The Power of Kindness on You and the World

The Power of Kindness on You and the World

by | Jul 15, 2023 | Care of the Body, Care of the Mind, Expression, Healthy Living, Self Care, Self Love

Our societal norm has become “me first”

The type of society we live in has become known as “me first”. We’re taught early on to look out for ourselves first, and many do that. We’re self-focused, self-possessed and find it difficult to see beyond ourselves at those around us. We often don’t see how our actions affect others.

But our actions do affect others, sometimes in large ways and sometimes in small ways that create a wave of actions. The Butterfly Effect in Chaos Theory states that on tiny event in one area of the globe can have a substantial effect somewhere else. The same is true with small acts of kindness.

Every time kindness is performed it creates a ripple effect.

It spreads from person to person, continuing endlessly. You could say kindness is contagious, like a disease in which the outcome is beautiful.

Kindness keeps us from being short tempered with others when we’re stressed and frustrated. It helps people realize we’re all on the same team.

Jamil Zaki, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab conducted a series of studies observing how witnessing kindness inspires kindness, saying it causes it to spread like a virus.

Zaki says, “We find that people imitate not only the particulars of positive actions, but also the spirit underlying them. This implies is that kindness itself is contagious, and that that it can cascade across people, taking on new forms along the way.” 

When we were to look at how important an act of kindness can help someone in need, we realize how it can empower both ourselves and others.

Today, we are bombarded with social media and news media that focuses on the negative interactions that affect us.  It’s seen in the victims of bullying, of abuse, and of those who abuse their power.  Even our entertainment is often riddled with abusive comments and negative actions.

Helping the disabled person who is struggling to gather items out their reach can change the course of their day. By giving a hungry person something to eat or helping a homeless person find shelter can change their outlook on life. Helping an elderly neighbor carry in groceries, mow their yard or just check on them occasionally, can help them feel less lonely. If you say thank you, please, and hello to others who are serving you, you brighten their day.

 

If you perform even the smallest act of kindness, you have the potential to change the course of persons life, even if only for a short period of time.

But kindness not only effects the one you are performing it for. It has a positive effect on you as well.

  • When you are kind to someone, your body gets a surge in serotonin, feel-good endorphins and oxytocin, all hormones that promote a natural high.
  • These hormones reduce pain and lower bread pressure, helping you feel relaxed and loved.
  • The person you are kind to will experience this surge in hormones too. And anyone who witnesses the act of kindness will feel the same feel-good effects.

Kindness fuels curiosity to know each other better. It helps us hear each other without putting up any pretenses. It’s considering other people and what they experience and their concerns and how you can make their lives easier.

 

Kindness is contagious.

It ripples and grows, effecting the unsuspecting and the observing. One act of kindness can change thousands of lives.

In the words of Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you did, they will forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

Simple acts of kindness can contribute to rebuilding our health.

Simple acts of kindness remind us that we have something to offer others and the world.  When we offer kindness to another, we feel that kindness within our own heart, which helps to heal any hurt that we carry within.  The ripple effect not only impacts others, but our own heart. 

 

Contemplation for this week:

Become more aware of the balance of selfishness and kindness in your world.  What brings selfishness into your world?  What brings kindness into your world?  What can you do to tip the balance toward the kindness side?  Remember to include yourself in your acts of kindness!

 

May kindness fill your heart, mind and soul, 💕Bindu

12 Steps to Self Care

12 Steps to Self Care

by | Jul 14, 2023 | Inspiration, Self Care, Self Love

Remember . . .

When you take care of yourself you will have more to offer others.

When you love yourself, you will more readily accept love from others.

It is not selfish to take care of yourself, it is an act of self love.

Every time you treat yourself with love and kindness,

it seeds the collective consciousness with love and kindness.

💗Bindu

I See You . . .

I See You . . .

by | Jul 8, 2023 | Inspiration, Self Care, Self Love

Remember . . .

You are not your fibromyalgia.

You are not your anxiety.

You are not your challenges.

You are a beloved child of God

You are beautiful in His eyes.

You are Blessed.  You are Loved!

💗Bindu

14 Tips to Diffuse Anxiety

14 Tips to Diffuse Anxiety

by | Jul 8, 2023 | Care of the Mind, Emotional Health, Personal Growth, Self Care, Self Love

People with fibromyalgia struggle with anxiety.  It is part of the fibromyalgia syndrome.  Fibromyalgia makes every area in our life more difficult including finances, relationship, family, and career.

We have a lot to be concerned about, not only our health, but the impact it has on our lives.  Add to that all the craziness on the planet right now leaves lots of space for worry and anxiety.

How can we manage or diffuse our anxiety?  

Below are several suggestions that can help to diffuse anxiety.

Step 1:  Breathe

Breathing might not seem like a big deal, but if you slow down and deepen your breath, you can connect to a calm inner presence and reduce your anxiety.  Here is a great article on how deep breathing eases anxiety.

 

Step 2:  Endeavor to witness the anxiety.

With any emotion that we feel we can watch or witness it rather than be taken over by it.  Deep breathing from Step 1, helps us to witness the anxiety.  Set that as an intention and see what happens.  Intention is a powerful choice and can achieve unexpected results.

 

Step 3:  Watch the mind

Our mind can be a great ally or a terrible naysayer.  The mind can pull up all negative experiences from your past to protect you, but really, all that does is fuel your fear and anxiety.   Deep breathing can help us to watch the mind rather than be taken over by it.  Watching the mind allows us to evaluate our thoughts and then choose to believe them, challenge them or dismiss them.

 

Step 4:  Accept this moment as it is.

Accepting this moment doesn’t mean that you need to like it.  I am simply suggesting to fully get/see/understand what is happening in and around you.   From that place, you can begin to create a new reality.

Fighting “what is” only feeds what you don’t want.  Accepting what is, empowers you to create change.

 

Step 5:  Write it out

I find that making a list of all the things I am worried about helps.  Often, it doesn’t seem quite as big on paper.  That is because the same frightening thoughts continue to circulate in your mind, making it seem bigger than it really is.

 

Step 6:  Past, Present or Future?

Notice if your anxiety is about something that happened in the past or something that you are afraid will happen in the future or if it is a real problem in this moment.  Mark each item on your list as past, present and future.

 

Step 7:  Letting go of the past

If an anxiety is about something that happened in the past, you can discover ways to release the cellular memories and emotions causing the anxiety.  Tools such as EFT and the Healing Codes are great tools you can use at home to release past traumas and negative life experiences.  If they are deep and painful memories, you may want to seek out a professional who is trained in releasing trauma.

 

Step 8:  Addressing or releasing the future.

Look at your future fears and do a reality check.  For each fear about the future, ask yourself if that is a realistic concern or something isn’t likely to happen.   If it is something that isn’t likely to happen, find some affirmation or truth focus statements that help you to shift your thought patterns.  Write them out on paper and repeat them at least once a day or more.  If it is a realistic concern, add it to your list of present concerns.

 

Step 9:  Present concerns

Look at each present concern and ask yourself if it is something that you can do something about.  If so, make an action plan of what you can do to address your concern.  Even if it is a baby step in the right direction.    If you cannot do anything about it, try the other steps in this article.

 

Step 10:  Stop and look around your environment.

In this moment are you safe?  Do you have a roof over your head?  Do you have food and water?  Is your environment free from violence or potential violence?  If you answer yes to all of the questions, take a few moments to appreciate the safety of this moment.  Afterall, this moment is really all there is.

If you answer no to the question of violence, get yourself to a safe space.  Then take it from there. If you answered no to some of the other questions, apply Step 9.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help.  You don’t have to do this alone.  There are many services to help people in need.

 

Step 11:  Gratitude

Taking some time each day to remind yourself of all that is good in your life can change your experience.  We often forget or take for granted the simple things in life.

During my worst years of fibromyalgia, just being grateful for a roof over my head, food to eat, help from my parents and the loving companionship of my cats and dog was all that I could muster. It didn’t seem like much or enough back then.  But now, I can see how important those things were and am even more grateful for them than ever.  That reminds me how important the things in my life now are.

 

Step 12:  Redirect Your Attention

Sometimes, nothing will ease your anxiety.  At those times, I will find something else to focus on.  Maybe watch a funny movie.  Work in my garden.  Clean the kitchen.  Watch a romantic movie.  Take your kids to the park.

You get the idea.  Make your own list of things to do to redirect your attention to in times of anxiety.

 

Step 13:  This too will change

Sometimes if our current situation seems unbearable, it is helpful to remember that the only constant in the world is that everything changes.   This can help to accept more fully what is in this moment.  Knowing that it won’t last forever.   Everything changes.

Remind yourself of other situations in your life that were difficult and that you successfully navigated.  You will get through this also!

 

Step 14:  Set an Intention

Setting an intention is a way of identifying what you want rather than focusing on what you don’t want.   Form follows attention.  Focusing on what you want, rather than what you don’t want, can be a game changer.

Make a list or create a vision board with all that you desire in your life.  Refer to it often.  Pray, create truth focus statements, affirmations, and goal with where you want your life to go.

Perhaps one of the most powerful intentions is to be calm, grounded and centered.

 

Many ways to diffuse anxiety

As you can see, there are many ways to diffuse anxiety.  Add these suggestions to your toolbox on how to diffuse anxiety.  Experiment with the suggestions above and see what is most helpful for you.  Perhaps a combination of the above suggestions will be warranted.  Different steps may be more helpful in different situations.

 

May you be calm, grounded and centered.  💕Bindu

Health, Wellness and Wholeness

Health, Wellness and Wholeness

by | Jul 1, 2023 | Care of the Body, Care of the Mind, Emotional Health, Expression, Health, Self Care, Self Love, Spirituality

Health, Wellness and Wholeness

Today, I would like to begin a new conversation around health by looking at the difference between health, wellness and wholeness.

 

Health is a state of the body. 

When we talk about health, we usually mean the state of functionality of the body.  Does it operate at a ‘normal’ level without pain, or at least minimal pain?  When we seek to help our body function better, we look to physical treatments.  Medications, herbs, massage, diet, exercise.  Medical doctors, naturopaths, functional medicine practitioners.  

The focus here is usually attempting to diagnose and change the biochemistry of the body.  Often this approach to health is an outside in approach meaning we need to control the biochemistry of the body in order to feel healthy.  We are doing something to our body to make it function properly. 

 

Wellness expands our concept of health. 

Along comes the wellness industry which redefines the concept of health.  Wellness expands our definition of health to include the mind, emotions, lifestyle factors and searching for happiness in our lives.  We engage in positive thinking, lifestyle modification, honoring our emotions.  Perhaps finding work that inspires, re-evaluating our relationships.  In addition to the physical modalities, we seek out counseling, therapy, life coaching.  

 

Then emerges the idea of Wholeness. 

The overriding name of my business is Integrative Wholeness.  This idea expands the concept of health to include all dimensions and parts of who we are.   It focuses on understanding our multi-dimensionality and bringing all parts of our multi-dimensionality into balance and harmony.  

Integrative Wholeness embraces our physical body, our emotional body, our mental body, our energy body, and our spiritual body.  The intent is to create balance in each dimension.  When balance in each dimension is established the dimensions begin to resonate in harmony with each other.  The soul, mind, heart and body are in alignment with each other.     

Integrative Wholeness is also a process of meeting, greeting, embracing and integrating all parts of who we are.   We each have a personality that includes parts of us that we deem acceptable.  Yet there are parts of us that are wounded and/or considered unacceptable. These parts need to be accessed, healed and integrated.  Some of these exiled parts are the innocent inner children who hold our joy, gifts and talents but were deemed unacceptable by those who raised us and/or our society at large.  When we integrate these parts, we begin to feel more whole.  We reclaim our joy and our passion for life.  

It is this experience of integration that will create health from the inside out.  When all dimensions and parts are in balance and harmony, health on all levels is the natural result.  Your body will be healthy.  Your mind will be clear and focused.  Your emotions will be balanced.  You will feel a connection with your spirit and God.  You will be expressing your gifts and live abundantly.

 

In Summary 

I began on a search for health many years ago.  I discovered that health was more that just the body.  I also needed inner peace.  I discovered that the path to health involved the process of healing and integrating all parts of myself.  

This is my vision and what I am here to teach others.  I invite you to listen, learn, evaluate and apply what feels right to you.  

 

Wishing you peace, love and vibrant health, 

Bindu

 

You Are Not Alone!

You Are Not Alone!

by | Jul 1, 2023 | Emotional Health, Healthy Living, Inspiration

You are not alone.

Living with fibromyalgia can be isolating.  It is near impossible for someone without fibromyalgia to understand what we are going though.  Many times, we are blamed or criticized for having to cancel an appointment or get together. Or people think we are lazy if we cannot keep up with the pace of the world around us.  Simple things like doing laundry or cleaning house are a major event and sometimes we just don’t have the energy or strength to do it. 

We feel unseen and unheard.

Doctors often think it is all in our head.  Even if they acknowledge the fibromyalgia, many are clueless about what to do.  They feel helpless. 

We feel discouraged and alone.

 

They don’t understand.  It is impossible.

Some years ago, a friend of mine had spinal meningitis.  He was hospitalized for several days.  Once he was released, he came to visit me.  He told me that he now understood what I was experiencing. 

I finally felt heard and seen.  And was grateful for his understanding.  Yet, I didn’t leave it there.  I asked him to imagine feeling like that for 30 years rather than just a week.  It puts a whole new perspective on living with fibromyalgia.

 

Fibromyalgia wears you down, until nothing is left. Or so it would seem.

I think that fibromyalgia is like the ocean beating upon the coast. It wears down the rocks.  What is left is our true essence.  That is something that nothing can take away from us.

Connection with that inner essence has allowed me to stay whole and connected to something deeper than what I do or don’t do.    Having a connection to my calm inner presence has made my life bearable and worthwhile.  It allows me to get out of bed each day and find things that make my life worthwhile . . . like writing my blogs and inspiring quotes for you.  In that way, I feel connected and not alone.

 

So, thank you for being in my life.

Join me on July 18 for my free workshop entitled:  Connect with your Calm Inner Presence.  to reconnect with your own Inner connection and connect with other men and women needing connection with a group that will understand and hear you.

May you feel connected.  💕Bindu

Click here to register

Coming in September