The Comfort Story

Until you can be with life as it is without needing it comfortable, a comfort story disguised as truth will continue its control and unfortunately so will the suffering of constantly needing to reach for comfort…


Just because you think something that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily associated with truth. It may be associated with what is thought to be truth, but upon further investigation it’s probably just a made up story providing you with a comfort of the way you think things should be. We use the story of helping others in this way, but it’s really in place to pat ourselves on the back because we make up the story that helping others is a good thing; we get comfort out of anything labeled as a good thing. We use God in this way to strictly provide comfort, nothing more; like there’s really something out there that cares about what you do. All these made up comfort stories block you from seeing the truth of what is really going on. If a story is being used to make up what truth is, I guarantee you it’s not truth, it’s only a story that’s providing comfort.


Truth is not something to know. It can’t be defined adequately with words because it’s only seen when the mind is settled. When you judge someone regardless of what they do, you are applying a story (your version of truth) of how you think they should be. This is the same with life situations, and these judgements are only there to provide yourself with the comfort of the way you think things should be. Life is always as it is and until you can just be with it instead of always wanting it in a way that provides comfort, truth will never be experienced. Thus your story of comfort (a made up version of truth) will continue its control and unfortunately so will the suffering of constantly needing to make up a comfort story…

Reacting Accordingly

When you are under the spell of the Conditioned Mind you react to life accordingly, but it’s not in the way you want to be, you react to life in the way you have to be.


It was the lack of understanding of my own mind that caused me to remain in bondage to it, and the bondage was created strictly to self serve. The problem with this type of conditioning is it causes your own destruction because the destructiveness is disguised as pleasure; this pleasure is pursued by many to their death. It was pursued by me in this way and I was in bondage to it’s beckoned call. It said to me to use drugs, alcohol, gamble, womanize, lie, cheat, steal and so on and I obeyed without question; this is how my Conditioned Mind was developed. There are those who are fortunate enough to see this at a young age and can stop the conditioning; this is why I share.


The way I was conditioned wasn’t the fault of anyone in particular, it occurred indirectly by the inner and outer influences in my life which molded me to behave in the ways my conditioning dictated, not because this was the way I wanted to be, no this was the way I had to be. You cannot behave in any way except in the way you have been conditioned. When the conditioning becomes different your entire existence becomes different. The value of knowing my own mind was in the understanding eleven years ago that there was nowhere else to turn; not to God, support groups, therapy, self help books, positive thinking, and so on. What I learned is when the Conditioned Mind is truly understood its control slowly dissipates as discipline is developed; this is when the mind actually slows down. Once this slowing occurs, the possibilities are endless because there are no longer the distractions that keep you in bondage to your conditioning. With a thorough understanding of what you are truly up against, you are able to develop the necessary awareness so the conditioning eventually falls away…

Self~Empowerment: Today’s Positive Statement– 01/03/19~

Today’s self-empowering statement to positively affect yourself:
Repeat with me: I AM SUCCESS EVERY MOMENT!
"I am meant to love my life, so I am doing what is necessary of me to make that happen! I am meant to succeed and enjoy my life, so I am doing what I must to live that way! I am sharing my love, my life, my success, and my joy with others! I am making a positive difference..."
to continue a greater life!
Great day to you, as a great day continues~
Edward F. T. Charfauros
Life Guide and Author

Source: Self~Empowerment: Today’s Positive Statement– 01/03/18~

Remaining Content

Don’t allow anyone to take you from your contentment, let them think they’ve gotten the better of you. As the “I” goes their satisfaction will be short lived, but a solid foundation of contentment can last a lifetime…

Humans are all created equal. It’s not that some know more than others, but some are more aware of themselves and this makes it seem that some have insights that others don’t have. The more unaware you are of yourself, the more you are dragged around by what happens in life. This awareness is what one awakens to, it’s not the great secrets of the Universe, but more so what pulls you from your contentment. I would say in my own case one area where I’ve become more aware is in not allowing other people to pull me from my contentment. At times my initial reaction is to get annoyed, but it’s usually realized very quickly that most people know not what they do so to allow another’s actions to control me is on me. Because all humans come into the world basically the same (unconditioned) it’s the level of conditioning that makes a person as they are; some are just more aware of their conditioning than others.

Let the other person think that they’ve gotten the better of you, except to “I” it means nothing; this is how unconscious energy is squashed. This doesn’t change the other person, but it does change you. It stops all the stories which festers as unconsciousness. I’m going to say this to them, or they are wrong, or don’t they know who I am, this is all the nonsense of the Conditioned Mind and it is energy that nothing beneficial arises from. Let the other person think whatever they want, but you will know in your heart the truth because by remaining content and not giving in to the Conditioned Mind nonsense, form is not in control. After all you can only be taken from your contentment when it’s allowed and it only occurs when “I” is in control…

Simple Acts of Gratitude Can Make You Healthier - Age With Charm

Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude of what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”  – Zig Ziglar

If you doubt Zig’s wisdom, then you must be living a wretched and ungrateful life. How else could it be if you have forgotten how nice it feels to you say a sincere “Thank you,” for a good deed done on you? Or when complimented for having done something worthwhile for others?

It felt good, didn’t it? The feeling made your brain release millions of “feel good” hormones and made your heart sing with joy; it increased your self-worth and self-confidence.

 

That’s gratitude – give or take, you win. It’s like a toss of the coin with you winning whatever face comes up.

For centuries, gratitude has been considered necessary for individual and social well-being. Of late, various scientific research proved them right – gratitude is good for the health.

Research shows that grateful people are happier, healthier, and more motivated to exercise.

Gratitude makes you feel good, no doubt. But what is it?

What is Gratitude

Gratitude is an emotion which, according to Robert Emmons, a leading scientific expert on the subject, has two key components:

 

First: an affirmation of goodness; there are good things in this world, and we receive gifts and benefits.

 

Second: the sources of this goodness are outside of ourselves. We acknowledge that other people – or a higher power – gives us many benefits, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.

Consistent gratefulness increases happiness and life satisfaction. It makes you optimistic, joyful, enthusiastic, and fills you with other positive emotions. And it reduces anxiety and depression.

 

Real gratitude is not a matter of quantity but quality. It is not based on wealth, good looks, or the best of health, but the appreciation of the little things you have which might have escaped your attention.

 

It is to be thankful for what you have and what you are.

 

For most, practicing real gratitude is not easy, or even natural. This is due to our primal instinct of reacting faster to threats or bad news. Our brains are more efficient in storing negative impulses.

For example, researchers have found out that in a day of 100 experiences where 99 of them are positive or neutral, our brain remembers more the one negative experience.

So how can exercise gratitude in the face of this chaotic and often ungrateful world?

Learning Gratitude

If gratefulness is not one of your core values, it’s high time to make it into one while you still can. It is not that difficult, really. Just as a habit is formed through constant repetition of an action, gratitude can be learned by doing the following consistently:

1. Say a prayer of thanks upon waking up each morning

Figures from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show that in 2007, about 1,066 Americans aged 65 to 74 die each day.

If you can pray, then you are not a part of this gruesome statistic. And that is something you should be very grateful for. The life of an elderly is like a toss of the dice – you never know what side comes up. So celebrate each new day.

2. Start your day with a cheerful heart

Go about your daily chores with a cheerful heart. It makes doing them easy and pleasurable – not a toil.

 

Be grateful that you are still strong and sane enough to do them. A lot are confined in hospitals or suffering from the desolation of a nursing home.

3. Filter your thoughts

Some experts estimate that your mind processes 2,100 thoughts per hour. And not all are positive thoughts. A lot of them does not reinforce your sense of gratitude.

Purge them out. There is no sense in going about your day burdened with energy-sapping or stressful thoughts.

Yes, it is not easy to be grateful if you are suffering from painful age-related illnesses. But they don’t go away be dwelling on them. They get worse. In fact, staying positive is your best antidote against pain.

 

A study done by Tetsuo Koyama, MD, PhD., at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, shows that positive thoughts decrease pain ratings by 28% – equivalent to a shot of morphine.

4. Practice sharing

A grateful heart is a happy heart. And happiness, to be complete must be shared.

 

Evan Spiegel said, “There’s real value in sharing moments that don’t live forever.”

But they do. For example, a heartfelt greeting of a neighbor or the mailman can produce a lasting impression. Or complementing the courteousness of your neighborhood grocery cashier, or the lovely garden of a neighbor can make them think highly of you. 

5. Record your progress

Write down your day’s activities so you can see the areas where you expressed gratitude and you didn’t. The purpose is to troubleshoot those areas where gratitude was difficult or impossible to show.

Developing a habit cannot happen overnight. It takes a conscious, and sometimes difficult effort, the habit you need to develop. You will backslide many times. Hence, the need for a record to track your progress.

6. Say a prayer of thanks when you sleep at night

Meister Eckhart said, “If the only prayer in your entire life is to say Thank You, it will be enough.”

Not only must you express gratitude for having lived through the day, but prayers evoke positive emotions and promote better sleep. And studies show that people who pray each day tend to live longer than those who do not.

Practicing gratitude goes deeper than creating an aura of joyful and enriching experience both ways – the giver and the recipient. It also promotes better mental health.

Mental Health Benefits of Gratitude

Of late, the psychology world has trained its sight on the relation of happiness and emotional well-being.

 

Of particular interest in their curiosity is gratitude and how to harness and cultivate it to promote better physical and mental health.

 

Their studies, so far, have proven that gratitude can…

1. Improve self-esteem

Our digitally-connected world feeds us with things that can make us feel too fat or too skinny, or ugly. It sells us expensive shoes, bags, vacation destinations, upscale restaurants, and hotels.

 

While these are legitimate marketing ploys, they can make us feel inadequate if these are out of our reach. They fill us with self-doubt and inaccurate belief that we are not good enough as the guys next door

 

Practicing gratitude can remove that. By appreciating what you are and what you have, big or small, can increase your self-esteem; it makes you live a fuller and more contented life.

2. Promote better sleep

Going to bed free of any negative thoughts that eat your soul can make you sleep better.

 

Several studies show that people who practice gratitude sleep faster and have better.

3. Boost physical health

Robert Emmons did a study in 2003 to determine the effects of gratitude on people’s health.

 

The study shows that people who regularly practice gratitude are more likely to meet their exercise goals. They also engage in weekly cardiovascular activities.

 

It also shows that gratitude improves eating habits, and can cut down on unhealthy ones like smoking and alcohol abuse.

 

And an article in Psychology Today shows that people who practice gratitude have fewer aches and pains. They also visit their doctors for routine checkups.

4. Strengthen relationships

Practicing gratitude is the welcoming other people into your world and you, into theirs.

It engenders sharing and receiving, not only of physical things but of goodwill; of empathy. It removes the veil of uncertainty that commonly exists between people. Gratitude is like saying, “This is who I am and I am grateful for your friendship.”

It’s not always easy to practice gratitude because people have their own biases, proclivities, and worldviews. But it is worth the effort to give it your best. It is a key ingredient in living a healthier and happier life.

Image:http://www.allaboutseniors.org/a-grateful-survior

Self~Empowerment: Today’s Positive Statement– 01/02/19~

Today’s self-empowering statement to positively affect yourself:
Repeat with me: I AM SUCCESS EVERY MOMENT!
“I am choosing to make my year this year so much better than past years for better! I am choosing to make my months so much better than last year for greater good! I am choosing to make my moments better from this moment to the next with gratitude and joy…”
to continue a greater life!
Great day to you, as a great day continues~
Edward F. T. Charfauros
Life Guide and Author

Source: Self~Empowerment: Today’s Positive Statement– 01/02/18~

Happy 2019

Today like everyday should be treated as if it’s new unto itself. Life is precious and every moment is a gift, not because of what one has, but because one day life in this form will simply not be…

Happy 2019 to everyone who has supported me throughout the year and may 2019 be a reflection of the love that has been shown to me, others, and the entire Universe. Whether people agree with my view or not I will stay the course and do my part to assist others so more hearts may open by looking inward in 2019. It will be in this love of your heart opening that 2019 will be a prosperous year for our entire Universe.

By looking inward you take control of your life by becoming aware of how to discipline an undisciplined mind. By doing this you won’t have to rely on someone wishing you a Happy New Year in 2019 for it to be a great year. It will be a great year if that’s how you decide it will be. If you want to rely on happenstance that’s up to you, but understand life can only be what it is, how it is viewed is up to you… Happy 2019…