Hello everyone,
Today I will be hosting a discussion about my book "Ten Simple Rules for Living a Blessed Life" at Shining Lotus bookstore in Denver Colorado.
Throughout this discussion I will illustrate what the ten simple rules are, and what benefits we can gain from each one. I encourage the group members to share their experiences with these rules and what blessings they have each received.
At the end of the discussion I will ask everyone to come to this blog in a week or month and let me know which rules they have added to their life and the experiences that have come from them.
If you were not able to make the discussion you are still very welcome to participate. Just in case you have not had a chance to read through the book, the list of simple rules is below:
1. Forgive
2. Exercise
3. Pray
4. Give
5. Create
6. Work
7. Relax
8. Learn
9. Socialize
10. Dream
Thank you everyone, especially those of you who took the time to come out to Shining Lotus and have this discussion with me,
Grant Virtue
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Power of Gratitude
In my opinion one of the most wonderful holidays in North American tradition is Thanksgiving. No, I am not talking about the overindulgence, the football or the typical family arguments that holiday can produce. What I am referring to is the act of saying what you are thankful for.
When we announce what we are thankful for to the universe either in public or private, we are in essence fine tuning our lives. For one we are letting our creator know the things we enjoy and that we really wouldn't mind some more of that. Secondly we are becoming happier people by focusing on the good areas in our lives, rather than the not so good. Nearly everyone would rather be around happy, positive people so having a grateful outlook on life can lead to better jobs, new relationships and more connectedness in general.
The more you can focus on what it is you are grateful for, the more you can learn to ignore those things that you are not so grateful for. By tuning out these negative areas of our lives we are taking back our power from them. We are drawing our line in the sand and letting the world know that if they want to get through our wall, the way is through happiness not anger.
Keeping track of what you are grateful for is a very useful and uplifting experience. A gratitude journal is a fantastic way to go about doing this. It can be as complicated as an iPhone app (yes, they do have an app for that) or as simple as a moleskin or blank sheet of paper you've divided up into different days. Nearly everyone I know that uses a gratitude journal, myself included, will tell you that after as little as thirty days of writing down what you are grateful for your life will start to show dramatic and wonderful changes.
What have you got to lose? Try starting a gratitude journal today and see what sort of blessings you can bring into your life. You may just find that you are grateful for more than you realize.
Grant Virtue
When we announce what we are thankful for to the universe either in public or private, we are in essence fine tuning our lives. For one we are letting our creator know the things we enjoy and that we really wouldn't mind some more of that. Secondly we are becoming happier people by focusing on the good areas in our lives, rather than the not so good. Nearly everyone would rather be around happy, positive people so having a grateful outlook on life can lead to better jobs, new relationships and more connectedness in general.
The more you can focus on what it is you are grateful for, the more you can learn to ignore those things that you are not so grateful for. By tuning out these negative areas of our lives we are taking back our power from them. We are drawing our line in the sand and letting the world know that if they want to get through our wall, the way is through happiness not anger.
Keeping track of what you are grateful for is a very useful and uplifting experience. A gratitude journal is a fantastic way to go about doing this. It can be as complicated as an iPhone app (yes, they do have an app for that) or as simple as a moleskin or blank sheet of paper you've divided up into different days. Nearly everyone I know that uses a gratitude journal, myself included, will tell you that after as little as thirty days of writing down what you are grateful for your life will start to show dramatic and wonderful changes.
What have you got to lose? Try starting a gratitude journal today and see what sort of blessings you can bring into your life. You may just find that you are grateful for more than you realize.
Grant Virtue
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Candles and Focus
There are times in our lives when we need a little divine intervention. Sometimes our lives can head in directions that we would rather not go and we would like to take definite steps to change this direction. This is where the power of prayers, rituals, and manifestation comes into play. We all know that during those practices we must keep our focus on what we want without distraction to ensure that they are as effective and accurate to our wishes as possible.
However it is precisely at those temporarily chaotic times in our lives that it can be so incredibly hard to concentrate and keep the focus that is necessary. When our minds are so focused on all the things that are going wrong it can be downright tricky to get ourselves to focus on those good things that we want to bring into ourselves.
Fortunately for us we have at our disposal a very useful tool in the form of candles. Candles work as a focusing device in two very distinct ways. The first is that you can "pre load" as it were the intention you wish you put out into the universe during a time when you are not distracted by other problems. In this way you do not have to worry about focusing your energy on exactly the right thing at the right time. Much like a battery allows us to carry energy around with us for when we need it, so too can a candle act as a portable prayer or spell for later use.
The second way that candles can be focusing tools is the very fact that they are real objects. You can pick up a candle, hold it your hand, select the color that you would like to use and work with it. Having this physical reminder of what you are trying to accomplish can work wonders in keeping your mind on the task at hand.
Everybody needs a little help sometimes, and candles can be that help for you today. For more information about candles as focusing devices and tools for spiritual growth please see the "Angel Blessings Candle Kit" by myself and Doreen Virtue, available at Amazon and fine bookstores everywhere.
Thank you,
Grant Virtue
However it is precisely at those temporarily chaotic times in our lives that it can be so incredibly hard to concentrate and keep the focus that is necessary. When our minds are so focused on all the things that are going wrong it can be downright tricky to get ourselves to focus on those good things that we want to bring into ourselves.
Fortunately for us we have at our disposal a very useful tool in the form of candles. Candles work as a focusing device in two very distinct ways. The first is that you can "pre load" as it were the intention you wish you put out into the universe during a time when you are not distracted by other problems. In this way you do not have to worry about focusing your energy on exactly the right thing at the right time. Much like a battery allows us to carry energy around with us for when we need it, so too can a candle act as a portable prayer or spell for later use.
The second way that candles can be focusing tools is the very fact that they are real objects. You can pick up a candle, hold it your hand, select the color that you would like to use and work with it. Having this physical reminder of what you are trying to accomplish can work wonders in keeping your mind on the task at hand.
Everybody needs a little help sometimes, and candles can be that help for you today. For more information about candles as focusing devices and tools for spiritual growth please see the "Angel Blessings Candle Kit" by myself and Doreen Virtue, available at Amazon and fine bookstores everywhere.
Thank you,
Grant Virtue
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