A teacher and his student were walking from one village to another, when they suddenly heard a roar behind them. Turning their gaze in the direction of the roar, they saw a big tiger following them. The first thing the student wanted to do was to run away, but as he has been studying and practicing self-discipline, he was able to halt himself, waiting to see what his teacher was going to do.

“What shall we do Master?” Asked the student.

The teacher looked at the student and answered in a calm voice:
“There are several options. We can fill our minds with paralyzing fear so that we cannot move, and let the tiger do with us whatever pleases it. We can faint. We can run away, but then it will run after us. We can fight with it, but physically it is stronger than us.”

“We can pray to god to save us. We can choose to influence the tiger with the power of our mind, if our concentration is strong enough. We can send it love. We can also concentrate and meditate on our inner power, and on the fact that we are one with the entire universe, including the tiger, and in this way influence its soul.”

“Which option do you choose?”

“You are the Master. You tell me what to do. We don’t have much time.” The student responded.

The master turned his gaze fearlessly towards the tiger, emptied his mind from all thoughts, and entered a deep state of meditation. In his consciousness, he embraced everything in the universe, including the tiger. In this state the consciousness of the teacher became one with consciousness of the tiger.

Meanwhile the student started to shiver with fear, as the tiger was already quite close, ready to make a leap at them. He was amazed at how his teacher could stay so calm and detached in the face of danger.

Meanwhile the teacher continued to meditate without fear. After a little while, the tiger gradually lowered its head and tail and went away.

The student asked his teacher in astonishment, “What did you do?”

“Nothing. I just cleared all thoughts from my mind and united myself in spirit with the tiger. We became united in peace on the spiritual level. The tiger sensed the inner calmness, peace, and unity and felt no threat or need to express violence, and so walked away.”

“When the mind is silent and calm, its peace is automatically transmitted to everything and everyone around, influencing them deeply”, concluded the teacher.

Warmth of a genuine smile rubs off instantly. It gives new meaning when life seems impossible. The power of a smile is tremendous, almost magical. A smiling face can ease tense moments. Transformation and emotional healing attributes itself to a smile. There is not a person in this world that does not complain about life. Everybody in this world has their share of sorrow. When we face problems and worries it’s our inner self that is hurt most. Remember, we are a creation, and no creation has a solution for the inner self. Self realization through meditation and prayer is essential for every human. A meaningful life is what you perceive it to be. Every individual holds their own reins to happiness.

The greatest gift our creator has given us is the freedom to choose. The choices you make in life determine the absence or presence of a smile on your face, choose wisely. Every individual in this world should find inner peace. Search for peace not outside, it lies within you, connect with it. When teachings in every religion talk about love, why make room for hate. Do not harm your inner consciousness for moments of pleasure. We fail to smile when the balance of inner consciousness is disturbed. Your heart will crave for everything that fades away. Your weapon to encounter every situation in life is self-belief. Negativity grows when you lose self-belief. It’s you that makes life meaningful or meaningless. Our world requires smiles. Spread smiles and witness a miracle happen. Let us be childlike, let us smile.  If you haven’t realized the power of a smile, you soon will.

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Learning added about how brainwork works could advice beforehand analysis into a amount of diseases, according to advance columnist Dr. Judson Brewer, an abettor assistant of psychiatry at Yale University.

He and his colleagues acclimated anatomic MRI to appraise academician action in accomplished and amateur meditators as they performed three altered brainwork techniques.

Regardless of the blazon of meditation, accomplished meditators had decreased action in the brain’s absence approach network, which has been affiliated to absorption lapses and disorders such as anxiety, absorption arrears hyperactivity disorder, and the accretion of beta amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

The advisers aswell begin that if the absence approach arrangement (which consists of the centermost prefrontal and after cingulate cortex) was active, academician regions associated with self-monitoring and cerebral ascendancy were aswell activated in accomplished meditators, but not novices.

This suggests that accomplished meditators consistently adviser and abolish the actualization of “me” thoughts and apperception wandering. If they become too strong, these two states of apperception are associated with diseases such as autism and schizophrenia.

The accomplished meditators were able to co-activate the two academician regions both during brainwork and while resting, which suggests they accept developed a “new” absence approach that’s added present-centered and beneath self-centered, the advisers said.

“Meditation’s adeptness to advice humans break in the moment has been allotment of abstract and attentive practices for bags of years,” Brewer said in a Yale account release. “Conversely, the authentication of abounding forms of brainy affliction is a captivation with one’s own thoughts, a action brainwork seems to affect. This gives us some nice cues as to the neural mechanisms of how it ability be alive clinically.”

Easter Wishes Sent Your Way 

April 08, 2012

Smiles and Inspiration 2012

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.) Matthew 28: 6

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

King James Version (KJV) John 3: 16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

He is Risen !  The true meaning of the Easter season.   Not the colored easter eggs, or the special chocolate rabbits.  Not the sharing of the easter baskets or the jelly beans.  No not even the ham and trimmings.  The true meaning of this holiday is the empty grave  and the knowledge that he is risen! 

How blessed we are to know this.  To have knowledge that God even after all of the transgressions and faults that we as children have chosen to fall into.  That he sent his son so that we may have everlasting life.    Awesome news : )

So it has indeed been a while since my last post.  I think of you all daily and much has been going on.  Happy to report that it is all good…. no all great.

My life has been flowing into a positive direction.  My goals are slowly starting to form into objectives, tasks, progress is at my feet and I continue to step into a good direction.  A direction for me and my family that feels and is by my choice.

Thank you for all your prayers and kind words.

Sure I know that life is a series of waves, and I am sure you know this as well.

We are either riding a wave head held high or being crashed by a wave.  But still can we hold are head high?  I say yes.  I know we can.  We can look in the mirror and know that we have all the “right stuff” to handle any and all crisis that may befall us.  We can, and we will.

We will not try to handle it.  For to try is to not even do.  As Yoda said there is no try only do or not do.

So today, this Easter Sunday know the following:

He is risen !

He is sitting in heaven at the right hand of God !

He came so we may have everlasting life !

We are created to be happy and filled with joy and love.

We are created to share in that happiness, joy and love.

We have 2 eyes to see, 2 ears to listen, 2 hands to reach out.

We also have 1 mouth to speak, and 1 heart to love and 1 mind to utilize all of our choices.

Choose wisely.

Love deeply.

Care always.

Pray everyday.

Smile forever

Live with it all.

Dream big, Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish and live with Passion  Smiles to you this day and everyday : )

The New Affirmation for the month of April 2012

Today I will start fresh, will look to the heavens in prayer, rise from bed with joy leaping from my heart.  Today I will take time to love a little more, be kinder to complete strangers and be a friend to nature.   Today I will be more for when I become more I will become stronger, wiser and more significant for the world.  I will ensure laughter is part of my daily routine.  I will also find something to move me to tears.  Because when laughter is a part of the day and tears are also part we have indeed lived a more full day.  I will dream more, love more and always live each day with a positive attitude.  So this month will be filled with days like this.  This pattern begins now.

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PRAYER FOR THIS MONTH

GOD THIS PRAYER IS SIMPLE AND MY HEART YEARNS TO BE CLOSER IN MY WALK

THIS PRAYER IS SIMPLY TO SAY THANK YOU!

THANK YOU FOR THE NATURE THAT SITS OUTSIDE MY WINDOW.

THANK YOU FOR THE LIFE THAT EXTENDS MY POSSIBILITIES.

IN THE SIMPLEST OF TERMS I SAY THANK YOU

AMEN : )

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Fun Links to have

Daily Countdown to Spring 

Sound Cloud 

A cool Time piece for the web

Next Full Moon 

More to come … Enjoy : ) 

**************************************************

Sharing a smile ~  Sending you love ~  Pass it on

: )

brought to you by Make ME Smile Online

written by Victor Yakin copyright protected 2011* 2012

Cover of Reducing Stress (Essential Managers)

I’ve written often on the advantages of meditation; it calms the mind and body, reducing stress which can cause illness, and improves the quality of life. Scientists have now, however, discovered that meditation might actually alter the way your brain is constructed and wired, leading to better reasoning and cognitive abilities.

For half a century, researchers have been studying the effects of meditation on the mind and body, and they have discovered that the frontal lobes of those who meditate are thicker than in those who don’t meditate.  The frontal lobes of the brain are the seat of the higher order functions of concentration, focus, goal-directed behavior, impulse control, and higher order reasoning.  The thicker and more folded the areas of the brain, the better signals are passed, and the better that region functions, therefore, those with thicker frontal lobes would ordinarily reason better than those without. This is another way of saying, folks, that people who meditate are not only calmer, but smarter, than other people.  They are more self-aware and in control of their physical and emotional reactions than other people.

Scientists have shown through research that people who meditate for 30 minutes per day for eight weeks have measurable changes in gray matter density, with increases in the hippocampus; the region associated with reasoning; and decreases in the amygdale; the region associated with anxiety and stress.  Just how and why these changes take place are not clear, but the evidence is conclusive; people who meditate have thicker brains in the areas that have a positive impact and thinner in the areas that cause trouble.

The bottom line here is; if you want to have a calmer, healthier, more productive life, one of the things that should be added to your regimen is a daily period of meditation.

Well, finished my Vipassana retreat and am very pleased to be back home, but what an experience!

I arrived late on the first day and missed a morning of meditation, when I got there it was like land of the living dead. People were walking around in daze, drowsy from meditation, by this time no speaking or eye contact was allowed. It was so strange. I immediately thought, OH MY GOD!, what have I gotten myself into here.

I had a walk around and familiarized myself with my new surroundings, and must say that the location was very idyllic, very beautiful and very peaceful too.

I started meditating straight away. We meditated in a hall which was very cozy and induced calm feelings that are ideal for meditating. There were about 150 other people meditating, which was quite impressive.

On day two I got a severe headache and couldn’t finish the last half an hour of the day, so I got an early night. Luckily for me, my room mate was serious about the practice, so was very respectful and considerate. Even though we couldn’t talk we struck a nice routine and went through the ten days smoothly, allowing each other to concentrate fully on Vipassana.

I found the meditating schedule very difficult at first and it took me a long time to find a good sitting posture. I found the perfect posture on day six.

I was able to deepen my practice, really experience Vipassana, and on day seven that’s exactly what happened. I had a wonderful experience and felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted. I was much more relaxed and extremely happy. I walked down to the wooded area, looked around whilst smiling and thought, WOW! this is some good stuff.

Everything was more vivid and alive.

Day nine was the most crazy of all. I had three really intense experiences whilst meditating. That night I couldn’t sleep and my brain was completely fried. My head was twitching and it felt like electric current was moving around in my mind. At one point I thought it was never going to stop. It had calmed down by the morning.

On day ten we could resume speaking. The voices were so loud. I got a headache almost immediately. It was actually really nice not speaking. It was funny to have formed opinions of certain people, and then when they spoke they were completely different.

I met so many lovely people. All had different stories and all were from different walks of life.

I met a DJ from London that was living in Ibiza, a computer programmer from Holland, a web designer from London, a girl from Paris living in London, an Italian working in the oil industry and living in Aberdeen, an Irish fella, whose family had organic farms in Ireland, a cool bloke from Cardiff. The list goes on. So many wonderful people.

It was surprising how many young people there were.

The location and facilities were amazing, as were the servers that made the stay there very comfortable. The food was also delicious.

I had heard stories of it being very extreme, and it’s true that it is for some people. In fact about six or seven people left, but I experienced a very well taught meditation course, with lots of support, a truly amazing experience and would recommend the course to anyone.

The technique itself is brilliant, very easy to understand, and is taught in a way that can be seen to work, you experience it directly, leaving no doubt of it’s capacity to change you. To make you a happier, healthier, more balanced person.

Hope you all manage to go on at least one retreat and see how you can use this technique to improve your way of being. All the best, stay cool and be happy.

Leslie Brindley

Well, all booked in for my first ever meditation retreat. It’s a silent meditation retreat practicing Vipassana meditation or insight meditation.

The teacher is Satya Narayan Goenka. It’s not taught by him personally but by people that have been trained by him.

He has centers all over the world.

The duration is ten days. Vegetarian meals are provided. No contact with people, no speaking, no reading or writing is permitted during those ten days.

It’s a heavy schedule. Waking up at four in the morning, and about eight to ten hours of meditation is done everyday.

I have heard many different stories about these retreats with the majority of people saying that they had a great experience. Some people thought it was very extreme, whilst others have reported bad side effects, although these people were apparently not mentally or emotionally stable before the retreat.

The guidelines clearly state that the retreat is not for those people with emotional and mental problems and the centers rely on people being honest.

Everything is run on a donation basis, the first retreat is actually free. A donation, of what you can afford, is expected the second time you attend.

The approach to Vipassana meditation is very scientific. The course goes into things like mind, matter and quantum physics.

They say that it is very important to forget any other techniques that you’ve learned and only practice what you are taught by them during the ten days, for it to be fully effective.

At the moment i’m really only writing about what other people have experienced.

It’s not often in life, if ever at all, that you are given the perfect conditions for self reflection, and I want to take full advantage of it.

Peoples’ reactions have been varied, but most people think i’ve lost it and am a little weird.

I think it’s a great opportunity, i’m very excited and can’t wait to get meditating.

I’m off in February and when I return, i’ll write about my experience. Wish me luck!!!

Leslie Brindley

New Month ~ New You

April 01, 2012

Smiles and Inspiration 2012

A new month starts and a fresh new path awaits you.  Sure it is April Fools Day a sure way to pull a prank or a slight of hand. Sure I could say this would be my last post but you would not believe me right?  

So a new month the fourth month of the year.  What goals have you made for this month.  I you have not had a chance to review any of last months post please click on the link to review the month of March 2012.

This month lets start a new, a fresh start.  For me last month was awesome.  A new women entered my life and she has changed my heart and my spirit for the better.  Thank you Lourdes : )

I had a record month of sales in my automotive career.  My previous record was 21.5 a few years back and this past March 2012 I sold 27 units.  I thank all those who purchased and if I can ever give anyone advice or help you please email me at vyakin@makemesmileonline.com

Top 5 things we can do to start fresh this month.

Each day we should: 

# 1  Get plenty of prayer and meditation in.

# 2  Get plenty of spoken gratitude in each day.  To start and finish with this makes a world of difference

# 3  Start each day with positive affirmation much like the one below for the month of April.

# 4  Review your daily, weekly, monthly goals and objectives.

# 5  Laugh each day, be moved to tears each day and if you did the first four things above you gave thought which will give you a full day.

Dream big, Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish and live with Passion  Smiles to you this day and everyday : )

Oh by they way about me not writing anymore and this being my last post……..

April Fools : )   See you tomorrow : ) 

The New Affirmation for the month of April 2012

Today I will start fresh, will look to the heavens in prayer, rise from bed with joy leaping from my heart.  Today I will take time to love a little more, be kinder to complete strangers and be a friend to nature.   Today I will be more for when I become more I will become stronger, wiser and more significant for the world.  I will ensure laughter is part of my daily routine.  I will also find something to move me to tears.  Because when laughter is a part of the day and tears are also part we have indeed lived a more full day.  I will dream more, love more and always live each day with a positive attitude.  So this month will be filled with days like this.  This pattern begins now.

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PRAYER FOR THIS MONTH

GOD THIS PRAYER IS SIMPLE AND MY HEART YEARNS TO BE CLOSER IN MY WALK

THIS PRAYER IS SIMPLY TO SAY THANK YOU!

THANK YOU FOR THE NATURE THAT SITS OUTSIDE MY WINDOW.

THANK YOU FOR THE LIFE THAT EXTENDS MY POSSIBILITIES.

IN THE SIMPLEST OF TERMS I SAY THANK YOU

AMEN : )

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Fun Links to have

Daily Countdown to Spring 

Sound Cloud 

A cool Time piece for the web

Next Full Moon 

More to come … Enjoy : ) 

**************************************************

Sharing a smile ~  Sending you love ~  Pass it on

: )

brought to you by Make ME Smile Online

written by Victor Yakin copyright protected 2011* 2012

The Process Day 6 of 7

Goals / Objectives

and SMART

Starting your day with focus and drive you will attain your wishes and plan.  Start your day in a fog and a mundane attitude your goals will be nothing more than a dream without a conclusion.

The first step in the morning, the first thought can help you achieve your dreams.  Your objectives and your focus on them will help you attain them.   

Spoken gratitude will help you understand the importance of being happy and grateful each day.

Prayer and meditation and giving thanks to your creator for all the daily gifts of nature and abundance that is around all of us.

Abundance and nature is the same for all of us.  It is there and free all we need to do is reach out and claim and obtain it.

Meditation that silent moment that you stop and listen to you heart, your thoughts and to that little voice inside.  What is your little voice saying?  Is it helpful?  Take time each day in silence.  Take time to listen and share your time of quiet in a helpful way.

This is your day.  A day to exceed, to excel.  What say you?    Say YES! 

One last day remains, we try to wrap it all up into one short and easy plan to achieve your goals and turn them into objectives and turn those into a plan to achieve and excel.

We will go on more with this process and may your weekend be blessed. : )

Just some thoughts and as always smiles sent to you this day and everyday.

New Affirmation for the Month of March ….. Use it daily and feel the change in you.

I walk with confidence and understanding towards success.  Born into a perfected state I strive to achieve my intended purpose, to love, to share and care for self and for others that come in contact with me.  I choose to be happy and share laughter.  Making a difference in another persons life for the better gives positive and ever flowing energy into my world.  I am focusing on my goals, the this moment goal, this day, my weekly goals and monthly goals I achieve because of my spirit and focus.  

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Quote of the Day 

For me, half the joy of achieving has been the struggle and the fight, the pitting myself against the world and all its competition – and winning.

: o ) Conrad Veidt

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Today in History (on this date)

1822 – The Florida Territory is created in the United States.

1842 – Ether anesthesia is used for the first time, in an operation by the American surgeon Dr. Crawford Long.

1867 – Alaska is purchased from Russia for $7.2 million, about 2 cent/acre ($4.19/km²), by United States Secretary of State William H. Seward.

1870 – Texas is readmitted to the Union following Reconstruction.

1910 – The Mississippi Legislature founds The University of Southern Mississippi.

1939 – The Heinkel He 100 fighter sets a world airspeed record of 463 mph (745km/h).

1981 – President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley, Jr.

1982 – Space Shuttle program: STS-3 Mission is completed with the landing of Columbia at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

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Fun Links to have

Daily Countdown to Spring 

Sound Cloud 

A cool Time piece for the web

Next Full Moon 

More to come … Enjoy : ) 

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Daily Prayer for March

Thank you for another day in the world you created.

May my spirit inspire, inflate and bring joy and peace to another.

May I always speak my gratitude into the world and share my appreciation.

Guide me today to be wiser, more kind, help me to see deeper into this hurting world and perhaps give a bit of kindness to it.

May I always appreciate the nature that surrounds me.

The wind, the sunshine and the plants and trees that surround me.

Help me to understand that the energy around me is both helpful and strengthening.

In your word I seek peace and solace.

Thank you for another day.

Amen

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Sharing a smile ~  Sending you love ~  Pass it on

: )

brought to you by Make ME Smile Online

written by Victor Yakin copyright protected 2011* 2012

7 Simple ideas which you can apply to improve your life now and forever.

Some of these concepts are things you have to do actively – others require a change of mind, a different way of thinking.

If you implement all of them in your life and make them a daily routine; if you anchor them tight in your thinking, I will guarantee you: your quality of life WILL improve. As mine did.

It will make your life better and happier now, while you continue on your way to finding fulfillment in all 3 areas.

So here they are, the 7 small things that will help you to be happy now:

1. Find beauty in everything

When was the last time you enjoyed a sunset? Or a beautiful red rose? Or a poem? C’mon, don’t say it’s cheesy, just try it!

The key is to pause for a moment and find enjoyment in simple things. Allow that beauty to be appreciated, and joy flows through your body.

This will help you to focus on the moment and to live consciously. In meditation this is called “conscious awareness”.

Beauty is all around you, you just have to recognize it.

2. Be thankful

There are plenty of things in your life right now that you can be thankful for. Our main problem is that we take everything for granted too fast.

Make a list of at least 10 things that you can be thankful for, and really become conscious of them every day.

Being grateful everyday will help you focus on the positive aspects of life. It will be very useful, especially for people who tend to find negativity in everything.

3. Don’t judge and evaluate

This is a big one.

You will never believe what a heavy burden will be lifted from you if you simply stop judging and evaluating other people, situations or your own feelings.

Take the people around you as they are, don’t put them into categories like “good” or “bad”. Same goes for things or experiences that happen to you. There is no good or bad.

If you wreck your car, then it’s annoying at first, but who knows if something really good will come out of it. So the accident cannot be rated in any way.

Also, accept your feelings as they are – never judge them, this is VERY important.

We gain nothing if we judge people or situations. We can only lose and put an unnecessary weight upon our shoulders. Don’t do it.

I admit that it’s not easy to implement this kind of thinking, but I assure you it will improve your life tremendously.

4. Take part in sports

Find a sport you like and do it. It’s only important that it is physically intense, (chess might not be the wisest choice).

Body and mind are connected, so a healthy, well trained body will project a healthy mind. Everybody who works out knows this uplifting feeling you have after a good training. Not a lot of things come close to this feeling.

Get physical!

5. Learn to meditate

I cannot emphasize enough how meditation can benefit you in multiple ways.

Meditation is the BEST, if not the only way to find your inner-self and thereby your purpose in life.

It helps you to control your thoughts and to find real peace. Have you ever had a time in your life where you could sleep or rest as long as you wanted, but still not feel recovered?

Meditation will give you that peace.

6. Sometimes the easy way is the best

Have you ever been looking for a free parking lot in midtown, in front of a shop you wanted to visit? After half an hour of searching, you give up enervated and park a few minutes away where there is plenty of free space, but you’ll have to walk for 5 minutes?

Wouldn’t you have saved a lot of frayed nerves and time parking there in the first place?

Are you a penny pincher? Do you spend hours/days/weeks finding something 10 cents cheaper, whereas paying a little bit more for it would have saved you a lot of time and effort?

The point is: always consider your time and effort if you have to choose between two different ways of doing something.

Sometimes simple is the best.

7. Start each day positively

If you start your day positive and do not allow negativity to get a hold of you, then you will notice a change throughout the day. You will be calmer, more efficient and you will handle difficult situations much easier.

Positivity is the key for a happy life.

Bonus: Go to a UB 40 concert

It doesn’t have to be UB40, (but their concert was the most uplifting, joyful and inspiring concert I’ve ever seen). Go listen to some life music you like.

These are 7 principles I try to implement in my life daily. Sometimes it’s very easy living by them, sometimes not. But generally they improve my life tremendously. Just remember: endurance will bring you to success.

I bet you will then discover that life has a lot more to offer then you might think.

You friend,

VICTOR (The conqueror)