Lightworker

Ingredients and Directions

1 Celery stalk

1 sm Onion

1 Scallion

1 Garlic clove

1 c Cooked barley, drained (or

-substitute cooked brown -rice or cooked cracked -wheat 1 c Slightly cooked chick peas,

-drained (canned is fine, or -substitute cooked navy, -pinto or soy beans) 1/2 c Instant uncooked oatmeal

1/8 ts Salt

1 ts Paprika

1/2 ts Dried basil

2 tb Soy sauce

1/4 ts Ground black pepper

Olive oil as needed In a blender, finely chop celery, onion, scallion and garlic OR dice them by hand finely. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the barley, chick peas, oatmeal, salt, paprika, basil, soy sauce and pepper. Mix them thoroughly with a wooden spoon or with your hands. Add the chopped celery, onion, scallion and garlic to the barley mixture and mix again. Shape into six burgers. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add burgers and brown 5-7 minutes on each side. Or bake the patties at 350′F. on a lightly oiled cookie sheet for 25 minutes.

5 Steps That Could Change Your Life
Unexpected ways to find joy and serenity

By Salley Shannon

Inner peace. A tranquil mind. Serenity. How do you find the way to
your inner quiet retreat when days are full of to-do lists, searches
for misplaced sneakers, exasperating coworkers and nothing much to
start supper with in the fridge? Consider the following.

Step 1: Pay attention to your physical health. We all go through
periods when an illness, a bout of being overscheduled or even
having a new baby in the house means operating for weeks with little
sleep and spotty nutrition. But if you’re eating meals standing
up
and getting by with too little rest, any quest for inner peace is
almost impossible.

David L. Felten, M.D., Ph.D., the prize-winning scientist whose work
first demonstrated the mind-body connection, says seeking serenity
while neglecting the basics of good physical health is like
beginning an exercise program “and then having a junk-food feast
every day.” While embracing yoga, guided imagery or spirituality
might do you some good, he says it won’t entirely reverse the
damage
done by failing to take care of yourself.

If you’re wondering whether or not your health habits are sound,
ask
this question: If my best friend had these habits, what would I tell
her? Then follow your own advice. We usually know what we ought to
do to be healthy; the trick is doing it.

Step 2: Envision the person you’d like to be on the inside. Then
begin living “as if.” Are you who you always hoped to become?
We’re
not talking about your weight or the fact that you wanted to go to
nursing school, but whether you like the woman you hold
conversations with in your head.

We all need a mental photo of the person we’d like to be. If you
don’t have one, ask yourself which person you most admired as a
child. Perhaps you were inspired by an aunt who had a kind word for
everyone, and you wanted to grow up to be genuine and caring like
her. Maybe you’ve always admired people with faith, like your
grandmother, because it helped them weather life’s problems.

For many people, the path to serenity begins with a daily prayer
asking for guidance. But inner peace isn’t just for those with
defined religious beliefs, says Robert C. Solo-mon, Ph.D., a
philosophy professor at the University of Texas at Austin and author
of Spirituality for the Skeptic. Dr. Solomon says peace of mind can
be found by deliberately choosing to be virtuous in all of our
dealings: by telling the truth, being just and fair and striving to
be kind. “Caring about the right things becomes a kind of
spirituality in itself,” he says.

Once you have an inner model, start living today as though you were
already that person.

Step 3: Get rid of anger and blame. We all carry around bundles of
hurts and grievances, many of them caused by things other people
have done, believes Fred Luskin, Ph.D., author of the bestseller
Forgive for Good and director and co-founder of the Stanford
University Forgiveness Project, a research program that shows
clients how letting go of grievances makes them happier and
physically healthier.

“By carrying around these hurts, you are letting the person who
harmed you continue to inflict new bruises. You are renting space to
him in your head,” he says. Aside from wrecking your inner peace,
just thinking about these grudges gives your nervous system a jolt.
Your blood pressure, heart rate and arterial pressure actually rise.
If these responses continue day after day, they can literally
“break
your heart.”

Forgiving someone doesn’t mean condoning bad behavior or
necessarily
reconciling with the person who hurt you, says Dr. Luskin. What it
really means is not letting the memory upset or control you.

One way to get rid of inner anger is to mentally “change the
channel” by turning your mind to something else. If you find
yourself replaying the mental video of an argument with your mother,
stop. Replay a happy moment instead. Likewise, don’t keep talking
about old grievances. If you hear yourself begin telling a new
coworker about how you were unfairly deprived of a promotion five
years ago, stop. Talk instead about something that makes you feel
good.

Step 4: Create a life you enjoy. Many of our regrets center on
things we haven’t done, especially as we grow older. Barbara
Sher,
the guru of midlife changes and author of It’s Only Too Late if
You
Don’t Start Now, advises, “Find what you love and find a way
to do
it.”

If you always wanted to sing, you probably can’t quit your job
and
join the opera, but you can start taking singing lessons. If
you need practical inspiration to help you pursue what you want,
visit Sher’s online bulletin board, www.barbarasher.com.
You’ll be
inspired by stories of women who have taken up everything from
raising gorillas to hairstyling.

Among Sher’s best suggestions: Gather a group of friends who are
supportive and will help each other pursue their dreams, then
brainstorm with them to find practical suggestions for making money
or finding time. As for the critics who tell you that what you love
is irrelevant or crazy, ignore them. “One of the best things
about
growing up is that your inner satisfaction becomes more important
than status or praise,” says Sher.

Step 5: Let go of trying to be perfect. Trying to do everything
right is impossible. Even when a task is finished, there is always
something you could have done a little better, so your mind stays
stirred up and peace eludes you.

Perfectionism “is a pretend way to make you believe you have the
power to control things no one can control,” Sher says. Trying to
be
perfect becomes the way to prove you are worthy, get approval or
force your critics to admit you’re good. Since perfectionism is a
habit often developed in childhood, you may be trying to please a
person who isn’t even in your life anymore. Also, keep in mind
that “critics want to criticize,” says Sher. “They have
their own
reasons for doing it that have nothing to do with you.”

Happiness is a Choice”

What would it take to make you happy? Think about your answer for a moment.

Now, I know some of you think that if you only had this or that particular
thing you’d be happy. Others believe that if you were only in love with
someone wonderful who loved you back, then you’d be happy. And there are
probably still others who believe that if God would work a miracle and cure
you or someone you love of an illness, that would make you happy.

But I want to tell you something. Happiness is a choice you make, not
something that does or doesn’t happen to you. You can choose to be happy
right now, no matter what you have or don’t have.

The first step is gratitude. If you develop and heighten your powers of
appreciation by focusing on the beauty in your life instead of the
imperfections, you will be halfway there. I guarantee that you will see an
abundance of beauty in your life, regardless of your surroundings or
circumstances, if you will only look for it.

Once you can see it - appreciate it! Not just intellectually - let it give
you real joy. You see, the time to be happy is now, the place to be happy
is here, and the reasons to be happy are all around you. So what are you
waiting for?

by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
Excerpted with permission from “SERENITY” - tools for personal growth. Published by ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications Ltd., Brooklyn, NY

The most important awareness for becoming serene is to realize that serenity is up to you. There are two myths that work against mastery of serenity. Right at the beginning it is imperative to clarify the truth.

Myth One: Believing that serenity is a gift that either you possess or do not possess. Some people are born with serenity and are fortunate. Someone who is not naturally serene has little hope of changing. This misconception is a major block.

Truth: Serenity is a learnable skill. Every normal human being has the ability to learn the basics. Your brain creates serenity or its opposite. If you frequently experience stress, anxiety, tension, frustration, anger, and other unresourceful states, these are created by the way that you use your brain. You have amazing potential to condition your brain so that you frequently create and access the state of serenity, along with other resourceful states such as joy, courage, and patience. With knowledge and persistence everyone has the potential to gain greater mastery over his emotional states. Anyone who claims that we cannot is just saying that he has not yet learned this skill.

Myth Two: Believing that only when someone is in a perfectly peaceful environment can one maintain serenity.

Truth: Yes, it is much easier to be serene when you are in an ideal place with a peaceful atmosphere. Yes, it is much easier to be serene when all the people you interact with are rational, kind, and calm. Nevertheless, even when the external environment is far from being optimally fit for serenity, we have the ability to create an inner serenity and to resiliently bounce back when we temporarily lose it.

SERENITY IS UP TO YOU
Step one for serenity mastery is to accept the concept that you personally can increase your level of serenity. Since serenity is within you and is created by your thoughts, you can learn the patterns that are conducive for serenity and eliminate limiting patterns.

While doing research for this book, I asked people who had not yet read it (of course), “What stops you from being serene?”

I received many answers:

- “I’m not serene because I wasn’t born that way.”
- “My family was dysfunctional.”
- “My parents were high achievers and were always busy and in a rush.”
- “My business is highly competitive.”
- “I find school work difficult.”
- “I have financial pressures.”
- “I have so much to learn and I am constantly behind.”
- “I have a busy schedule.”
- “There are so many people who irritate and frustrate me.”
- “Everyone in my profession experiences premature burnout.”

No one answered, “I’m not serene because I haven’t yet learned and mastered this skill.” Since serenity is up to each individual this is the only accurate answer. When you put in the effort to master serenity, in retrospect you will be grateful that you did.

DON’T BUY INTO NEGATIVE ATTITUDES OF OTHERS
Working on developing the attitudes, perspectives, evaluations, frames and reframes that are conducive for serenity can take time and effort to master. Even after you put in the necessary energy, you must guard against acquiring others’ unresourceful and counterproductive ways of looking at things. You would not pay money to buy these attitudes, so do not accept them even when they are given to you for free.

Being aware of the attitudes and outlooks that are life enhancing will make you more sensitive to what others say about situations and events. Some of the things you hear will further your quest for serenity. Other statements, opinions, and points of view are stress builders. Add the positive positions to your own mental library. And disregard those that are negative and counterproductive.

If you are like most people, you already have unresourceful perspectives and evaluations that you acquired from others. They may have become part of your own thinking and you may consider them to be the objective reality. As soon as you are aware of a needlessly negative perspective, ask yourself, “How can I view this in a wiser, better way?”

Some common negative attitudes are:

- “When this or that happens, you just have to become stressed out.”
- “There’s nothing one can do to change their feelings about this.”
- “Your feelings are sacrosanct regardless of what those feelings are.”
- “Your initial reaction is your true reality. Don’t think you can fool yourself to try to change it.”
- “Everyone I know views things this way so I must also be nervous and upset.”

These are subjective limiting frames. You never have to be stressed out unless you are physically exhausted. And even then you can feel calm about it. We have a tremendous ability to change our feelings about things. Feelings are all temporary, based on how we presently perceive a situation. New and better perspectives and outlooks are always within our reach. The moment you change your thought, your nervous system changes how you feel. Life-enhancing thoughts create life-enhancing feelings. Even if this is only a subtle shift, you are moving in the right direction…

After spending many hours looking at Lisa’s blog filled with amazing recipes, I have decided to start posting some of my own recipes.

Here is my first one, this is a great recipe - especially to accompany soup.
Olive herb bread

When I was hungry, you gave me food.
When I was thirsty you gave me drink.
Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to Me.
When I was a stranger, you opened your doors.
When I was naked, you gave me clothes.
When I was tired, you gave me peace.
When I was frightened, you calmed me down.
When I was lonely, you gave me your love.
When I was sick or wounded, you took care of me.
Looking for friendship, you gave me your hand.
When I was old, you smiled at me.
When I couldn’t find peace, you brought it to me.
You were on my side in times of despair, and in the hour of joy, we were together. Amen

Lead me from death to life,
from lies to truth
Lead me from despair to hope
from fear to trust
Lead me from hatred to love
from war to peace
Let peace fill our heart, our world
our universe with peace. Amen

mother teresa

Let There Be Peace

A wise old gentleman retired and purchased a modest home near a junior high school. He spent the first few weeks of his retirement in peace and contentment . . . then a new school year began. The very next afternoon three young boys, full of
youthful, after-school enthusiasm, came down his street, beating merrily on every trash can they encountered. The crashing percussion continued day after day, until finally the wise old man decided it was time to take some action.

The next afternoon, he walked out to meet the young percussionists as they banged their way down the street. Stopping them, he said, “You kids are a lot of fun. I like to see you express your exuberance like that. Used to do the same thing when I was your age. Will you do me a favor? I’ll give you each a dollar if you’ll promise to come around every day and do your thing.”

The kids were elated and continued to do a bang-up job on the trash cans. After a few days, the old-timer greeted the kids again, but this time he had a sad smile on his face. “This recession’s really putting a big dent in my income,” he told them. “From now on, I’ll only be able to pay you 50 cents to beat on the cans.” The noisemakers were obviously displeased, but they did accept his offer and continued their afternoon ruckus.

A few days later, the wily retiree approached them again as they drummed their way down the street. “Look,” he said, “I haven’t received my Social Security check yet, so I’m not going to be able to give you more than 25 cents. Will that be okay?”

“A lousy quarter?” the drum leader exclaimed. “If you think we’re going to waste our time, beating these cans around for a quarter, you’re nuts! No way, mister. We quit!”

And the old man enjoyed peace and serenity for the rest of his days.

By Gentle Spaces News
from Condensed Chicken Soup for the Soul
Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Patty Hansen

If Tomorrow Never Comes

If I knew it would be the last time that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I’d hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute or two
to stop and say “I love you,”
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight..

So if you’re waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you’ll surely regret the day,

That you didn’t take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you’ll always hold them dear,

Take time to say “I’m sorry,” “please forgive me,”
“thank you” or “it’s okay”.
And if tomorrow never comes,
you’ll have no regrets about today.

After a while…

After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn that love doesn’t mean possession
and company doesn’t mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
and presents aren’t promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of an adult not the grief of a child.
And you learn to build your roads today
because tomorrows ground is too uncertain for plans
and futures have ways of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
that you really are strong
and you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn…
with every failure you learn.

- anonymous