ACCOMPLISHMENT

The following is a "Para-Gram" by Paramahansa Yogananda. I picked this card when I woke up today and pondered upon it during my meditation:

Efficiency that leads to success is developed through concentration and meditation. The unlimited Creative Principle within you is the source of all art and wisdom. When you want to create something important, sit quietly and meditate deeply upon it. You will be guided by the creative Spirit, but you should also exercise determination in accomplishing your objective. Awaken initiative, which is the creative faculty within you -- a spark from the divine Creator. You must do something which will show that God's creative principle is active within you. With unflinching steadiness go forward on your path, knowing that the Infinite Power sustains you.

I chose this card because of the many things I want to accomplish this day, this week, this month, this year. My JenAdamsProject blog will describe to you in detail these personal goals I've set out for this year. And I realized that the more tasks and projects I have/need/want to do, the longer and deeper I should meditate. I do that now... since the first week of this year, I started meditating some more. It amazes me how being in touch with myself through meditation can give me so much more energy and determination. Reaching out to the divine inside of me aides me in taking the initiative to start the things I need to finish. It helps me banish laziness, complacency and the so-called "Manyana habit" among Filipinos. Meditation greatly helps me focus all my energy... the creative stuff that is working inside of me, to produce results while at the same time nurturing my spirit. Today alone, I was able to accomplish many things on my list to think that I've only been awake for 6 hours. On any ordinary day like before, this wouldn't have been possible. God is great! By doing something that shows God's creative principle actively working within me, I become more efficient in accomplishing my goals.

Tips for a More Productive 2010

My girlfriend, Koryn, forwarded these tips to me via email. She seldom does that and I seldom read forwarded emails but the title and content caught my attention and I feel like sharing them with you now.

Unknowingly, I have been practicing most of these tips all these years no wonder I seem to be living such a remarkable life despite everything (tips # 3-11). As for tips #1-2, I am getting there. ^_^

Finally, these tips and more can be found in this amazing book should you want to purchase it.

Here they are.... tips on how to live a more productive life:

1. Purge clutter, downsize, and minimize. The less stuff you own, the less you have to clean, store, maintain, manage, protect, worry about, stress about, waste money on, forget, and pick up. Have the minimum amount of stuff for you to be comfortable. (This level is different for everyone and you’ll have to figure it out for yourself.)

2. Organize what you choose to own and use. Your home and office don’t need to be pristine museums, but you and the people who access the same space/items need to be able to easily find things when they’re needed. Order is better than chaos, and order saves you time and energy.

3. Commit to a streamlined routine for the mundane tasks in your life and be disciplined enough to maintain that routine. If you do 30 minutes of housework a day, your home is never chaotic. But, you have to be committed to these daily activities (dishes, laundry as needed, things put back in place when finished, kitty litter scooped, etc.) and not put them off for another day. The same is true for work; you have to stay on top of the necessary tasks or they will haunt you. I also think of this item as taking responsibility for the things you choose to own.

4. Determine what matters most to you. Make a list of the people, activities, and things in your life that mean the most to you and then spend the vast majority of your time focusing on these items. Be honest with yourself, though, and put on your list what really matters to you, not what you think should matter to you.

5. Remind yourself that even if you live to be 100, life is short. There is no better time to live your life than right now. My life’s motto is carpe vitam, Latin for seize life. It’s morbid to think about, but someday might not ever come. Stop putting things off until tomorrow.

6. Say “no” to what doesn’t matter. If an activity or responsibility isn’t on your list of what matters most to you, say “no” to it. Learn to say “no” in such a way as to not be a jerk, but say “no” when you need to. This is where I greatly differ from most people because I don’t feel guilty about protecting my time. And, as far as I know, most people don’t think I’m a jerk because I’m clear about why I’m declining offers and invitations. (“Taking a yoga class with you would be fun, but Wednesday nights are date night with my husband. Is there a similar class we can take together on another night?”)

7. Enjoy being industrious. Working provides us with the resources to take care of the things that matter most. Whatever you do for a career, make sure it is something that you enjoy (even if just minimally).

8. Get rid of everything that is toxic in your life because toxic things are clutter. Toxic people and habits suck up resources and energy. I was an avid smoker until I calculated how much of my money, time, and energy were going into my smoking addiction. No matter how gifted and talented, I avoid employing, working with, and spending time with people who are toxic. A toxic person can waste your time and mental energy faster than any other form of clutter.

9. Live within your means and save money for retirement, rainy days, and adventures. Get rid of your credit cards and only use cash or your debit card. Live on a budget even if you don’t need to be mindful of your spending habits. Have a retirement account, and two savings accounts — one for emergencies (refrigerator died, fender bender) and one for splurging on what matters most to you (vacation, rock climbing lessons, a camera to capture your child’s first steps). Buy quality instead of quantity. Be a smart consumer.

10. Take risks and be brazen. A second motto in my life is ad astra per aspera, which is loosely translated as to the stars through difficulty. (It’s also the Kansas state motto.) Great things might fall in your lap from time to time, but for the most part you have to get outside your comfort zone and initiate something new. Have you always wanted to learn to play the flute? Get your hands on a flute and start taking lessons. You’ll be really awful those first six months (or year or five), but you’ll never learn to play the flute if you don’t take the chance and try.

11. Get adequate sleep. Keep a sleep journal and find out how much sleep you need to function at your best. Then, make sure you get that amount of sleep every night. When you’re well rested, it’s easier to stay calm, be productive, and focus on what you need and want to do.

Happiness for Everyone this New Year

It must be a puzzle for most of us how some people tend to be happier than others in spite of the tragedies that had befallen them… why do some people easily bounce back from life’s tragedies while there are others who, despite having almost everything they ever wanted in life, still seem to feel miserable. Well, wonder no more. There is actually a scientific theory that can explain this phenomenon. And scientists call this --- HAPPINESS SET POINT.

Scientists continue to prove that 1/2 of our happiness level is genetic. Yes, we all got our tendency for happiness/misery from our biological parents and that is our base point. Would you believe? 50% of the time, how we feel comes from the way our parents feel about life too. But it does not mean that those born with somber parents are doomed for life. This just means that they would have to work doubly hard on intending to be blissful. It’s the same way with obese and skinny people. They have to work harder in getting their desired weight as compared to those who are born with just the perfect genes (according to social standards at least).

Knowing these things, how do we become happy? How do we make this coming New Year filled with bliss, love, and more of the great things that we’ve all been yearning for? One minute we are ecstatic, the next minute, we get depressed. Then sometime in between, we bounce back to our happiness set point. How do we ensure that we feel happy most of the time at the very least?

Take for instance those people who were lucky enough to have won in the lottery and were deliriously happy about it at first. But after a few months or a year, they go back to their old sad selves. However, there are people who have lost so much and after a while, they go back to their content and happy lives. That level of happiness that they slowly went back to is their happiness set point.

But don’t fret if you belong to the somber ones. You may not be able to change your happiness set point because that is genetic, but you can change your overall level of everyday happiness and outlook in life. Happiness set point is after all, just 50% of the equation. The other half will depend on your effort and your will to want to be happy.

The following information might help:

The things that contribute to our overall happiness according to scientists are:
• Genetics – 50%
• Intentional Activity – 40%
• Circumstances – 10%

Now we know why material things can’t buy happiness. They are just part of the circumstances surrounding you (like whether you’re born rich or poor, white or black, handicapped or healthy, etc.) and it’s only 10% of the equation. The bigger chunk that we can control is our intention which comprises 40% of the equation. And that’s a lot! So when we intend to be happy and do things that make us happy, it counts for a lot in our happiness level.

So know your happiness set point by observing your parents and then from there, do things that can bring your happiness to a higher level.

Here are some examples of intentional activities you can do for you to reach that level of happiness you desire:

1. Take more pleasure in life. Look everywhere for happiness and delight!
Learn to appreciate the simple joys of life. Take pleasure in the little things.
- Take charge of your stressors. Control them.
- I’ve told you that money can’t buy happiness hence forget about making tons of it. Enjoy it instead and share the wealth.
- Our body is the temple of the holy spirit. Nurture and nourish it, do not abuse it.

2. Find the meaning of your life. Find your purpose.
- Believe in yourself. As you wake up each morning, make an affirmation in front of the mirror that today will be a great day. Believe this and it shall be.
- Fake it until you make it. Smile and act happy even if you don’t feel like it.
- Pay it forward. Do little acts of kindness, both random and planned.
- Be grateful for everything no matter what. Always
- Forgive, forget, let go, move on.
- Make new friends and nurture old ones.

3. Be engaged in your endeavors.
- Work as if you’re playing. Play as if you’re working.
- Take charge of the way you use your time, money and other resources. Don’t let anybody else pressure you.

These are just some examples of intentional activities we can do to increase our happiness level, especially this New Year and after everything that has happened the past year. Doing so can better the quality of our lives and help save humanity in the process.

God speed!