The possibilities to transform the impossible

Several times in life a person reaches a situation or circumstance that comes with the tag IMPOSSIBLE: it is something unattainable and unreachable, difficult and hard to make it, something that many try to avoid at all costs.

And yet, there are millions of IMPOSSIBLE things surrounding you and me right now… at least, they were IMPOSSIBLE at some moment in history. So, we can conclude IMPOSSIBLE things can take place; they can become POSSIBLE.

By exploring that possibility, there are basically 3 ways to turn the IMPOSSIBLE, POSSIBLE:

Magic is the first thing you could think, but of course, magic does not exist. Right? Well… we can use the word Magic when something really unexpected happens. I remember the first time I travelled to India; I was earning monthly around US$ 300 while the ticket was about US$ 2,000, I didn’t even have passport, and yet, I’VE GOT IT! It was magical… Magic happens when there is faith on the IMPOSSIBLE becoming POSSIBLE and clarity on the results to be obtained. Try it!

 

The second possibility is simply called a Wonder, and that is the moment when the IMPOSSIBLE melts away and the POSSIBLE emerges from it. I live in the result of a wonder, a house belonging to an organization that does not charge any fees for their services. More than 15 years ago, we started having the aim for this house and eventually, it came up as a fruit of everyone’s effort. Wonders take place when there is a clear goal and others’ cooperation.

 

And, yes, we have Miracles. I had a few experiences in that area, but I am not talking here about the religious miracle; I am talking about miracle as that thing which is REALLY IMPOSSIBLE, UNATTAINABLE, but it happens. For so many years I used to have asthma attacks during winter, which was bad for me and my mother, whose sleep was deeply disturbed and she was full of worry about me. Then, at the age of 21, I went to India, DURING WINTER… but I didn’t have an asthma attack. In fact, it never came back! I am almost 60 and although my lungs are not excellent, asthma left my life at that point. The reason, according to my reflection: 1) of course, years of treatment helped; 2) I was more aware of my health and the environment I was living was much better than before, and 3) I was doing meditation and for me that was key for this Miracle. If you want a miracle, do your homework (treatment, dialogues, education, training, etc.), improve your life environment and have a spiritual practice.

 

Next time you face an IMPOSSIBLE situation, check about these possibilities and see how the IMPOSSIBLE changes into POSSIBLE. Good luck!

What are the real effects of forgiving?

 

Forgiveness is more than being saintly, it is a healing tool, a way to repair broken bridges with other people and a wonderful way to experience constructive emotions. I would like to invite you to read this article about forgiveness, from the point of view of neuroscience: The Neurobiology of Forgiveness.

In my case, would like to share my own experience as I am in a spiritual path for more than 40 years, which I hope will motivate you to forgive. And be forgiven.

• Forgiveness is healing for the one who forgives. In fact, I believe when I forgive, I am forgiving myself to have allowed that sorrow entering in my life or losing my own self-respect due to that.
• Forgiving cannot be compulsory, it must flow. A very wise yoga teacher shared when she could not forgive; she decided to connect the person with someone who could provide whatever they need… She took her time, until she was able to at least talk to the person again, an important step.
• Forgiveness is a way to others’ hearts. When you forgive someone, whether they know or not, a powerful energy links you both again… It may take time, but the relationship can resume.
• Forgiveness does not necessarily mean that all changes because of it. It is a process of acknowledgment and, from this, you can change whatever is needed.
• Forgiveness works best with best wishes, detachment and unconditional love.
• Forgiveness works worse with expectations, grudging and blaming.
• Forgiveness opens wounds, make sure you are prepared for it.
• Forgiveness improves by meditating, praying and other spiritual practices.
• Forgiving does not mean to talk to the other person. Do it when you are both ready.

Thoughts are powerful, very powerful

Let’s talk about the power of thoughts.

We could go scientifically and there are lots of research supporting that. Or we may go to the mystical side of thoughts; not much in terms of research, but people love it.

However, I would like to share with you three experiences related to the power of thought, so you can… think… about them.

The first experience is the fact that I was brought up thinking I was poor. Yes, that was said at least once a week in my family and by other people too. And yet, we had our own house and there were other things that contradicted that affirmation.

Thoughts create prosperity and abundance in a very real way. When I came to my spiritual path, and even before that, I started to see reality in a different way. It was as if an exit door for my situation just opened. It took time for me to believe it, to go through it and at last, to be free from that limiting belief, and it all started with my thoughts…

 

My second experience is related to sickness. I am clear about the need of using medicine, and I use it, but I value the energy of the self.

I was in India just now, walking around, when a friend of mine insisted that I meditated and sent some of the energy to my foot (long story...). I did that, and the sensation was amazing. Maybe thoughts can’t cure all the time, but they can give a relief.

 

The last experience is about a relationship. He was an acquaintance and one day I met him, when I found out he was very upset with me. It was a strange feeling, since we were from different countries, we didn’t talk much and, well, our relationship was almost zero.

Initially I felt quite annoyed with that, but I started to change my thoughts in relation to him. I started to send good wishes and good vibrations to him. It was a process of years, but at last, when we met many years later, he was OK with me…

 

Thoughts work very well; it is time we use this resource more.

A sweet defeat

Very few learn this when they are children: defeat and failure are normal.

Yes, we all want to be victorious and successful, but in reality, things are not in that way and there will be more situations of defeat than victory, for many people.

The fear of defeat and failure in our society is easy to explain, but in human terms, defeat and failure offer a very interesting opportunity to grow. In fact, success sometimes block growth – just check in the recent past companies like Pan Am and Blockbuster: their growth, their enormous growth, took them to a point that they became stable and slowly, they have descended.

Some companies were creative like IBM and AT&T and they could prevent most of the fall, but this seems the fate of successful companies. Maybe it is the successful people’s fate too.

Recently, in a nostalgic powerful moment, one of the greatest singers from the 80’s and 90’s performed one of her big hits, along another younger singer and the result was a piece of magic in a very dark world… A moment of hope, a motivation to take action and something beautiful.

Her life, some say, was almost destroyed by success… I am happy she was able to stop her own descent… but many couldn’t.

Failure is something else. Many years ago, still a high school student, I read about a book which name drew my attention. I asked the teacher who responded simply that the book was not successful…

Many years later, after a short stay living in Santiago, Chile, I saw a banner on the street announcing the launching of that same book! Come on!

It took me a few months or years, not sure, until I was able to be with one of the greatest contemporary Brazilian writers who told me that book journey: it was a total failure, then a different publisher bought its rights, it published again several years after the first publishing and it became probably the most read Brazilian book in History. It sold worldwide more than 60 million copies in almost 70 languages.

Don’t be mad at me for not revealing names (why do you have access to Google?), but my intension is that I would like you to think about yourself…

Maybe, you had a huge failure sometime ago, but life has turned around and that failure turned into success.

Or you were not able to sustain your professional success and things are not as they used to be. Even though you are not having as much success as before, your mind is light, your relationships are much better, you feel so well! It is success, in a different way.

Perhaps you compare yourself with others and you notice how much they have gained, and you, so little… Take into account all you have, even your brilliant mind and the potential that was not revealed yet. And embrace the successful person you are.

Of course, there will be failures that won’t become a success… What lesson have you learned? Which changes should you implement in your life after that defeat? How that failure can turn into motivation for you or others?

I tell you, defeat and failure, they are very sweet…  It is just a question of perception.

You are someone’s hero and the secret for your success is…

Someone out there is looking at you, they are taking their steps by following you and they quote whatever they hear from you. They may be a relative or friend, perhaps they work with you or they live nearby; you are a hero for them.

What about refining the hero you already are? There are of course lots of trainings you can do, but here is a short list of things you can work, so that your heroism inspires many people to be heroes themselves:

• Egoless. This is a stage of the mind and awareness, but in practice it means to not take credit, share credit with others and be reflexive in relation to whatever happened, accepting errors.
• Knowledge. A leader is the one who is full of knowledge in such an extent that knowledge turns into wisdom… That is the point in which a leader becomes a hero!
• Humility. This is the key for success, it is that point when there is so much self-esteem that the person can acknowledge how others are better than them without loosing the fact they are a hero.

Controlling your mind, control your destiny

Mind control was a term used quite often at certain levels not long ago; in fact, there was even a (very expensive) course dedicated to teach people how to control their minds!

First, let’s understand the mind. From a spiritual perspective, mind is a part of the being responsible for generating ideas, thoughts and feelings, emotions and sensations.

Mind is considered by many a crazy horse, with no means to refrain or to detain. Others appreciate the power of the mind, generating, well, all we see around us! Except nature, of course.

So, how to REALLY control the mind? Probably that is the wrong word; instead of CONTROLLING, we need to handle or to manage it.

There are two ways to accomplish that. The first way is to look for silencing the mind, totally. Even though that is not possible, it is the aim of many spiritual practices, including certain types of meditation. As a clarification, it is not possible because there is always a white noise in the mind, sound or image.

However, with a proper meditation, like the Raja Yoga Meditation, you may reach a point in which your thoughts – voice, images – are replaced by feelings and it will be almost as if there is total silence. In that case, the mind will be under control and whatever experience is desired, it is possible to get it, especially if it is positive and powerful.

And what about managing the mind when things go wrong or under pressure. It will be much more difficult, but it is feasible to do it when things are quiet; in many people’s practices, meditation is done early in the morning so there is silence all around.

A final consequence of that positive management is a better control over one’s life. After all, what we do is a direct fruit of our thoughts; by managing their creation, we manage our own life.

You get by giving, not by taking

There is a spiritual law most people know: the law of karma. Well, at least people do mention karma when they have an accident, someone is disturbing them or they lose an amount of money.

Sorry, karma is more than that and it can be good too, pleasant and interesting.

But, OK, let’s think of the broccoli-tasted karma that we have to settle; there is a spiritual principle that works in a wonderful way. GIVING IS IN RECEIVING.

The principle implies that anytime someone gives, they are receiving and it helps to settle the “broccolic” karma, but what does it mean and how to do it?

All starts from the consciousness. Whenever there is something to do that is clearly associated with karma settling, think of how to contribute instead of taking.

The reason is that whenever you receive something, another subtle karma is created and, one day, you will have to give back; on the contrary, if you give something instead of receiving or taking, you break that process and open a possible resolution.

A simple example: an old friend comes and starts to insult you. Instead of receiving the insults, you focus on remembering the good moments together and appealing to that friendship, a way of giving. Slowly, the friend calms down and this challenge ends.

It requires lots of self-control a clear objective in mind, in terms of what to do in relation to this situation, but it works. And it is worthwhile; you may save a friendship by changing the way of responding.

Next time the karma collector knocks at your door, remember this spiritual principle.