Be fully present. Be peaceful Be BLISS!!

It would be very difficult to cook a great meal without being able to be completely present and able to use your senses fully.  Being able to smell, taste, see, feel and hear are an integral part of cooking.  And even with those engaged - you can still make a mediocre meal!!!

It's the same with life - in order to live a rich and wonderful life - we need to continuously be present, peaceful and grateful for what currently is.  And to direct our senses to notice the good. 

Use our eyes to see kindness, beauty and nature. 

Our touch to feel silk, furry animals and soft skin.

Our ears to hear beautiful music, the waves of the ocean or the sound of a bird.

Our taste to enjoy sweet chocolate, a tart fruit or a salty snack.

Our nose to inhale a lovely rose, delicious cologne or a home cooked meal.

And when we are fully aware, awake and conscious, we can use our sixth sense - intuition - the most wonderful of all.

For me - BLISS only exists when I can be intently present and in my body (my senses) - and not in my mind.  That is where pure pleasure and happiness can be accessed and enjoyed.

So it's important to eliminate that which no longer serves your highest blissfulness.  For we can only serve the world when we are filled up with love first!

I wear my "Ananda: BLISS" hand jewels to remind me of staying right here and experiencing life in all of it's beauty with love!!!

www.BLISSbyAdeline.com

Changes in Perception Change Your Experience

Bliss is a choice.  And to quote Deepak Chopra, "it's your birthright!"

My happiness levels have not dramtically increased as a result in a change in circumstance.  In fact - my financial and physical status has pretty much been the same for the past 5 years.  The only difference is my personal interpretation of circumstances in my life.

I will use this example:

A couple of days ago I went to the movies with my Grandmother and her caregiver.  We had a lovely time.  When I dropped them off at their condo, I was snacking on some nuts in the car.  My Grandma said, "be careful that you don't choke on those - make sure to chew well and drink some water so they go down smoothly!"

I laughed and replied, "Okay Grandma - I will be careful!"

Not too long ago I would have gotten defensive and even a little angry.  I would never had said anything rude - but inside my head there would have been thoughts like:

- why is she telling me what to do?

- I have been taking care of myself my entire adult life!

- does she think that I am stupid? 

And even though I would not have shared these negative thoughts - they were still running rampant in my head.

Ananda (Bliss) is a state of BEING and is available right now.  Consciously noticing these distructive thoughts and changing their course to positive, kind and helpful ones is the first step.

I highly recommend a daily meditation practice as a first step to listening to your thoughts and practicing your power over them.  Like a muscle that builds over time - the silence provides a safe haven to go inward and take the reins of your perceptions.

Each event can be translated in multiple ways - learn to always choose BLiSS!! 

Acts and thoughts of compassion and kindness = BLiSS

Being generous and loving is a choice we get to make at any moment.  Whether it's with ourselves or with others - being forgiving and sweet can be the difference between living a bitter or blissful existence.  

And the beauty is that we get to re-choose over and over again.  It really doesn't matter what I did a decade ago.  Or a year ago.  Or yesterday.  There is a place for making amends but IN THIS MOMENT we can decide to be kind to ourselves and others.  

The more we practice open, loving, and heart felt sweetness, the happier we become and the nicer we are.  It is a cycle of goodness and a path we should all pay attention to stay on.  It is contagious too!!!  You will notice that the more love you give, the more your community around you gets uplifted, happy and loving!

We are responsible for listening and trusting our intuition and having deep compassion for any "mistakes" that may have occurred.  Life is about growth and learning which requires overcoming challenges and noticing reactions to them.  This is how we know that we may choose differently next time. There is no place for regret, resentment or anger, for each "bad" event was actually a GIFT.  That's right - you get to choose how you interpret what happened, and I choose to look at what the positive outcome was.  

As an example, I play tennis, and although I don't like losing matches, I use that losing game as an example of how to win the next time!

(My partner Lisa and I winning a tournament)

Also - filling your life with positive thoughts and actions can be a useful way to push out the negative ones.  

Here are a few of my daily BLiSS thoughts:

I am happy

I am loved

I am kind

I am generous

I am tenacious

I am loving

I am lucky

I am connected

I am safe

I am successful 

I am healthy

Here are a few of my BLiSS actions:

Be with people who inspire you to be happy and kind.  

Give back to the world with your genius. 

Have daily quiet time to listen to your thoughts and appreciate your breath.  

Do something you love every day.  

Enjoy every bite of food that you take. 

Take time to smell a flower and to touch a soft fabric.  

Smile broadly at a stranger.  

Listen to a song that you love.  

Read a book.  Take a walk and enjoy nature.  

Visit an elderly person.  

Pet an animal.  

Kiss a child.  

Call an old friend.  

Buy a gift for an acquaintance.

Send a handwritten letter.  

Hold hands with a loved one.

Buy yourself a treat from your childhood. 

Use your best dishes.  

Cook dinner for friends.  

Sit by the ocean and listen.  

Have a massage.

Design a piece of jewelry.

Eat a bite of chocolate.

The point is - will you CHOOSE BLiSS today?