Do you live by your spirit? You may be asking yourself, what do I mean by that? I’m not talking about religion, I’m talking about how to live your life to the fullest. You live your life by the fullest by living by your spirit.

First, you need to find out where your spirit lives. I wrote a post on this and you can certainly read that post to learn about this in more detail.

Basically, what it takes is learning what makes your spirit sing? What makes it shrink? What makes your spirit sing? Let’s say it’s listening to music or maybe walking in the woods. You feel lighter or joyful It makes you feel good. On the other side of this is what makes your spirit shrink or diminish. Think about the last time you were depressed. When we’re depressed our spirit is diminished or shrinks. Many people feel like they are filled with lead or maybe sand. That’s your spirit shrinking or diminishing.

Living by the spirit means living by your heart, or your inner being. These are just words describing the same thing. Your spirit leads you. Your spirit leads you to do the things you are meant to do. It’s how we are meant to live and exist in this world.

Infinite Source exists in spirit, and Infinite Source links to our spirit. It’s how we are meant to be.

You find the right path by opening to your spirit. This does not mean that you stop using your head. Only that the first voice you listen to is your spirit voice, not your intellectual voice. The body and the mind are meant to assist spirit. The body carries out what the spirit wants to do. The mind is the advisor.

Most people live in the intellect or mind. Not saying you shouldn’t be wise in your actions,but living by your intellect can rob you of your dreams. Your mind advises spirit that, “This can’t happen, this isn’t the right time, look at the economy.” We think too logically.

Infinite Source waits to give you what you ask for and reach out for. The intellect can stop you from having those dreams and reaching for them. The spirit is unafraid.

Why should you live this way? This is how we are meant to live. We are created to extensions of Infinite Source. We are created to be the hands and feet of Infinite Source. Our spirit leads us, guides us, in the way that we can most fully be that extension, to be the hands and feet of Infinite source

I said that most of us live by the intellect. I assume you live that way too. Let me ask you this question. How has that worked for you so far? How is your life doing so far. Maybe it’s perfect, maybe you’re doing fine and you’re happy. If you are like most people, you feel, lacking in some areas. You feel like you’re not living to your fullest potential. You feel like there is something missing and sometimes you feel heart sick because you want more.

Why not try living by the spirit? Let the spirit guide. Listen to the advice of the mind, but live by the spirit. Allow the body to do what it needs to do to fulfill the desires of the spirit. Give it a try. See if it doesn’t make life better!

So many people live lives of quiet desperation, according to Thoreau. The live lives that are closed and fearful. I am learning to live open and extraordinary. I say learning because life is a journey and we never learn it all.

I hope you enjoy this video. It was hard for me to not get too emotional. It is a subject near and dear to my heart!

This past week, I read a story from the bible about a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He invited all the best people to come to the banquet, but they all gave excuses why they couldn’t come, they said they were too busy. No one showed up. The king sent out his servants and had them invite people from the streets to come. He invited ordinary folks to come to the banquet.

Life is a banquet! It is a feast of unimaginable goodness. The problem is, most people don’t show up for the feast. There is a line from an old movie that goes,

“Life is a banquet, but most poor suckers are starving to death!”

The problem isn’t that there is no banquet, no feast, the problem is we don’t come to it. We don’t believe it’s for us or we are too busy to come. We don’t show up and so the banquet goes to someone else.

We moan and groan about how life isn’t fair or that we don’t have enough and all the while the banquet goes on without us.

How do you change and come to the banquet?

First, you realize there is a banquet! You have to change your thinking from one of lack and starving to one of going to the feast. Know that it is there, waiting for you to show up! Imagine all the good things there are and let your mouth water for them! Imagine what it will be like to sit at that table and have anything you want!

Second, go to the feast. Stop acting like you are not invited, or worse yet, that you are here only to serve those who do attend the feast. Show up! Go to the banquet knowing that there is plenty for all and that you have as much right to be there as any one else!

The Infinite gives this incredible life of overflowing abundance to us all and our part is to attend. Why believe you are not invited? If you are alive, then you are invited. You are welcome to sit and have your fill! The Universe waits to serve you whatever you will reach out for, but you have to reach out!

Don’t let this life go by without attending the feast! Put a smile on your face and head out the door, knowing that the banquet waits for you!

P.S. Leave a comment. Tell us how you have come to the banquet!

We all live lives that are busy. It doesn’t matter who you are, your life is filled each day with things to do. Sometimes our lives get over burdened and we begin to feel like it is more than we can take. Here’s one way to make that change.

Start the day with gratitude.

I’m going to give you a link to a video that is very much worth your time to watch. It is just under ten minutes, but they might be the best ten minutes you have spent in a long time.

No, I didn’t make the video. This isn’t some hyped up way to get you to watch something I did. It’s about how to change your life.

Isn’t that why you’re here?

Changing your life takes many facets, many techniques. Changing your life might be easy, but more than likely, it will take effort and practice.

Having a sense of gratitude for each day can change your outlook, and that’s the most important way to change your life.

The video is a TEDx video and the presenter is Louie Schwartzberg. Mr. Schwartzberg is a well known photographer and video maker.

Watch it. It will change your life!

Usually, I talk about how you can change your life. In this post, I want to talk about how life can change on you without warning.

Life change can come suddenly!

Sometimes, when we least expect it, life will take a turn in a direction you just didn’t count on. What do you do when that happens?

Most people get upset. They feel out of control and get upset!

Getting upset is natural. What isn’t natural or good is letting that feeling control us. We need to be able to think clearly, or as clearly as we can. Allowing our emotions to take control guarantees that things will be worse, or at least they will seem worse.

Here’s what I try to do when things get out of hand for me.

I meditate. Now, before you get all freaked out and think that I’m going to say you need to sit like a swami and contemplate your navel, relax! Meditation comes in all sorts of forms.

Certainly you can sit on the floor with your legs crossed, but you don’t have to. Meditation means you give you mind a break from the worry and striving to make everything come out right.

You can do that sitting on your deck enjoying a cup of coffee or other favorite beverage.

We all meditate to some degree or other. Have you ever had one of those moments where you vision sort of fuzzes out and you stare off into space. Your mind just sort of blanks out and you have no real cognizance of any thought, or anything else.

That is your mind taking a break. It is meditating on its own. We can learn to do that at will.

Sit somewhere quiet. I say sit rather than lay down because most of us tend to just fall asleep and that is not the same. Sit somewhere quiet and just invite your mind to do that fuzz out thing.

If you start thinking about something, just gently remind yourself to fuzz out again.

Some people like to do this in total silence, some like a little music in the background. I’ll give you a link to some great music for meditation later.

When life gives you a sudden U-turn, as soon as you can, take a few minutes to meditate. Just let all the worry go. Let all the fear go. Let your mind fuzz out. The problem will still be there when you come back to reality, but your mind will be rested and won’t be in panic mode. Life will be bearable again.

P.S. Here’s that link I told you about for some great meditation music. You can listen to some samples to see just how great it is! Just click the cover!

Do you find yourself working on changes to your life, but somehow, they seem to get lost in the shuffle? Don’t worry, most people have the same problem and there are some things you can do about it.

Three ways to stay on track with your changes.

The first thing I want you to look at is the change itself. Is this something you really want, or is it something that just sounds good, but you’re really not that passionate about it?

Change is hard. It’s hard all by itself. If the change you want is not something that you are passionate about, then your chances are slim that you will ever see success. Many times we “get talked into” changes that others think are good, but we really don’t care that much.

We believe we are supposed to be more goal oriented or that we are supposed to weigh a certain amount. Now those things are good, but if they aren’t you, if they aren’t something you want to work on right now, then scrap ‘em!

Without the passion, there is no change.

Second; what do others say about the change you are trying to make?

If you are trying to make a change that your family, your life partner, your friends, all say is stupid or that you shouldn’t do it or can’t do it, you have a problem! Other people’s opinions of us are strong influencers. You have to be strong enough to stand against their criticism and ridicule.

Remember, this change is for you. If you have decided this is something you really want, that you’re [passionate about, then you have to stand against all those nay sayers.

See if you can’t find one friend, one person, who is on your side and ask them to be your cheerleader. Tell them that the rest of the world seems to want to knock you down and you need them, from time to time, to cheer you on. It will work wonders!

Lastly, put on your stubborn face

I have said it before and I will say it many times more. Change is hard. It takes time and it takes guts. If you can’t put on your stubborn face that says, “I won’t quit no matter what,” then you have trouble ahead of you.

The passion, even if it is strong, will weaken at times. The stubborn face sees you through those weak times.

People will get to you now and then and you will wonder if they aren’t right and you should quit this silly idea. The stubborn face will understand that they don’t know you like you know you and they don’t see it the way you do.

Your life is your life. You may do with it as you like. If you want to change things in some way, then that is up to you. Go out and do it!