Silver Aligning
Align the 8 corners of your mind
Love
As essential as oxygen
Love is an essential nutrient that humans need to thrive. There are many types of love, family-love, romantic-love, friend-love, self-love... We are wired to express & receive love through touch. In our modern, technologized world, many people do not touch enough! It has been well-established in studies that premature babies, when massaged for 15 minutes 3 times per day, will grow about 50% faster than babies who are left in an incubator. Love is immaterial, and yet it is one of the most real things we can experience to change our physiology. In an ideal world, we are given enough love as a child to feel safe & secure to continue giving & receiving it. Sadly, many people grow up feeling a lack of love and spend much of their lives searching for the perfect love. The crazy thing is, the perfect love we seek is actually already within us! Sometimes we must work to find it, but it is there. The key to successful relationships is loving ourselves first. As Maya Angelou said "I don't trust anyone who says they love me if they don't love themselves."
Purpose
Why you get out of bed in the morning
Purpose is defined as the reason for which something exists. If you don't feel there reason for your existence, how can you thrive?! Meaning or purpose in life is different for everyone. Picasso said, "the meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give them away." Knowing your purpose empowers you to direct your life with certainty. There are areas of the world called "Blue Zones" that have the highest concentration of people living over 100 in great health. One of the biggest aspects of these cultures is that they all highly value having a sense of purpose in life. The people of Okinawa call it, ikigai. Whatever you may call it, you need to find what is calling you. Having a sense of purpose beyond the mundane day-to-day responsibilities has been shown to significantly reduce risk of Alzeimer's Disease, Stroke & arthritis. For more info, visit: https://www.bluezones.com/2011/08/the-right-outlook-how-finding-your-purpose-can-improve-your-life/
Gratitude
The attitude adjustment that changes everything
Gratitude has become a buzzword these days, and perhaps may be perceived as cliche. There is always something to be grateful for, and usually there is more good than bad in our lives. Yet our human brains are actually wired to focus on the negative in a situation. This is a survival mechanism that was very useful when we were fending for our lives in the wild! Now, most of us are lucky to have safe, secure lives, & we must evolve our minds to look for the positive instead. Some find it useful to have a gratitude journal that they write in every morning and before bed. If you find yourself stuck & unable to come up with much to be grateful for, instead ask yourself, "what is not wrong with this moment right now?"
Contribution
In helping others, we help ourselves.
There is a magic in helping others that lights us up from within. Various gurus have stated that if one is unhappy, they are thinking too much of themselves. The most successful, fulfilled people have emphasized the importance of giving to help humanity & the world. Ann Frank said, "No one has ever became poor by giving." Whether it is your money or time & talents, you will find yourself much more fulfilled when you know you are making a positive difference in the lives of others.
Organization
Outer order allows inner order
This may seem like nit-picking, but it is almost impossible to truly experience peace if your life is in shambles. Perhaps the greatest zen masters can disregard such worldly issues, but for most of us, get filing! Personally, as someone who desires creative inspiration & freedom, if my environment isn't organized, my analytical left brain will now allow my right brain to express its brilliance! If your desk is cluttered, your mind is cluttered.
Regarding finances, this principle is key. The mind cannot thrive if it is always worried about making ends meet - that's survival mode! A well-designed budget can be very useful in setting up your finances. Apps like "Mint" make this easier than ever now!
Once that's in order, it's also important to consider setting up multiple income streams, some of which should be "Passive income." In our changing world, to achieve financial freedom, we must diversify! To learn more, refer to experts in this field such as Pat Flynn, the creator of the "Smart, Passive Income Podcast," Robert Kiyosaki (author of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad") & Tony Robbins ("Money: Master the Game")
The modern world is amazing & the possibilities are endless, but as our lives fill up with stuff, events, relationships, etc... we are at risk of overwhelm.
Create order in your life, to enjoy everything in your life.
Connection
"It takes a village..."
Humans are social beings. We survived the evolutionary game because of our ability to cooperate with one another. As Dumbledore said so wisely, "We are as strong as we are united, and as weak as we are divided." In our technological age, the awareness that we're not designed to live in isolation is more important than ever. While social media allows us to stay somewhat connected to many people, "liking" someone's post is no replacement for being in the presence of great friends. Remember those Blue Zones? Another aspect of those healthy communities is the strong, social community they have together.
Spirit
"We are spiritual beings having a human experience." -Wayne Dyer
Whatever your background or religion may be, it is important to have a spiritual practice. Whether it is praying in a church/temple or simply walking through nature observing beauty, anything that inspires wonder & awe is good for our souls. The discovery of quantum physics has provided evidence that everything in our physical world is truly interconnected at the molecular level. As the poet Rumi said, "We are not a drop in the ocean, we are the entire ocean in one drop."
Fun
Life is too short to be taken seriously.
If we're not having fun, what's the point?
Fun is wonderful for the body, mind & soul as well as your relationships. While we can't be having fun all the time, the good news is, the harder you work, the more rewarding the play will be. Just make sure to prioritize it & schedule it in!
