Soul Seeker

Step One to Accomplishments

noreply@blogger.com (Bon Ami) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:02:00 +0000

In the recent past, I had low self esteem about what I felt I could accomplish in life. This translated loud and clear in the jobs that I have had, to how much money I have made.

The funny thing is that I am multi talented, and those talents are recognized constantly by others. Why then couldn't I allow myself to see it? Recently, there has been a shift in my thinking. It may have been due to my meditations, or to the fact that I no longer allow negative thoughts to control my mind.
I feel like a different person in the respect that I can acknowledge my talents. I don't deny them, nor do I allow myself to feel less than what I really am...Capable. This thinking has led me to do something that was previously just a dream. This Sunday, an article that I wrote will be published in the local news paper.

It is as if, by taking this one step, that I have torn down the walls of fear that have held me back for so long. Now, I feel like anything is possible. I hope that if you are reading this, and you can relate to this in some way, that you too can take the steps that you need to step out onto the other side of life where your dreams really are possible.

A Course in Miracles

noreply@blogger.com (Bon Ami) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:41:00 +0000

I'm excited to share with you, reader, that last night I was browsing Oprah.com, and found that Marianne Williamson, best selling author of A Course in Miracles, is doing a broadcast for each day of this year to help people to positively change their lives. Of course, I am ten days behind schedule, but I'm doubling up on practicing the lessons she gives until I can catch up. You can go back in archives to find her previous lessons. It's not too late to begin!

Excerpt:
"What is a miracle? It is a shift in perception from fear to love. And that shift will change your entire life. Are you ready for a new beginning? A Course in Miracles is a complete, self study spiritual journey. Its goal for you is happiness and peace."- Marianne Williamson

Are you interested? Follow this link to the web page.

Results of 5 Day Detox Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Bon Ami) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:08:00 +0000

Plenty of Rest Required.

It's day 5 of my detox diet, and I am feeling much better now. For those of you who are interested in doing your own detox, here is a brief overview of how I was effected starting from day 1.

Day 1- I had a pounding headache, a stomach ache, and I was quite hungry. Food cravings were waging war with my mind, begging me to just give in and have a slice of bread, or a small piece of chocolate.

Day 2- I had a pounding headache, stomach ache, and late into the night I was nauseous. I even broke out in cold sweats, which proved to me that my body was more toxic than I had realized.

Day 3- I felt good, and I noticed that the dark circles which I usually have under my eyes were beginning to fade.

Day 4- I felt strong enough to go all day without my usual morning cup of coffee, and I did not even get the usual protesting headache. (Note: Before beginning the detox diet, I drank 3-4 mugs of coffee a day.)

Day 5- I woke up with a headache, circles under my eyes, and felt like I had a mild hang over. Though, that may be due to the intense stress of the day before when I had to take my Grandma to the ER. She's fine now, by the way.

Also, I have noticed that I have visibly lost weight from my arms, legs, and bust.

If you are interested in doing your own detox, here is a list of foods to eat, and foods to avoid.

Meditation Journal Entry 2

noreply@blogger.com (Bon Ami) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:06:00 +0000

(Above) not my home, but how I love those colors.

In one of my first posts, I mentioned that I was frustrated about not having a good place to meditate in my home. Well, yesterday I was reading a blog post about meditation for beginners. Somehow, it sparked an idea in my mind as to where I could create my space.

It may seem odd, but I have decided to meditate in the hall way from now on. It's the only room in the house, in my opinion, with the right energy. This morning I lit a candle, placed it on the wooden floor in the narrow corridor, sat all wrapped up in a blanket with my back against the wall, breathed deeply, and I knew I had made the right decision.

Though I could still hear the whir of the traffic on the busy street in front of my house, the dogs still barked at squirrels in the yard, and my head throbbed and ached, I still found peace and quiet in that hall.

Detox Diet Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Bon Ami) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 04:11:00 +0000

Oh, how I long for a warm cup.

If you have ever considered doing a detox diet, there is probably one important thing you should know. That one tidbit would be, namely, that it is rough.  Now, I'm saying this on my 2nd day, and I can only hope that tomorrow I feel better.

If you plan on doing a detox diet, expect to have a headache, stomach aches, and low energy for the first couple of days. If possible, begin during the weekend, or during some alloted time off from work or other obligations. You will be glad that you did because pain relievers such as Advil or Tylenol are strictly prohibited during detox.

Here is a recipe for one dish, other than fruits and veggies, that I've enjoyed eating today.

Hummus Recipe

2 tbsp. Tahini
2 c. pureed, cooked garbanzo beans
1 1/2 cloves minced garlic
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp. olive oil
Sea Salt to taste
Parsley garnish

Strain garbanzo beans and set juice aside.

Blend all ingredients including a splash of juice (as needed) to paste consistency.

Serve in a shallow dish garnished with parsley.This makes a great dip for carrots or celery.

The Detox Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Bon Ami) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 20:16:00 +0000

My Future Body...No, Really...

I have been obsessed with doing a whole body detox for a while now. Finally, after hearing me yammer on endlessly about it, my husband bought me a box of "Whole Body Cleanse", a bribe to get me to shut up about it once and for all.
Though I haven't begun the process yet, I'm gearing up to start tomorrow. Let me tell you, if you haven't already done a detox yourself, it's tough finding appetizing recipes that fit the proper diet plan. I searched the net all morning for meals that will work with my goals. As I go, I'll be sharing my favorite detox recipes here in future posts.

Detox Food Do:
fresh veggies
brown rice
legumes- lentils, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, kidney beans
nuts and seeds
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
Detox Food Don't:

sugar
dairy
gluten (found in wheat products)
coffee (1 cup a day is acceptable.)
yeast
alcohol
chocolate:(
high fat foods
additives and preservatives (found in many, many packaged and canned foods)

Tagged: New Year's Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Bon Ami) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:53:00 +0000

I have been tagged by Alexys at Unraveling the Spiritual Mystique.

When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions we seem to fall into four categories: 1) quite serious about them, 2) be flippant about them, 3) do it because we feel pressured to, or 4) do not do them.

So, the purpose of this little game is to let us know which category you are in.

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

There are plenty of things I would like to do, but I resolve to do mainly this: To finish every project I start, and to do these things to the best of my ability. This is "quite serious".

I'm tagging my hubby:
Complete Geek

Allowing Success

noreply@blogger.com (Bon Ami) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:29:00 +0000

"Most people have a hard time delegating, or even wanting to delegate, because you have been justifying your existence through your hard work, and you equate success with struggle; you equate results with struggle. And so, you sort of wear your struggle like a badge of honor. And all of that is opposite of allowing the Well-being.

The only thing that ever matters in success or achievement is your achieving the things that you want to achieve. So if you are setting standards and you’re feeling uncomfortable about the standards that you’ve set, tweak the standards back a little bit. Ratchet it back a notch. Give yourself a break. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Lighten up. Be easier. Go slower. Take it easy. Have more fun. Love yourself more. Laugh more. Appreciate more.

All is well. You can’t get it wrong. You never get it done."

Abraham

Meditation Journal Entry #1

noreply@blogger.com (Bon Ami) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:34:00 +0000

Due to the New Year season, I haven't meditated lately. My husband has been off from work for 4 days, and let's just say that he is rather distracting. With his large frame he goes clunking and clomping around the house, and his big booming "Ahem" as he clears his throat every minute or so is enough to startle me out of any reverie.

I asked him to please refrain from making any noise what so ever for 15 minutes while I tried to mediate this morning. Could he do it? Of course not! He went clomp, clomp, clomping up the hall and even the dogs were in on foiling my plans because they decided to bark loudly at who knows what in the yard.

Though I was not able to find my happy place this time, I did feel better for the few minutes I was able to just focus on deep breathing.

Things that distracted me this time:
1. dogs
2. husband
3. undigested food = discomfort
4. my thoughts

Things to consider next time:
1. meditate while husband at work
2. put the dogs in their kennels
3. get zen on empty stomach

Focus: The Primary Ingredient for Success

noreply@blogger.com (Bon Ami) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:21:00 +0000

Today, the last day of 2007, I find myself reflecting on what I most want to come of the following year. I am narrowing it down to primarily this:

I want to choose a few specific goals and focus all of my energy toward them this year.

This may seem logical to you, but for me, a true blue Gemini, I find it very hard to concentrate on any one thing for very long. Hence the need for meditation, a practice of one pointed focus. Mind you, this is not my only motivation for meditating, but nonetheless, it makes it on my list of top 5 reasons.

One of the major struggles in my life has been the battle for attaining success. Now, I understand the reasons why it has eluded me for so long.

1. I have been focusing on the lack of success, rather than on having it.
2. I have not been able to focus on one goal for long enough to attain achievement.
3. I do not have a well defined concept of what success really is for me.

Now, when I make my list of goals for the new year, I will focus on them with all of the positive energy I can muster. I believe this is going to be one great year. Happy New Year to you, dear reader.

A Place to Meditate

noreply@blogger.com (Bon Ami) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 17:35:00 +0000

A Dreamy Meditation Space

As I am just renewing a meditation practice, I find myself frustrated. This is not the most helpful energy to bring to the process, I know. The fretting comes from the fact that I do not have an ideal place in my home to dedicate to meditation. Every room, except the bedroom has a "do something/work" vibe. Also, I can not seem to maintain order in any room for long. Inevitably, each space becomes a cluttered mess, much like my mind.
Adding more stress to the matter, my super rigid Christian Mom and my Grandmother are my next door neighbors. Every time I begin to chant during meditation, paranoia sets in. I imagine that they just happen to be taking a walk outside my window, and can hear me repeating my mantra which follows along the lines of, "Om, Shanti, Shanti, Sat Nam...". Naturally, this would lead to a very long lecture followed by worried looks, and my Mom would almost inevitably believe that I've been possessed or some such nonsense.
Now that I've gotten this off my chest, I may as well learn to deal with things as they are. It's time to imagine an ideal space for my home as is, and to put it into motion. I'll be sure to follow up as my space develops.

Greetings

noreply@blogger.com (Bon Ami) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 04:32:00 +0000

After blundering through life for the past couple of decades, I've learned that I do not have all of the answers I need to carry me through the low times. When the tide of my life is high, I can tend to not be present in the moment as much as I'd like, and when the waves crash heavily upon me, I find myself flailing out of control. Only, later I am regretful for the words and actions that I so carelessly inflict upon the world.

I don't pretend to know what I'm doing here on this new journey of self discovery, so please bear with me as I explore my new found purpose, which is to find God through prayer and meditation. I welcome all of you whom I may meet along the way to share your own stories, or comments. Please feel free to e-mail me, or to leave your comment on this blog. I look forward to my journey and to meeting all of you out there who are on your own spiritual paths. Sincerely, Bon Ami