You Can Go Your Own Way

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“You can go your own way
Go your own way
You can call it
Another lonely day
You can go your own way
Go your own way”
Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac

Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

The only way to go is your own way. People may have opinions and even call you crazy with the decisions you make but, in the end, it is your life, and you only have one in this lifetime so do what makes you happy.

Everybody is looking at things from their own perspective and no one will fully understand why exactly someone does what they do because they are basing it on their own past experiences or fears.

Live your life the way you want, do what makes you happy and stop judging others for the way they choose to live their lives. Live and let live.

Life is too short to worry about what others think. In fact, they probably are not thinking of you, they are busy thinking about their own problems, and you are most likely just a fleeting thought in their mind.

If you have been living your life trying to please everyone else and have forgotten about yourself, it is never too late to sit down and make a list of all the things you enjoy doing that makes you happy.

Find ways to take small steps so that one day you will be doing more of the things that you enjoy. Life was meant to be enjoyable not miserable. If you hate your job, find ways to start a side hustle that eventually becomes your full-time job or do it as a hobby.

If you are retired, this is the time to pick up all the things you enjoyed doing when you were younger. Try new things, do all the things you had no time to do before and do them for fun.

When our daughter was a little girl, she would wake up early just to watch the show Relic Hunter. She would watch endless re-runs of the show and we knew she dreamed of one day becoming an Archaeologist and she worked hard to make her dream come true.

We always encouraged her to study and do what she was passionate about and never pressured her to look for a career that guaranteed financial security. She is all grown up now and living life on her own terms.

All I want at this stage in my life is to be happy and healthy and I wish the same for everyone. Do what you love or love what you do. The choice in the end is always yours.

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius

“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.”—Lao Tzu

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”— Dr. Seuss

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”—Steve Jobs

“You probably wouldn’t worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do.” ― Olin Miller

“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.” – Khalil Gibran

www.mindvasana.com

These Reckless Thoughts of Mine

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“Wherever you go, whatever you do
You know these reckless thoughts of mine are following you
I’m falling for you, whatever you do
‘Cause baby, you’ve shown me so many things that I never knew
Whatever it takes, baby, I’ll do it for you”
Stumblin In – Chris Norman and Suzi Quatro

Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

Have you noticed how nothing that hasn’t happened can’t harm you?

You know those reckless thoughts of yours that follow you everywhere? The cause of stress and fear is in the thinking of the thought of something in the future, that may or may not happen that causes us pain.

If you brought yourself back to where you are right now, in this moment you are safe. The things you see or imagine that could go wrong, things that you have no control over, those future events that haven’t happened are those which cause you fear and anxiety. Things that haven’t happened and may never happen.

Every time you notice any stress or anxiety it’s because you’re thinking about something in the future. If you bring your awareness to that thought and consciously bring yourself to the present moment, in the Now where you are okay, the anxiety will disappear…at least for a bit until you start thinking about the thought again.

If we don’t control our thoughts, our thoughts control us. It isn’t easy to do but if we try and notice the thought and let it pass though without engaging in it and bring our attention to the present, we may learn to live a happier life.

It’s a constant battle especially for those that find it hard to go with the flow and need to be always prepared or be in control of every situation.

As we know, we cannot control everything so the smarter thing to do is to control our thoughts so that it’s not controlling us.

In this moment that you are breathing, you are okay and until you take your last breath, it’s not the end. So, follow those reckless thoughts of yours and then let go of them as soon as you notice them and breathe into NOW.

“Change the way you see things and the things you see will change.” – Wayne Dyer

“The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind.” – Wayne Dyer

“A lot of the pain that we are dealing with are really only thoughts.” – Anonymous

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius

“Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.” — Nathaniel Hawthorne

“The mind is everything. What we think, we become.” — Buddha

www.mindvasana.com

Wherever I Go, There I Am

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“Oh dancing with myself
Oh dancing with myself
Well there’s nothing to lose
And there’s nothing to prove
I’ll be dancing with myself”
Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol

Wherever you go, there you are. You can be in a crowded dance floor or in a crowded city, the location may change but the only thing that is the same is you in all these places.

Everybody sees things through their own perspective. Your childhood experiences, your environment, your relationships, all mould you into the person that you become.

Sometimes we play the victim of our circumstances and think that life is cruel or unfair. We wonder why we are unlucky or why negative things happen to us all the time and get stuck in that cycle expecting the worst and guess what, we get more of that.

I have learnt over the years that if I want to change anything, I need to change my thoughts about the situation. If I want positivity in my life, I need to be positive. I cannot control everything; all I can control are my thoughts, which then create the emotions and lead me to act in a certain way.

As time passes, we grow, and some of us learn that nothing is good or bad, it’s the perspective that we give it. We can be in the exact same situation but have totally different experiences.

We are all on our own journeys and sometimes I must remind myself not to judge, to be kind and to accept that we are all different and instead of absorbing any negative energy, to shine some light and love instead. This is not always easy but then, we are all works in progress. We try and do better when we know better.

“The secret to happiness is letting every situation be what it is instead of what you think it should be, and then making the most of it”. – Anonymous

“Sometimes happiness is a feeling. Sometimes it’s a decision”. – Anonymous

“We can’t control the world. We can only (barely) control our own reactions to it. Happiness is largely a choice, not a right or entitlement”. – David C. Hill

Every Time She Closed Her Eyes, She Dreamt of Paradise

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu 

“When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
So she ran away in her sleep
And dreamed of para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Every time she closed her eyes”
Paradise – Coldplay

This New Year when you look at your New Year’s Resolution take a few minutes to acknowledge all that you accomplished last year whether big or small.

Pat yourself on the back for, letting go of things that no longer serve you, for being there for a friend going through a serious illness, for coping with all kinds of challenges, learning something new, getting a job, buying your first home, limiting your on-screen time, reading books, making time to do fun things or anything else that you can think of.

When reviewing your list for the New Year, don’t just list them, remember to add some emotions to your goals too. How will you feel when you drop those 10 pounds, pass that exam, get that dream job, move to another country or when you find your soulmate?

Make a list of things that you are thankful for. The more grateful you are for the things you already have, the more things you will get to be grateful for.

If you haven’t already, add “balance” to your list because if every area of your life is going well except for one, such as your relationship with your spouse or your health, can you truly be happy? Only you can answer that question.

Our thoughts create our emotions so choose your thoughts wisely. Each one of us at some point in our life is going to experience or go through rough patches but how we choose to think and believe about our situation or circumstances is going to determine how we feel.

Let go of things you cannot control and focus on the things you can. Go with the flow and always remember that life is happening for you not to you. Relationships are important, the more positive energy you give out, the more you will receive.

In reality, we already have all that we need once our basic needs are met, everything else is nice to have so make the most of all that you have and have yourself a very Happy New Year!

“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” — Dalai Lama

“Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.” — Charles Swindoll

“Believing that you need what you don’t currently have is insanity.” Wayne Dyer

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” – John Lennon

www.mindvasana.com

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For 

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone

But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2

I still haven’t found what I’m looking for, but I have learnt some valuable lessons along the way. One of them is to let go of things that don’t serve me. With the close of another year, here are a few things we can strive to LET GO of:

  1. Guilt – could have, should have, would have, but we can’t change the past 
  1. Shame – when you know better you do better 
  1. Anger – notice when you’re that angry person, you tend to attract angry people 
  1. Expectations – no one owes you anything 
  1. What people think of you – is only an opinion, doesn’t make it true 
  1. How other people feel – you are not responsible for other people’s emotions, and they are not responsible for yours 
  1. Accumulating material possessions – can’t take it with you 
  1. Worrying about the future – there is only now 
  1. People pleasing – not being true to yourself
  1. Fear – of things you have no control over 
  1. Giving advice – must remember to give advice only if asked 
  1. Waiting for others to do things with – just do it! 
  1. Criticism of others – don’t judge others, we all have our flaws 
  1. Criticism of self – if you’re going to eat that dessert, enjoy it, stop justifying or imagining your waist is expanding as you eat it 🙂 
  1. Thinking you are always right – be kind instead. There are always two sides to everything 
  1. Procrastination – maybe tomorrow? 
  1. Waiting for the perfect time – do what you want now, tomorrow isn’t promised 
  1. New Year’s Resolutions – every second is a chance to start again, give yourself permission to start again if you fall off the wagon 
  1. Controlling your adult children – it’s their life to do as they please 
  1. Controlling your parents – they’re a couple of decades ahead of us, been there, done that 
  1. Negative thoughts because your thoughts create your mood. Think happy positive thoughts and see how your mood changes 

What else can you let go of that is no longer serving you? At any moment you can choose to let go and start fresh. All you need to do is give yourself permission.

“As long as you’re still alive, you always have the chance to start again.” – Emily Acker

“A fresh start isn’t a new place, it’s a new mindset.” – Anonymous

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” – Lao Tzu

“Nothing in the universe can stop you from letting go and starting over.” – Guy Finley

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need”. – Tao Te Ching

“Sooner or later we’ve all got to let go of our past”. – Dan Brown

www.mindvasana.com

The wine and the song like the seasons have all gone

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song like the seasons have all gone”
Seasons in the Sun – Terry Jacks

As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, there are days when I cannot help but think that nothing lasts forever.

Leaves turn different shades of gold and red and then suddenly the trees are bare. Another season is done, and another year will soon be gone.

I try not to think about it too much but every now and then it crosses my mind about people in my life. Who will still be here this time next year and who will be gone? Will we all meet again on the dark side of the moon someday?

All the petty conflicts seem pointless in the grand scheme of this journey we call life. We are here for a brief amount of time, and we get to choose how to spend it. Is it worth holding grudges, judging each other, letting our ego get in the way of relationships?

I believe in karma and that our every action has a consequence. What you give you will get in return in some form. The more you see the good in people and situations, the more you will attract the same.

Our thoughts create our reality so whatever we believe and perceive is what we draw to us. Send out good vibrations and get ready to receive the same. We may not be able to control many things, but we can control our reaction to things.

At any moment, we can decide to change the channel of our thoughts just like using a remote control to change to another channel. If we go with the flow, trusting the Universe, knowing that everything will work out the way it is meant to and let go of control, then we can have faith and let go of our fears.

We cannot change the past, however, we can transform our future by focusing on the NOW. What we believe, think, do in the present is what creates our future, and the future therefore is now.

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”

“Forgiving and not forgetting is, not forgiving in the first place”

“The way you see an individual in your mind is the best they can be in your presence”

“Reality is just perception”

“Nothing in life has any meaning except the meaning that you give it”

“People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.”

These quotes are taken from the internet

www.mindvasana.com

Living in a World of Smoke and Mirrors

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

Deep in my heart, deep in my mind
Take me away, take me away
This is my word, dream maker, life taker
Open up my mind

All I believe, is it a dream
That comes crashing down on me?
All that I hope, is it just smoke and mirrors?
I wanna believe, oh But all that I hope, is it just smoke and mirrors?

Smoke and Mirrors – Imagine Dragons

We are all living in a world of smoke and mirrors. What is real and what is false? Have you ever wondered how many different versions there are of you out there?

You, like me, I am sure, behave differently when you are happy than when you are afraid, sick, tired or even hungry. Whatever you are feeling at that moment is, metaphorically speaking, the one answering the front door and reacting to the situation at hand.

It’s a different version of you in front when you are doing something you enjoy and a totally different you when it is a task that you hate doing.

You are likely different when you are with a friend than when you are interacting with your boss or with your parents or with a stranger. So, which one is the real you?

The many versions of you that you show the world, are all you, but it is all a smoke and mirrors game that we play according to our beliefs, perceptions and intentions.

Every person that you interact with sees a different version of you too because of their own perceptions and beliefs.

Generally speaking, we are all a little bit of everything. Some may love us while others may loathe us depending on our interactions with them and their perceptions of us.

We are all flawed and instead of seeing each other as human, sometimes we tend to judge each other for maybe something someone said or did at a moment in their lives but that’s no longer true or something they believe anymore.

People change and grow and learn all the time. We waste precious time and emotions being and staying angry instead of trying to accept that not everyone shares our point of view and that does not mean they are all bad.

As we grow and mature and evolve, we realize that life is too short to waste, to hate, judge and control. We only have a finite amount of time on this earth and then we are gone from this physical realm, so leave good vibes and memories for those who cross your path. Forgive and forget the petty conflicts and let go of your ego.

We were meant to be happy and although we cannot control anyone else, we always have a choice of how we react because that is the only thing we can control.

Once you integrate all the different parts that make up “You”, you can choose who you want answering your front door because you are in control of you.

“Everything is about belief, whatever we believe rules our existence, rules our life” – Don Miguel Ruiz

“The more I see, the less I know for sure.” – John Lennon

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” – ― Carl Gustav Jung

“Humans see what they want to see.” – Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

“The outer world is a reflection of the inner world. Other people’s perception of you is a reflection of them; your response to them is an awareness of you.” – Roy T. Bennett

www.mindvasana.com

There Is No Problem Only Solutions

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“People askin’ questions
Lost in confusion
Well, I tell them there’s no problem
Only solutions

Well, they shake their heads
And they look at me as if I’ve lost my mind
I tell them there’s no hurry
I’m just sittin’ here doin’ time
I’m just sittin’ here watchin’ the wheels go round and round”
Watching The Wheels – John Lennon

As the years go by it feels like we are watching the wheels go round and round, year after year. Seasons change, another candle on the birthday cake, a child is born, and someone dies. The cycle of life carries on.

Some go through the motions of living while others search for meaning. Some live in the past, while others worry about the future. Happy are those that can live in the present.

Life can be so simple, yet we complicate it so much. My take on how to live a simple joyful life:

  1. Be grateful for everything, whether good or bad. Some were just lessons you had to learn. 
  1. Smile – it can literally change how you feel and how you make others feel. 
  1. Spend time with people that are optimistic and happy, those are the people that are happy wherever they go, they never complain.  
  1. See the good in people. What you see in others is the energy you will attract into your life. 
  1. Create daily habits. You make your habits and then your habits make you. There are no shortcuts to living the life you want. 
  1. Make a bucket list of things you want to experience or do. 
  1. Let go of attachments, one of the hardest things to do. 
  1. Travel and experience life instead of accumulating material possessions. 
  1. Have fun, do things you enjoy. Life is meant to be lived joyfully. Listen to music and dance or do whatever it is that makes you happy. 
  1. If you are starting out now, find a career that is meaningful to you. You will be doing it for a long time. 
  1. Let go of any guilt or shame that you are carrying. Forgive yourself because if you knew then what you know now, you would not have done what you did to cause that guilt. 
  1. What other people think of you, is none of your business. They only see you from their own perspective. 
  1. Let go of things you cannot control and focus on the things you can control. 
  1. Stop blaming people or situations and stop playing the victim. Nobody owes you anything. 
  1. I believe any emotion that we feel, affects every cell in our body. To be physically, mentally, emotionally healthy we need to take care of our thoughts and our beliefs. 

The list could go on and on but you already know what you need to do to live your best life.

“Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after having an experience with you becomes your trademark.” Jay Danzie

“Smile from your heart; nothing is more beautiful than a woman (person) who is happy to be herself.”– Kubra Sait

“When you smile at a stranger, there is already a minute outflow of energy. You become a giver.” — Eckhart Tolle

¨It seems to me that what we call beauty in a face lies in the smile.¨- Leo Tolstoy

www.mindvasana.com

I Hope You Dance

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance… I hope you dance…”
I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack and Sons of the Desert

When we were younger, we worried about what other people thought of us, not realizing that people were not thinking of us, they were too busy being concerned about themselves.

As we grow older, we realize that life is too short and precious to be living seeking other people’s approval. Everyone of us is unique with different likes and dislikes. What brings joy to one person may not be another person’s cup of tea. It is still hard for many of us who worry about other people’s opinions or feelings at the expense of our own.

The thing I miss most after Louie’s passing, is our going out dancing almost every weekend for years. When I went on a cruise with a friend last month, I decided I was not going to care if I was the only one dancing. When I was younger, I would have been too self-conscious to get up and dance unless I had a partner to dance with and there were other people on the dance floor.

This time when the music came on whether it was by the poolside where the band was playing Caribbean beats or at Bolero, the Latin Lounge, or Dazzle where a band was playing pop songs, or at the Blaze night club where there was a mixture of all kinds of music playing, I danced every day, sometimes with my friend Wanda and other times by myself.

What is it that you love to do but would not do because you worry what your partner, kids, friends, or parents or even strangers would think or, disapprove, or even imply that you should act your age?

People only see us from their perception and every person that knows you sees a different version of you. It is not easy to please everyone so why not be true to yourself and do the things that bring you joy? Those that truly love you will let you be you and not try and change you or mold you in their ideal version of how you should be.

I saw this post the other day:

“How to Win at Life:
Step 1. Let people do what they need to do to make them happy, mind your own business and do what you need to do to make you happy. The End.”

Other quotes that relate to this topic:

“The rule is you have to dance a little bit in the morning before you leave the house because it changes the way you walk out into the world” – Sandra Bullock

“In life it’s important to know when to stop arguing with people and simply let them be wrong” – Anonymous
“Listen, smile, agree and then do whatever the f**k you were gonna do anyway” – Anonymous

“Life gets a whole lot more beautiful once you start living for yourself and accept the fact that you cannot please everyone” – Anonymous

www.mindvasana.com

Sweet Smell of Your Perfume

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“Hey, where did we go?
Days when the rains came
Down in the hollow
Playin’ a new game
Laughin’ and a-runnin’, hey, hey
Skippin’ and a-jumpin’
In the misty morning fog with
Our, our hearts a-thumping and you
My brown-eyed girl
And you, my brown-eyed girl”
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison

Certain smells, songs, words or images trigger us and take us back to the exact place when we first experienced that moment. If it was a happy memory, it lifts our spirit and makes us happy. If it was a bad experience then it could trigger us in a negative way.

There are certain people too that trigger us or we trigger them. It could be your mother, father, child, colleague or sibling. Anything they say makes you instinctively respond in a way that you would not respond to anyone else that way.

It could be a subconscious trigger that we are unaware of or past traumas that we have not dealt with. When we change our perception and realize that what people say and do is not in our control and that we can only control our own reactions, then we can find ways so that people no longer trigger us.

“Take a deep breath, resist the urge to act impulsively, name how you feel, put your ego aside, think through the consequences then respond.” Dr. Weiss.

Even just taking a deep breath and naming what you feel will slow down your impulsive response. For deep unconscious/subconscious changes hypnosis works very well.

Nothing anyone says or does is about us. People only respond from where they are at, what they are dealing with and feeling at the moment.

Every thought you have affects your cells in a positive or negative way. The mind and body are both connected. If you eat healthy and workout but are negative, judgemental or pessimistic, studies have shown that it can affect your health in a negative way. The more positive associations you make, the happier you will be.

Listen to music, do things you enjoy, accept everyone as they are, see the good in people, expect the best, count your blessings, appreciate yourself and just be happy. Life is too short to be anything else. We only have a finite amount of time here on earth in this physical body. Live it to the fullest!

“You will be amazed at how things magically fall into place when you let go of the illusion of control.” – TheMindsJournal

“When you focus on the good, the good gets better.” – Motivational Life

“Whatever is triggering you, is on you.” – Richie Norton

I love Piña Coladas and Getting Caught in the Rain

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“And she said, “Oh, it’s you”
Then we laughed for a moment
And I said, “I never knew”
That you like piña coladas
And gettin’ caught in the rain
And the feel of the ocean
And the taste of champagne”
Escape (The Piña Colada Song) – Rupert Holmes

I love Piña Coladas, or rather, I like anything that contains coconut. Mangoes with coconut, pineapple with coconut, coconut water, coconut based sauces and drinks, coconut chocolates, basically anything with coconut. Coconuts take me back to memories of beaches and cool ocean breezes. Maybe that is why I love the Piña Colada Song so much. More on that later.

I remember, the first time I went on a cruise, I was looking forward to having my Piña Colada in a poco grande glass which is the cocktail glass used to serve Piña Coladas, but when the bartender brought it in a plastic glass I was so disappointed. Is it not amazing how when we have an image of something in our minds to be a certain way, it is disappointing when it turns out to be anything else?

The Piña Colada Song reminds us too, that sometimes we expect people to behave a certain way and when they don’t, we are disappointed.

I have learnt that we are all imperfectly perfect. If we really got to know each other, shared our deepest thoughts, we would realize we are all the same and connected in some way. We are all here for a short time and none of the petty stuff matters in the grand scheme of things.

I have found that although it is hard to change our beliefs and our thoughts, there are many different modalities out there that can help change our unconscious/subconscious beliefs to live a life with less anxiety, fears and negativity.

The first seven years of our life are the most important and critical to who we become the rest of our life. From 0 to 7 years of age, children operate in the Theta state which is a state of hypnosis, downloading whatever they hear, experience or see and that stays with them for the rest of their life.

To change any negative experiences that we have had in our childhood that have affected us into our adult life, the fastest way to change them permanently is through hypnosis. There is this misconception about hypnosis, that it is evil or scary but we all go through a form of hypnosis or trance at least twice a day, once just before we fall asleep or when we are just waking up.

When you realize that your thoughts become things, that the words you speak, the thoughts you think, they all create emotions in your body that affect your physical and mental well-being, you know you have the power to change your life for the better.

An experienced Hypnotist puts you in this trance-like state that bypasses your critical faculty to make those changes permanently and to remove any blocks you may have so that you can live your best life.

You can also do it on your own through repetition, mentally replacing any old limiting belief with a positive one, journalling, meditation and many different ways. Working with a professional Hypnotist, Mind-set Coach, NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Coach or other Practitioners is by far the fastest way for lasting change.

“Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.” – Margaret Mead

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West

“The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.” – Captain Jack Sparrow

www.mindvasana.com

A Brilliant Ball of Clay

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

Everybody is Kung Fu fighting,
Your mind becomes fast as lightning
Although the future is a little bit frightening
(Little bit frightening)
It’s the book of your life that you’re writing
(Life that you’re writing)

You’re a diamond in the rough,
A brilliant ball of clay.
You could be a work of art,
If you just go all the way.
Kung Fu Fighting – Carl Douglas

I love when I come across songs that I have not heard in years. Nostalgia hits and takes me back in time. I find myself looking for meaning in songs, as if waiting for some sort of a message.

Some songs remind us that we are all diamonds in the rough, a brilliant ball of clay that needs to be chipped away so that we can turn out to be works of art.

We were born perfect, we knew exactly what we wanted and what we had to do. We instinctively cried when we were hungry or in pain, we smiled when we were happy and loved, we were perfect just being us.

As we grew older, our parents, teachers, care-givers and society instilled in us their views of what was right and wrong, how to feel and act and slowly, we were moulded to fit in our environment.

Whatever we learnt from birth to seven years of age was forever imprinted in our subconscious.
It laid down the foundation of how we interacted with the world.

We continued with life, expecting to live on forever, wanting more and more. Then one day we realized, we have less years ahead of us than behind us. Every moment we are gifted is a moment less we have remaining. That is when we start realizing what is important to us in life.

Many of you, like me, probably have also realized that you cannot be truly happy when one area of your life is going great but you have neglected another area of your life. I have come to the realization that balance in every area of life is key to living a happy life.

When you come to that realization, you already know what you need to do. It is so simple and yet so hard to do. It is the daily routines that add up to the big things you want to achieve.

The other thing that I have realized, is that, our thoughts become things. Every thought you think, releases some type of chemical. When you think positive thoughts, when you are happy and optimistic, the brain produces serotonin which creates a feeling of well-being.

Jealousy, anger, hate and other negative thoughts and emotions, increases cortisol levels and influences our immune system in a negative way. When you come to this realization, you become more aware of your thoughts and begin to pay attention to your mind-set.

I find whatever I focus on, I get more of, so I choose to think positive thoughts. When a negative thought crosses my mind, I acknowledge that feeling and then try and see the positive in the situation as soon as I can.

Good relationships are important and once you accept that we are all different, it is easy to get along and accept others just as they are without judgement.

My plan is to live life focusing on the now, knowing, if I take care of today, I hopefully will not have to worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone. We only have today.

All we have is one life to live and the sooner we realize that nothing lasts forever we can live life to the fullest in the Now.

“A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart.” –  Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

“The mind is everything.  What you think you become.” – Buddha

“Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.” – Dennis P. Kimbro

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” – Willie Nelson

www.mindvasana.com

Together We Can Take It To The End Of The Line

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“Turn around
Every now and then
I get a little bit nervous
That the best of all the years have gone by”
Total Eclipse Of The Heart – Bonnie Tyler

Have you, like me, ever felt that time is running faster than ever? So little time to do all the things you want to do? One thing for sure, as I get older, the less I worry about what other people think of me.

I wish I had realized when I was younger that everybody was busy thinking of themselves and not me. So much time was wasted worrying about what other people thought. I have learnt that it is impossible to please everyone because everyone is looking at the world through their own perspective.

Every single person knows a different version of you and their perceptions of you are seen through their own lens. People may judge you or criticize you and, whether they think positively or negatively of you, it really is a reflection of themselves.

So take those selfies, chase the sunsets, dance when you hear the music, move to another country if your heart so desires. Be kind and tell people when you like something about them. If you like a poem someone has posted, take a couple of minutes to write a few words of encouragement. Not saying anything is saying something.

Share your art, your poem, your music with the world. Be free and let go of your ego. Life is too short to worry about what other people think. There is no other person exactly like you who can do things like you do. Every one of us is special in our own way. Your words or art may not resonate with everyone but if it makes you happy keep creating. Do it because it makes you happy.

Everything will end one day for each one of us and maybe we will all meet on the other side of the moon. Until then, how about we all do our little bit to be kind instead of being right and live life to the fullest. It is never too late to become who you really are.

“We grow old and die because we see others grow old and die” – Adi Shankara

“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.” – Elizabeth Gilbert

“It might have been done before, but it hasn’t been done by you!”- Elizabeth Gilbert

“But never delude yourself into believing that you require someone else’s blessing (or even their comprehension) in order to make your own creative work.” – Elizabeth Gilbert

www.mindvasana.com

Listening to the Wind of Change

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“Listening to the wind of change
The world is closing in
Did you ever think
That we could be so close, like brothers
The future’s in the air
Can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change”
Wind of Change – Scorpions

The world seems to have gone insane for some time now. There are so many things we have no control over and there seems to be no end to it any time soon. The only thing we can be certain about is uncertainty.

You, like me, probably feel hopeless and helpless sometimes with all the fear and uncertainty in this world. You may have done what you could in your own small way; donated money, written to politicians, spread the message on social media and more, to help in some way.

We know that nothing lasts forever, and this too shall end but there will always be external challenges that will make us feel helpless and anxious. How do you protect yourself so that you can handle any stress that seems to constantly show up in life?

Things like meditation, listening to positive podcasts, reading books, working out, yoga, walking in nature, writing down your thoughts, gratitude, dancing, playing with pets and spending less time watching or reading the news, are some ways to focus on things that you have control over.

You may not be able to change the world but if you change your world and how you show up in it, it will be a lot easier for you to be happy and at peace in any situation.

When you have balance in every area of your life; your health, your relationships, your career, financial freedom and, can be of help to others, plus strive to become your best self, that is what brings happiness, peace of mind and true success.

You may not have everything now but if you strive to learn, grow and evolve to become our best self, you are making progress. The little step that you take daily is what will get you there.

So, what do the smart ones do and what do I wish I had started doing decades ago?

For work, they do what they love so that it does not feel like work. Their career feels like play. The sooner you find out what you love, the easier it will be to eventually make your living doing what you love.

They learn and grow and, instead of criticizing and judging others, they are curious and learn from everyone. They are continuously learning by reading, taking courses, listening to podcasts and any other way they can.

They take care of their health and ensure that they stay fit by making it part of their daily routine. It is so easy to look back 20 years from now and wish that you had taken better care of your health.

They learn what they can about budgeting, investing and finances. The younger you start and learn all you can on how to grow your wealth, the less you will have to worry about in the future.

They value relationships and accept everyone for who they are. They know that no one is perfect and are kind and respectful to all. They forgive when they think they have been wronged because they know that carrying hate only poisons themselves.

There are other things that many smart successful people do, like making time in their day to go within to meditate or silence their mind, write down what they are grateful for, write down their goals, celebrate their successes and learn from their mistakes.

They don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future because they know that the present moment is all there is and what they do now is what their future is going to bring.

They remember that we come into this world with nothing and leave with nothing, so they are detached to outcomes. They focus on their daily habits and try and stay positive under all circumstances because they know, without hope, there is nothing.

The positive vibes you give to others, comes back to you in many ways. What you think, say, do, reflects back in your life. The more people you touch in a positive way by being kind, thoughtful, caring and understanding, the more positive energy will be reflected back in your life.

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” — Carl Jung

“What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” – Confucius

“Loving people live in a loving world. Hostile people live in a hostile world. Same world.” — Wayne Dyer

“Patience is the mark of true love. If you truly love someone, you will be more patient with that person.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

“When you love someone, you love the person as they are, and not as you’d like them to be.” — Leo Tolstoy

“Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.” – Isaac Newton

www.mindvasana.com

Seeking Shelter from the Winter Blues 

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu 

“Hello, darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence”
The Sound of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel

The winter blues from time to time, gets me down and I wonder if these long dark nights will ever end. Day after day, night after night, on and on they go.

To change my state of my mind, I decided to listen to some music and write my monthly blog on the way we think and live our lives.

It is always interesting to study people and realize how different we all are and yet so similar too.

Are you a control freak? Do you plan everything exactly the way it is supposed to go and when it doesn’t, how do you react? Do you go insane and lose control, get angry?

Or are you the kind that goes with the flow? You may have a goal and a plan but if things don’t go exactly the way you expect it to, you quickly adapt and accept and go with the flow.

Do you stop yourself from doing things you might enjoy because you think people will judge you or make fun of you?

Or do you follow your heart? Do you dance because the music moves you or, play a musical instrument because you love to, even though you may not be great at it?

Are you impatient? Do people irritate you because they are not as fast or smart as you? Do your parents annoy you because they are so “slow” or they “embarrass” you by being themselves?

Or are you patient and, as you mature you understand that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, that no one is better, just different and you accept everyone as they are.

Do you live by rules and traditions passed down from generation to generation that give you no joy?

Or do you question things that no longer make sense and are brave enough to change and live by your own new rules, evolving and accepting that things have changed?

Do you judge others, feeling all superior, thinking your way is the only right way?

Or do you recognize and accept that although we have different beliefs, we are all one race, the human race?

Are you impulsive? Do you dive into things and then regret doing so? Do you get yourself into situations and then get left with the guilt and shame?

Or do you think things through and ponder the consequences before acting? If you do make a mistake, do you forgive yourself and move on?

There are always two sides to everything, and the choice is ours as to how we want to live, whether we want to control life or sail with the tide.

I have realized that we are only here for a short while and instead of being right, it is better to be kind. Life is too short to hold grudges and the negativity that we carry only poisons us.

After the Winter, Spring will come, and the cycle will continue with or without us. We don’t know whether we have a day, a month, a year, a decade or more ahead of us. Once we are gone, life will still go on so make the most of it while you can and let go of guilt, fear and hate. Live life to the fullest doing things you enjoy.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – ― Albert Einstein

“Be realistic. Plan for a miracle.” ~ Wayne Dyer

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” —Viktor Frankl

“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

www.mindvasana.com/blog

Here We Go Again

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It’s gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
It’s gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash

Here we go again…with another New Year dawning, we can only hope that there will be bright sunshiny days ahead for all of us. The last couple of years have been rough for many but after the rain, I know the sun will shine again.

No New Year’s Resolutions for me, but it is symbolic, as one year ends and another one begins, to want to start fresh, to make up for last year’s promises that were not kept, to do better next year.

If there is anything that I have learned, it is that I can set all kinds of goals, but the devil is in the details. It is the little things that I do daily that will help me achieve my goals. I am not sure when it finally clicked but instead of setting lofty goals every year, I made some really small changes in several areas of my life and focused on doing them daily without thinking of the next day.

I started with meditating for one minute because I could not focus or concentrate longer than that. I realized that starting small and taking it one day at a time worked best for me.

I decided to let go of fear and judgement and just write. If anything, I did it to remind myself how far I had come, to let go of shame, guilt and mistakes of the past and, in the process encourage others to do the same.

It has been over five years and eight months since I wrote my first blog. I admit, in the beginning it was a struggle, and the first few blogs were not that great but slowly they got better, and it felt great when people told me that it resonated with them.

It is never too late to start anything. It took me over ten years of going to school part time and working full time to get my degree in Business Management. I took a few courses every semester and eventually it was done a decade later.

All I know is that once you decide on something, you have to take the first step and not worry about the end result because you will eventually get there if you persist.

It takes only a moment to make a decision to change. In one second you can decide to stop playing the victim, blaming someone else for your sorrows, making excuses and instead take responsibility for your own life. Sometimes that is all it takes to make a bold decision to change something.

Some things that I do daily which have helped me stay sane these last couple of years are; meditate daily, write at least three things I am grateful for daily, journal my thoughts and feelings, exercise, listen to inspiring podcasts, read or listen to audio books, take online courses, listen to music, walk or, dance if it is too cold to walk outside. I also keep a list of small and large items on my bucket list and scratch them off as I complete them.

We all know what we need to do to live a healthy balanced life; eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, find ways to let go of stress, have a positive mindset and all the other good stuff. I believe that in the end everything will work out for the best, so we need to hang on to hope and trust that the Universe always has our back. In the meantime, all we can do is our share by working on the little things daily to get us to where we want to be at the end of the year.

Life is too short to worry about what other people think. Do what makes you happy and if you change your mind and want to do something else, just do it.

Wishing you all a happy, peaceful, and successful year ahead. Thank you for taking the time to read my blogs.

“People do not decide their future, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures” – F.M. Alexander

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” —J.P. Morgan

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” —Brad Paisley

“Each year’s regrets are envelopes in which messages of hope are found for the New Year.” —John R. Dallas Jr.

Lucky You, Lucky Me

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

I keep hanging on,
waiting for the wind to change
I watch the sun go down,
and I keep hanging on,
waiting for my lucky day
waiting, for my lucky day
Waiting for My Lucky Day – Chris Isaak

Do you consider yourself lucky or does bad luck seem to follow you everywhere?

I have been thinking about this for some time and in the last few weeks I have been coming across the word “lucky” frequently which made me think about writing about this topic.

It reminded me of a documentary that I had watched a few years ago, about a man who considered himself the unluckiest man, but I could not remember the details of the story. The next morning, I saw a post on a Facebook group detailing the exact same story. Lady luck was smiling down on me and giving me the go-ahead to write about it!

The story goes, to make him feel lucky, the unluckiest man’s friends decided to set up ways to make him feel lucky and filmed him.

They placed a hundred dollar bill on the ground so that he could find it, but he walked right past it. They made it easy for him to win in several ways, but he kept walking past without seeing the items placed strategically for him.

When his friends stopped filming and told him that they had done everything to make him feel lucky but he kept missing the signs, he responded by, “You see! That’s because I’m so unlucky!”

You will notice that when you focus on the negative and think of yourself as jinxed or unlucky, you somehow bring about more unfortunate or unlucky events in your life. At other times you miss opportunities even when they stare you in the face because you label yourself as unlucky.

When one bad or negative thing happens in your day and you say, “this is the worst day of my life, everything is going wrong”, have you noticed that you prove yourself to be right and you begin to get more of those things that seem to go wrong throughout the day?

Unless you consciously make an effort to stop those thoughts and instead focus on what is going right, you will continue to attract “bad luck”.

Many years ago, I consciously decided to be grateful for everything in my life, even those events that I would have considered bad in the past, I now think of them as lessons learnt and things to be grateful for.

When I decided to focus on all the things, I had to be grateful for, I immediately felt like I had begun to attract lady luck. Now when things don’t go the way I would like them to, I can quickly pivot and change my thoughts and let go of the fear, anger, hurt or whatever emotion I am feeling.

At times it takes a lot longer, and I need to write down my thoughts or talk to someone about it when I feel hurt and then I let go of those feelings because I know they are harmful to my body as well. Most of the time I can let go of those emotions in an instant and forgive and forget.

If you want to attract good luck in your life, first set an intention to be lucky. I repeat in my mind daily that I am lucky and good luck follows me everywhere.

When things seem like they are not going the way I want them to, I remind myself of the fable “Good Thing, Bad Thing, Who Knows.” (what you think is bad now can turn out to be something positive in the future).

Forgive yourself and others and let go of any guilt you may have of things in the past because when you hold on to guilt and shame you will find it hard to believe you deserve good luck.

Let go of things you cannot control and go with the flow. Trust that the Universe always has your back. To change my negative thoughts, I find three things I am grateful for as soon as I become aware of those negative thoughts.

With another year unfolding, start fresh by writing down your goals or your bucket list, small and big, then imagine the feeling you would feel when you accomplish each goal.

Spend time with positive people who lift you up and focus on the good. Find your tribe and keep them close.

I find that when I am grateful, I attract more things to be grateful for. Instead of focusing on all the things that are not going right at the moment, I make a conscious effort to bring my focus back on all the things I have to be thankful for.

How about starting the new year by setting an intention to be lucky or even better yet why wait, start right now. Set your intention to be lucky and let the Universe work its magic for you.

“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” – Dalai Lama XIV

“You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.” – Cormac McCarthy, No Country for Old Men

www.mindvasana.com