, and exercise the resilient mind.
It is a fallacy to think that others have more time than you. Weall have twenty-four hours a day, 168 hours a week, an averageof 730 hours a month, and 8,760 hours a year—no more, noless. Time does not discriminate. The difference is some learnto manage time better than others.
Every now and then go away and have a little relaxationtime. To remain constantly at work will diminish yourjudgment. Sometimes distance away will place the work inperspective.
If we think we have ours and don't owe any time and/or moneyto help those left behind, then we are part of the problem. It isour obligation to be part of the solution.
It may be a good idea to not wait for that huge block of timethat never comes. It makes a difference to steal some quietmoments along the way.
Alone time is as essential to the spirit as food, sleep, and exerciseis to the body.
Give yourself the gift of time during bereavement: timeto be alone and time with people who are willing to listenwhen you want to talk. Time to pray, time to cry and timeto remember.
—Barbara Bumgardener
Organizing Your Time
Keep a daily activity list of things to do, calls to make, andonline activities that need to be accomplished. You may atsome point need to turn the list into folders and include neededsupplement papers to accurately complete the tasks.
Keep a schedule of time implementation.
If a task becomes too large, break the task into smaller stepsand accomplish it by making a to-do list and completing it.
Always include helping others if at all possible. This willhelp you keep somewhat of a balance while you are also helpingyourself.
Always look at your next week at a glance and realize thatthe activity and/or task may need to go into the following weekbecause it is not good to overbook, which may result in notbeing self-reliant and not completing tasks.
When you are scheduling, always have whatever you useto schedule: smart phone, calendar, planner, etc. If you don'thave your schedule available, it is best to acknowledge it, tellthe person you have to get back to him/her, and check yourschedule to see what works best for both of you.
Time Management Tips
Time is time. Make it count.
Make a schedule of your day.
Make a list of things you want to do.
Set goals for what you want to accomplish.
Divide your daily activities into categories. Decide on thepriority of each category.
Set limits for yourself.
Use a date book, smart phone, etc., to schedule your time.
Keep as much routine as possible in your day.
Don't procrastinate.
Take the time to complete a task correctly the first time.
Thoughts of Others
Along time is the rarest of moments when we deal only withourselves. Whether snatched, planned, or stolen, these fragmentsof time are beyond essential.
—Anne Wilson Schaef
Spend less time thinking about the things you cannot changeand more time with the things you can change.
—Bertha Combs
Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink,taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.
—Henry David Thoreau
Life's Lessons
The power of words provides life lessons.
My Thoughts
If you're lonely when you're alone, you're in bad company. Sodo what is necessary to improve your relationship with theCreator of the universe.
Lesson: You are never alone if you connect with your innerbeing. Use your alone time to strengthen the relationship.
* * *
Grief will demand your attention one way or the other.
Lesson: Honor your grieving process.
* * *
When someone intentionally does harm to you, you feelhurt, anger, and a strong desire to seek revenge, right? Well,it's right to have those feelings but wrong to be revengeful,and it's better to understand rather than be understood. Thiswill help you realize and accept the fact that the person whocaused you harm may be in pain themselves and may believethe only alternative is to respond by hurting someone else.The lesson is this: Everyone does not have the skill set todeal with their situations appropriately, and you should nottake it personally.
Take another look at the act that caused harm to you,understanding the part you played while empathizing with theperson who caused harm to you.
Lesson: Two wrongs never make a right. Nor can you righta wrong by committing another wrong. Remember that forevery action there is a reaction and we all are held accountablefor what we do.
* * *
Treat people as you would want to be treated, especially whenthey treat you wrongly. Vengeance is not your responsibility.It belongs to God. The hard part is practicing rightly treatingpeople who treat you wrongly. Remember the old saying,"What comes around goes around," with the understandingthat time is precious and the realization that we cannot controlpeople.
Lesson: Make time more valuable in order to make better useof your time and treat everyone as you want to be treated. Afterall, holding vengeance in your heart and mind will ultimatelybe harmful to your health.
* **
Listen ... and try not to defend yourself. Remember thatwinning is not the goal but understanding is.
Lesson: Active listening is essential to understanding.
* * *
One must learn from previous experiences. Imagine ... just whenyou think you have finally reached the position and place you wantto be in life and work so hard to arrive at, and unfortunately itbecomes one of the worst experiences you have encountered in life.
