Follow Your Fear

 

 "The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it... The more fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that enterprise is important to us and the growth of our soul. " 

- Steven Pressfield of  The War of Art

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FOLLOW YOUR FEAR SO YOU CAN FOLLOW YOUR HEART

How to Have Higher Productivity

As I've mentioned on my New Year post on Sexy Nomad (which is my personal and travel blog), I'm on a mission to change myself for the better. This applies not just in my love life but in all aspects of my life in general. 

Read more: How to Attain Higher Productivity at Home and Work

Be Proactive: 1st of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Perhaps it's that time of the month, or maybe because there were a few days I missed taking my pills on time, or most probably because someone I used to love just declared she doesn't like me and has been "plastic" all this time around me... these  have been making me feel the blues a lot more severely than usual. Just when everything else outside of me is great (I have someone who loves me very, very much, my savings in my bank account is growing, I am a lot healthier than a few months ago, I am living my dream lifestyle, I have a steady stream of worthy things to do) I don't understand why I am once again feeling so discontent and hopeless (the very same things that most probably contributed to the demise of my last relationship which I don't want to happen in my current one). 

Everyday, the last week, has just been one miserable internal experience after another. I only see the bad and the negative in my situation and it was driving me crazy inside. I was feeling so rejected and insecure that I began doubting myself thinking that maybe that person who rejected me was right. Maybe I am worthless. ...What's up with me? Why am I making this person hurt and affect me so much? My eyes have been swollen from constantly crying and I have been going out of my mind. 

Don't Make Plans, Make Options

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DON’T JUST MAKE PLANS; MAKE OPTIONS! 

Breathe, Smile Now Meditation Retreat

I've mentioned in my Sexy Nomad blog that the month of September is a magical month for me because of a series of events which are perfectly unfolding according to my needs and wants. Just to summarize, I've been wanting a new kind of lifestyle, an upgrade from the current one I have been enjoying since I retired from government service in Dec. 2007. By upgrade, I do not mean material things, prestige, or wealth per se (though these things will naturally happen should I stay true to my chosen path). I just want a change of routine, greater responsibilities and bigger venue for learning and growth. I want to be the best Jen Adams I can be and use my potential to the fullest. Hence, my September has been a very busy one and it still is.  And with everything I am doing, I am very much in need of respite for the month of October so I can recharge and better prepare myself for bigger things to come.

So on October 16-19, God-willing, I am attending the Breathe Smile Now 4-day Mindfulness Retreat. I remember in 2012, when I attended the two-week Meditation Retreat and International Youth Seminar in Taiwan, I came back much more rejuvenated and ready to accept more blessings which was why I have been traveling non-stop for two years. I asked the universe for more travel opportunities and through the help of the meditation retreat I attended, I became more calm and centered and aligned with the universe that I became an automatic recipient of the things I wanted. This is because meditation can help a person become attuned to his/her subconscious which is where inspired ideas come from and from there, dreams can start materializing.

This 4-day mindfulness retreat will happen on October 16-19, 2014. Venue is in Mariapolis Center in Tagaytay. Weekend-only participation also possible. For more details and to register go to http://bit.ly/1oaP151

For more information about the retreat like the schedule, who will be conducting and other benefits you will get, please head to this link:
http://plumvillageasia.org/index.php/list-of-events/icalrepeat.detail/2014/10/16/100/-/philippines-breathe-smile-now-a-4-day-retreat

If you are a busy person like me, or someone who just wants to relax or someone in need of  inner peace once again it's about time that we experience and enjoy mindfulness, meditation, and our collective loving and nurturing energy.

This is our appointment with life: "Breathe, Smile, Now" :)

Benefits of Meditation (Things I Learned in Taiwan)

Aside from my Monastic Diaries, I also started blogging about my 2-week Life and Ch'an retreat in Taiwan. Below are my favorite quotes and teachings from the seminars I attended presided by Buddhist monks during Day 3 of my Taiwan trip.  I want to share them here with you as you might also find them inspirational.



"No one can help solve the depression within your heart. The only solution is to understand the heart of your depression. Only this way can you let go of your problems. Your environment and those in it is ever-changing. Are you affected by these changes? Are you vexed when things don't go your way?"

Read more: The Power of Meditation and What I Learned in Taiwan

Prince Charming Candidate

I've been doing a lot of meditation and thinking as of late. Sometimes, I feel like I am overthinking stuff and maybe I am.

Read more:  Prince Charming Candidate