161 – Expedient optimism

Some people cultivate expedient pessimism. Disappointments should be avoided by foreclosing disappointment.

Sounds like trying to put out a fire with gasoline, huh?

The side effect is consequently denying oneself any anticipation because one adjusts oneself to losing. The planned and scheduled loser, so to say.
Brilliant attitude to life, isn't it?

Expedient optimism cannot only give energy but also minimize the feeling of loss. Every time when something succeeds. Besides, optimistic beliefs can also turn things to good; and save us from even more losses : )

Start:
Today you could get aware of a situation where you're having expedient pessimism. Look at your feelings while confronting this situation. How do you feel when you think “Oh, this won't work anyway” or “I can't do this” or “This will fail again” while doing something? (+) or (-)?

Breathe intentionally, sense your entire body, feel your breathe, relax : )

free of fears
full of delight – safe and protected
thoughts of peace for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines : )

The one who's able to feel anticipation is gifted. General delight can bring great energy into our lives.

And in case loss occurs later, on could composedly accept it, free of adherence.

Delight that has already been enjoyed cannot be take away from us!

160 – Experience death?

“Death, what a nasty thing to talk about – as long as I'm alive I do not want to talk about it.”

Many of us think like this. The matter frightens us and that's why we like to avoid it. Instead, one longs for a long, long life. There's a lot of fuss about that. Better not die... but why?

What if death were beautiful?
As long as we live we can't find it out. It remains speculation.

Doesn't it?

There's stories about close-to-death experiences. I myself experienced it in 2006 during a blood poisoning with three days of 40C° fever, incarnate and indescribable. That's why I recommend this warmly to you.

Start:
Today you could simply imagine the possibility of death being something unthinkably beautiful.

I confronted the beautifullest feelings I've never had before. I can only describe them as the bundling of all the beautiful emotions of the entire world in me.
When other feelings show up, fear or anger or whatever we might consider as uneasy, I consider consciousness, cognition and endurance to be the best ways to let them pass. My memory tells me that NOTHING can help one better...

look at feelings
accept feelings and let them go on
thoughts of peace for Peru : )

Basically, we already go through this exercise in life. Uneasy feelings come and go. When we accept them, they go on more easily and faster.

So we can see this s a good preparation for death: The daily delight and preparedness to recognize the difficult and accept it and then let it go on again, without holding on to it.

And then I can only embolden you from the bottom of my heart: death was very different from what they try to make us believe it is. I experienced the most beautiful feeling close to death. Still, I am very happy to be completely alive again! ; )

159 – Arms back

Arms are nowadays not being used anymore like they used to. They had a certain purpose in the original concept of the human body but we like to use them differently.

All roads lead to Rome. Or anywhere else, when one doesn't even want to go to Rome. Berlin is also very nice ; )

Start:
Stand up straight and erect. Head pulled upwards by an imaginary string. Knees slightly bent and pelvis slightly tilted backwards. Breathe in your natural rhythm.

Now, lead your left arm from the bottom behind your back and the right one from the top behind your back, so that your finger tips come close to each other. They needn't touch. Thereby breathe calmly and comfortably. If you like you can stretch the upper arm slightly backwards, just a little bit. Then let your arms hang loose on the sides and breathe 10-15 seconds with closed eyes. Then, change sides.

The importance of feeling good
only go as far as you can : )

In a training camp one might have to show peak performances. But NOTHING like this is demanded here. Fortunately : )

158 – Stay balanced

It is a beautiful thing when you like someone. Partner, family, friends, pets; we can look at them as gifts of life. Gifts that one wouldn't like to lose.

And still, we will lose them, sooner or later, at the latest when we ourselves die.
Then our partner, family, friends, even the pets will miss us. That's normal, isn't it?

When we let our happiness depend from people that are close to us, that could easily bring us out of balance. Namely when one goes away or eludes or refuses affection.

Our balance is in our middle. Others are exterior for us. When we concentrate too much on others, our own balance might get hard keep.

Start:
Today you could see in which cases you are depending on others.
Maybe you comply with others too much, you comply with their opinion or you depend on their help, image, love or acceptance, or attention, you might depend on their time, their money, their dreams, wishes, expectations, demands.

When you breathe today you could take care of your inner freedom and strengthen it. Relieve all tensions, take your time with conscious breathing. 5 minutes and 14 seconds? 3 times? : )

free of attachment
calm inside with equability
thoughts of peace for Luxembourg : )

It can be very nice being together with others. When we stick to them too much because we cannot or do not want to imagine living without them it might happen that we go to far away from ourselves for them.

We might think that we have to satisfy demands that others make, only because don't want to annoy or lose them. Unfortunately, we often lose ourselves thereby...

We will recover our freedom when we free ourselves from the illusion of attachment. Things are nice if they are there. But if something would leave just because of our way of being, you’d better let it go. It possibly would have made us sick later.

157 – Today NOTHING once again

NOTHING is NOTHING but NOTHING : )

Let's do that again now, if you like. Set a clock with the time that you'd like to relax.

Start:
Now you could do NOTHING for 5 minutes and 12 seconds, for example.

Sit up straight, head – spine – bottom in one vertical line, just as if there were an invisible string bound to the top of your head pulling you upwards. Chin slightly drawn towards chest.
Relax belly musculature, loosen tongue, jawbones and forehead, half smile.
Breathe intentionally, in – out, recognize sounds and let them pass. If you notice any thoughts showing up, just take you concentration back to your breath.

In – breathe
Out – happy
thoughts of peace for Grenada : )

Breathing in you know that you inhale. Breathing out you are happy.

If that comforts you. You can also insert other words that you like better ; )

156 – Vanity

According to Wikipedia, “vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others”.

Taking care of beauty or mental perfection is a good thing actually.

So what is it that makes the bad reputation of vanity?
Exaggeration? End in itself? False modesty? Lack of authenticity?

Vanity seems to be produced most easy where insecurity and deficiency work. Recognizing them can help us making ourselves stronger so that we can abstain form exaggerated worries.

Start:
Today you could look at vanities.

Do you make yourself beautiful for yourself? - Or do you make yourself beautiful to impress others?
Are you helpful? - Or are you helpful because you believe being helpful brings one advantages?
Do make others feel good? - Or do you make others feel good so that they can show their gratitude?
Do you like to tell about things? - Or do you tell things to get others' attention?

Relax your face and mouth, half smile, breathe in and out consciously. 5 minutes and 10 seconds? 3 times? 5 times? 7 times? As often as you like : )

free of calculation
safe and protected
thoughts of peace for Malaysia : )

Formerly, vanity meant caducity, inanity, emptiness and vainness. Basically nothing changed.

When we manage to act not calculated but with free and good intentions, we can become free: free of calculation. Free of dependence on others' opinions. Free to be ourselves – for a free world : )

155 – Watch it until it's nice

“When there's no other way, I'll just drink until it's nice.”

That's an option. But why do that when one could also just watch until it's nice ; )

Everything we see are subjective impressions of relatively objective things. That is to say that there are things that are nice to look at for one but unpleasant to look at for the other.

So who's right?
Both, of course! It is just as nice as it is unpleasant.

It just depends from which point you are able to look at it.

Start:
You could think of something that made you want to drink until it's nice. Maybe you even really did it.

For example when you're dealing with feelings that you'd usually like to avoid, you could do it differently now and just look at them until they're nice. Relaxation – half smile – breathe : )

recognize feelings and accept them with an open heart
thoughts of peace for Thailand : )

You should also take a look at your reluctance! Someone wants to have sex with you but you actually don't really feel easy about this person, for example. You should better not do that.

Alcohol or other similar things can have influence on or even switch out the conscious. For a short term it seems to be effective. But seldom thing get nicer.

It's contrary: As soon as one is fully conscious again the thing that one tried to make nicer before can get even more unpleasant. That's because the inner attitude towards the thing didn't change.

When we permit our feelings and allow them to show up, we can change something. In this way the feelings can turn to NOTHING ; )

154 – Relish relish

“Yeah, that's quite okay.”
“Not bad, usually.”
“I've eaten worse.”

These answers are probably honest.
One doesn't want to exaggerate with effusive praise, right? Sure there is better.
On a scale from 0-10, if 10 is the best one's got to keep free the upper ranks for eventual better things? One doesn't give an 8, a 9 or even a 10 very quickly?

And this is how it tastes then. At the last afterwards. Just another 7-memory in life, or even less.

What a pity. So?

Start:
Today you could get aware where you downsize potential relish because you put some quality into a rating system that it doesn't even belong in.
That's the whole exercise.

Maybe you're having some low quality meal and then rate it in the measures of high quality food (deep frozen pizza – real pizza)? Or do you consume fast food and rate it in comparison to freshly cooked food (fast food burger – home made burger)? Or you're dining in a cheap restaurant with appendant low quality and judge on your meal in measures of home made dinner (pulpy food – mother's cooking)?

You could take charge of the taste of your food from now on. A cheap deep frozen pizza may taste like a cheap 9 now, or even like a super cheap 10. As soon as you allow that, your ratings will be higher and your satisfaction as well.

Relieve all tensions, your jaws, tongue, cheeks. Half smile can be a consequence : ) Breathe easily, in – out.

Free of expectation and rating
satisfied and happy
thoughts of peace for Maledives : )

In case you're really unhappy with the quality of your food you could allow yourself food of higher quality.

A quick dish made with fresh ingredients could do better than pre-pared industrial quality.

It's not cheaper but worth the price... So it could be more inexpensive for you in the end : )

153 – Colourful?

After 5 months you could, in case you made it that far, do NOTHING for 5 minutes. Or 4? Or 3? Very cool anyway!

Maybe you noticed something thereby? That there was really NOTHING, for example? And maybe this NOTHING had a colour for just a little moment? Or two? Or something like this?

This can happen when one consciously and concentrated does NOTHING.
Why? Nobody really knows. That's why we're satisfied now just to mention it.

Start:
Today you could be satisfied with just doing NOTHING for 5 minutes and 4 seconds.

Even there appear colours, let them pass you by. Without sticking to them. Perceive, accept, let pass. Sounds, thoughts, feelings, colours or whatever else may cross your way : )

free of adherence
thoughts of peace for Guatemala : )

We can do it the same way with different matters in life.

First just perceive what happens; events, emotions.
Accept them without rating; just like this, because they are part of our presence.
And then let them pass because they already become a part of our past.

When we are composed and free of exhausting and demoralizing thoughts in this way inside we can work on the change of uncomfortable matters into easy ones much stronger.

So, we can enjoy the 'magic' of DOING NOTHING...

152 – Stretch the shoulders

Always sitting, at the computer, at the desk, in the car, on the sofa? Back's getting quite round then?

Here helps a healthy arm salad ; )

Start:
Stand up straight and erect. Imagine your head being pulled up by a string at the vertex. Knees slightly bent, pelvis slightly tilted backwards (belly button tilts towards back).

Hold your arms up and 90 degrees bent in front of you, cross elbows, twist arms a little bit by bringing palms together again. Keep hands and fingers straight.

With every inhale you could lift your arms slightly, with every exhale lower them again. Do this 3-5 times. Then, let your arms hang down on the sides and breathe 10-15 seconds with your eyes closed. Then, change sides.

That's valid for every exercise by the way: Only go as far as it's comfortable. Don't go further when it gets too hard. Distension is unathletic and brings problems : )

What an arm salad, huh?
Stretching the back shoulders

And not only you'll stretch your back and shoulders with this exercise, you'll also build up new brain synapses.

Two in one, very very fine : )

151 – Clearly clearer

“I don't like this. And this I don't like either, And this I do not like at all.”

We have predilections and disinclinations.
Living together with others, sometimes our disinclinations can be ignored. How can that happen?

Pointing out the things we do 'not' like mostly does 'not' take sustainable effect.

Distinct hints to our wish are necessary to make the other person considerately understand. Others can tune in to our wishes when we clearly say what we want.

You know what you do not like.
Do you also know what you like?

Start:
Today you could put a conflict before your eyes where you told someone a hundred times that you do not like something... but he/she still does it again and again.
If you remember chapter 16, you might now find an explanation for the difficulty of the matter.

Decipher and formulate what you like instead. That could be more effective. Much more effective!

Now you could breathe. 3 times. 5 minutes?! Cool. If you like...

I perceive myself
I clearly see what I want
thoughts of peace for Nauru : )

So, how did you do? Did you know what you want right away?
Recognizing what we do not want can help us to know what we actually want.

We'll achieve the best effects when we clearly point out our wishes. Thereby it could be very helpful to know about our OWN wishes first.

150 – Trust is good

Trust is good! Checkup is better?

Sure, sometimes, yes.

But in life there are situations that really cannot be controlled. In those cases the ones of us who are able to trust have the least problems.

A lack of trust means that there are opposite thoughts like mistrust, fear or worry which are leading in our thinking. Mostly we can really imagine the bad end of things.

If thoughts move mountains then...

Start:
Today you could confront a situation where you truly have no control.

Maybe you sent out a couple of applications and are now fearing that you're going to be rejected. Or you're working on a project and fear for it to fail. Or you're separated from your love and wonder if he7she gets to know somebody or maybe you do not have a partner and fear that you're going to miss out on the right one?
Where else do you have no control?

Now think of your wishes, how you want things to be, as if they were already certain to come up like this. If possible, imagine it in pictures. How good your new work is, How successful the project went, how much you are loved, look forward to it : )

Relax mouth and face musculature, half smile. Indulge in dreams of how it can be...

I am full of trust and faith
delight for everything that is to come
thoughts of peace for Niger : )

...is it possible that we, with the opposite of 'trust', support the bad ending of things because we already settled it in our thoughts?

After all, we won't do fine with these thoughts. So why hold on to them?

Even it comes different than we thought, in the end, it can turn out to be the much better ending. Trusting this thought is more than good.

At least it can give us composure and that can support us in a very nice way; with everything we do.

149 – Yesterday's twaddle

"I don't care about yesterday's twaddle. There is nothing to hold me back from getting wiser." (Konrad Adenauer)

What we were fully convinced of yesterday, might have become old hat for us today; mostly that's because we experienced or learned new.

Brave is the one who can dissociate from obsolete convictions ans abstain from holding on to the old against better knowledge.

Start:
Today you could ponder to what outer matters or meanings you hold on though, still, you can already see a new inner position.

Maybe you continue judging a person even though you already discovered that this person isn't that 'bad' as you thought. Maybe you hold on to a common opinion because you're worried to lose countenance. Or maybe you shut yourself off to things that you've made fun of, even though they'd actually be of interest to you?
Whatever it may be, you could just change your opinion as soon as you recognize that you and others would do better then.

Relax you face and body. Straighten up, chin slightly drawn towards chest, long neck. With every inhale you can feel your entire body. With every exhale you can be open for the new. 4 minutes and 58 seconds? Or 3 times?

Free
open for the newthoughts of peace for Morocco : )

Everything changes, NOTHING remains the same : )

148 – Open Sesame!

How to confront people that temporarily loose control and give expression to anger?

It's about banal confrontations with strangers. People who surrendered to anger and try to pass it on to the outside.

In the road traffic, at the cash desk queue, at home with the family, or anywhere else.

There is a „Open Sesame!“.
Smile (and think „send delight/love“). You could express „I see that you are angry. I feel sorry for that.“ and thereby friendly say the word „Forgive me“.

Without any reason for us to excuse ourselves. It's only about supporting that maltreated person. He/she could get appeased and peaceful. So that would be a good thing for common peace.

Especially for our peace...

Start:
Today you could remember when somebody wrongfully gripped at you. Remember your feelings.
If you could remain easy, that's super.
If not, you could once again feel the feeling of powerlessness, anger... Do you feel it?
Now you could imagine how you confront the person in a friendly way. Breathe in and out 3 times : )

Recognize woe and forgive
thoughts of peace for Indonesia : )

When you tell the person “I see your anger. Forgive me.” you could know that, in fact, it is you who forgives the other person : )

147 – A wave is nothing but a wave

Wave is water. Water that is in movement.
Billowy it builds up, becomes a wave, somersaults at the shore. Then it's gone.

New waves follow. And they vanish, too.

The ocean doesn't feel anything of this. Even if waves play wild games on the surface, ocean remains calm; the deeper one dives, the calmer it gets.

We and our feelings are very similar to the waves and the ocean.
When we'd dive through the waves of our feelings we might discover calmness that is always there.

Start:
You could do a test today. Next time a feeling overcomes you, hold still, be silent. The more excited you are, the more interesting the exercise gets! Stop moving, stop your situational thinking and be silent. Close your eyes, if possible. Consequently observe your bodily feelings that can show up like waves somewhere in your body. Notice all that comes up.

Then, start breathing. As long as you can take time for it and as long as you like to. Relieve all tensions : )

(in) I notice all feelings
(out) I become very silent
thoughts of peace for Poland : )

The more conscious we get about waves showing up and vanishing, the less serious we can take them.

With time and a little exercise, the waves will get smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller...

146 – Praise or reproof?

Children become confident when they're praised.

It seems that they take important energy out of the praise, this energy makes them blossom. And it doesn't really matter what they're praised for.

Every littleness will do! And it's reasonable : ) Praise is for free.
A little sensitivity and the wish to give delight to the other, that's it.

Reproof, in contrast, seems to detract delight. The more inane the matter is, the more energy will be detracted. That applies to the one who is dispraised and for the one who dispraises.

Start:
Today you could decide whether you'd like to give reproof and critique or praise. To yourself and to anyone else : )

Would you like to breathe a little? Then sit up straight and relaxed, loosen musculature of your belly, mouth, cheeks and forehead, half smile. Smile?

Breathing in I know that I breathe in
Breathing out I smile at myself
thoughts of peace for Kiribati : )

We ourselves are mostly our most severe reviewers. That's where we could start when we'd like to change our habits.

Even if there was good reason for critique, still, there are many nice and encouraging possibilities to sow courage instead of discouragement with our words : )

When you'd usually deal out criticism, you could now say. “You did it as good as you could do it. I see your effort. Next time it'll surely be better. Just try it again.”

145 – Giving or taking today?

Love – that's giving and taking.
Unconditional.

Sometimes we might feel more needy than usually.
Then it can happen that we want love at all cost because we think that we'll do better when we get some.

How likely are we to remain unconditional when we just take what we think we need?

Start:
Now you could decide whether you'd like to give or to take love today.
Relieve all tensions, straighten up, chin slightly drawn towards your chest, long neck. Loosen jawbones and tongue, relaxed half smile. You can feel your body with every breath. Let thoughts and noises pass you by.

Free of anger, worries and fear
thoughts of peace for Fiji : )

Experience shows that love cannot be demanded, nor can it be expected. It seems that love mostly appears when we ourselves give unconditional love.

Or, what experiences did you make? Do you remember?

144 – Give happiness

“Give away happiness? I don't even have enough for myself!”

'Giving away' friendly thoughts to others isn't only gratis, it also works positive for our own well-being.

The others are a kind of catalyst for our delight : )
So amazingly simple!

Start:
Today you could take advantage of a situation where you feel unhappy or uneasy and send friendly and nice thoughts to others. You can do that now while reading or when you meet these persons. You may also do it secretly, just for yourself ; )

Relax your face, loosen jawbones and tongue, back straightened up, head slightly drawn towards your chest.
Half smile. Inhale – exhale, notice thoughts and sounds and let them pass. 4 minutes and 46 seconds? Or 3 times?

Person xyz:
happy and safe
thoughts of peace for Uzbekistan : )

You can also dedicate friendly thoughts to a group or a country. It doesn't really matter where you send your good thoughts to.

Everything's fine!

143 – Breadth in the chest

Sometimes it can get quite tight in our chest. When we feel aggrieved for example or maybe because we were sitting in front of the computer all day and didn't get in motion.

We then might have the tendency to bend over to the front or let our shoulders hang down or even our head.

So come one, let's straighten up and get back our breadth : )

Start:
Stand straight. Head is torn upwards like its top is bound to a string. Knees slightly bent, pelvis tilted backwards slightly.

Now fold your hands behind your back and outstretch your arms. With ever inhale you breathe into the breadth of your chest, with every exhale you relax.
You could stretch your arms a little more upwards with every inhale if you like, as long as it's comfortable. Be modest and avoid any overexpansion!

In this video I'm shortly showing you the exercise so that it's more easy to understand : )

avoid hollow back, so tilt pelvis backwards slightly : )

It's good for our well-being to have more breadth in the chest : )

Very easy, very good, isn't it?

142 – Objectivity is subjective

“Things simply are the way they are.”
“That's how it is.”
“It's just like that.”

Yes, that's what you say when you accept things as they are.

Who could assess that 'these things' would have to be acceptable for everyone? And that they maybe could be changed or even should be changed?

Things can be very different seen from different points of view. Even though it's all about the same thing.

That's enough for objectivity... quite a subjective matter indeed.

Start:
Today you could think of a current matter where your impression is considerably different form someone other's impression.
You could friendly wonder what made the other have that certain impression of the matter.
It could be helpful to avoid all judging thoughts from the beginning on and simply try to see with the other's eyes. Benevolent and respectful towards the other's “objectivity”.

That's the idea of the day:

benevolent thinking
tolerance and respectthoughts of peace for Macedonia : )

The feeling to be right is also felt by the other about his/her point of view.
When we take this as seriously as we take our own impression, we could be on the best path to solve the situation to the satisfaction of all.

Only those who stick to their own impressions won't move on. Except if they were to oppress others... and that could be different, too ; )