In life, we want to grow, succeed, and be happy but often times we push away and try to control the experiences that will provide us with just that. We go through life doing whatever we can to avoid struggle, failure, and pain. We're so focused on trying to get it right and not get it wrong, that we're constantly interfering in our lives and not letting situations play out as they're supposed to.

We hinder our own growth by trying to control and avoid life's struggles and failures instead of letting things play out naturally.

Let Things Play Out

Generally speaking, uncertainty and the unknown are something that we really don't like, it makes us uncomfortable, and we tend to not want to know anything about it. But when you think about it, there's a certain value in not knowing and to the uncertainty of our experiences, because it is from our most challenging experiences, that we experience the most growth.

Uncertainty and the unknown can be uncomfortable, but there is value in embracing them because challenging experiences lead to growth.

The Value of the Unknown

When we first try meditation, due to our misconception of - "I need to stop thinking" - we think we've failed. Here's a perspective on meditation that will have you meditating in no time. ©Music provided by Nature Healing Society©

Misconceptions about meditation lead to feeling of failure, but a change in perspective can help you meditate successfully. Music by Nature Healing Society.

Meditation: The Bouncing Balls Method

In order for the seeds, or the principles of spiritual life, to be able to grow within you and be expressed, you have to get the body, the mechanism, and the vehicle ready. You have to create fertile soil for those seeds that are already planted within you to grow.

Prepare your body as a fertile soil for spiritual growth to express within you.

Is Your Soil Fertile?

A lot of us have a negative relationship or a challenging relationship with failure. It's like we don't want to fail, we want to push it away because we’ve grown up with this idea that failure isn't an option when the truth is failure should be an option. Failure is data that you can use to help you make the necessary adjustments to get to your success. ©Music provided by Nature Healing Society©

Failure is necessary for success, as it provides valuable data for making necessary adjustments. Negative attitudes towards failure should be changed.

Failure is an Option

So often in life, we end up putting so much time, energy, and attention into the thing(s) that we don't want to happen in our life; whatever that may be, usually the thing(s) we're most worried about and as a result, end up focusing on. But what if we shift our focus to the thing(s) we do want to happen?

Shift your focus to what you want in life, instead of worrying about what you don't want.

Stop Focusing On What You Don’t Want

The metamorphosis stage is all about transformation. This is where the relationship evolves from its youthful stage to a more adult, mature one.

Metamorphosis stage transforms relationship from youth to maturity.

The Metamorphosis Stage Of Relationships

Health and fitness goals are the most common ones that people want to make, especially at the beginning of every year, but they are often difficult to keep. Every year we say that this is the year we are going to make a change, but sometimes we don't do the work necessary to make that change happen. But don't worry, just because you didn't succeed in the past doesn't mean you can't succeed in the future. Right now, in this moment, you have another opportunity to make things happen.

People struggle with keeping health and fitness goals, but past failures don't preclude future success; take advantage of the present moment.

Any Moment Can Be Your New Year

In any given situation in life, when you think you're about to get it wrong because you so badly want to get it right, maybe drop your guard down and don't even worry about getting it wrong or right. Just get raw, because when you get raw, you’re being real, and when you’re being real, everything will be all right.

Don't worry about getting it wrong or right, just get raw and be real because everything will be all right.

Intervene, Don’t Interfere

Most of us fail or give up on meditation because we think we have to stop thinking. Here is a way to ease into meditation that provides a more practical approach to start your practice. ©Music provided by Nature Healing Society©

Ease into meditation with a practical approach that doesn't require you to stop thinking, provided by Nature Healing Society's music.

Notice What You Notice

We need to normalize making mistakes, especially when we first start. I mean, how can we expect to be good at something we’ve never done before - EVER - from the get-go? Seriously?! Come on! Let’s be real, we’re going to make mistakes, let’s accept it, then go get great at it.

Normalize making mistakes when starting something new to achieve mastery.

The Learning Process Skips No One

Emerge and See! You and your person have managed to build a friendship, created a good foundation to build, nurture, and grow a romantic relationship on; and now, you’re entering into the emergence stage.

Friends build foundation for romance, entering emergence stage.

The Emergence Stage Of Relationships

You got past the initial meeting & attraction stage, and now you’re considering a relationship with this person and as curiosity and interest build, you’re now ready to move into the relational stage.

Moving from attraction to relationship stage with someone as curiosity and interest build.

The Relational Stage Of Relationships

The deepening stage is when the relationship grows and expands by several degrees into something more real and more intense. In this stage, the relationship strengthens and becomes more profound. But this doesn’t happen all by itself. It takes great effort and cares from both of you to get there.

Deepening stage of a relationship requires effort and care from both partners to strengthen and intensify the connection.

How Deep Is Your Love

Sleep is an essential part of good physical and mental health. Sleep deprivation can make you irritable and exhausted in the short term, but it can also have serious long-term health consequences. In this track, we will learn a simple four-step exercise that can prime your mind for sleep with positive thoughts about how you want your life to go. This will give you a sense of peace that will help you fall asleep.

Sleep is crucial for physical and mental health. A four-step exercise can prime the mind for sleep by focusing on positive thoughts about life, leading to peaceful sleep.

Sleep Requires Peace

This meditation will help you anchor in the present moment and help you focus on the here and now, bring a sense of "all is well" to everything you do, and help you relax, focus, and just let go. ©Music provided by Nature Healing Society©

Meditation helps focus on the present, feel calm, and relax. Music from Nature Healing Society.

Be Here Now

Acceptance is a person's process of approving or being ok with the reality of a situation, process, or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it or fight against it. To accept is to allow, this state of allowing brings harmony - the state of being open to life, to let go of your “conflict”, of your opposition, and of your fearful resistance to what is happening.

Acceptance is the act of being okay with a situation without trying to change it, allowing for a state of harmony and openness to life.

Acceptance of What Is

With this guided visualization you will find and feel your inner silence, the silence that emanates from deep within you, as something real and tangible.

Discover your inner silence through guided visualization; experience the tangible silence within.

Temple Of Silence

According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. In short, it means paying attention and being present with what is.

Mindfulness means paying attention in the present moment, non-judgmentally.

The Monk Who Reached Enlightenment

When it comes to our spiritual nourishment, most of us tend to only read the menu and miss the meal. We nourish our minds by reading books and going to spiritual centers or churches, essentially, feasting on a plastic menu of untasted truths. But when do we actually put into practice what we are learning? When do we actually eat the food?

Don't just read the menu, eat the food: practice spiritual nourishment by putting into practice what you learn from books and spiritual centers.

Spiritual Malnutrition

If you never experienced failure, you'll never see what needs to improve. And that's part of the process of success.

Failure is necessary to identify areas of improvement, which is crucial for achieving success.

Lessons From A Volleyball Team

It is wise to remain neutral - as peaceful as possible - and take everything in stride, no matter how "good" or "bad" it all seems. Life would be more comfortable and comforting if we just accept what we're given and make the most of our circumstances. Instead of always judging things and declaring them good or bad, sit down and say, "let's see what happens."

Stay neutral, take everything in stride, accept what you're given, and make the most of your circumstances instead of judging things as good or bad.

A Farmer and His Son

We as human beings are an ever-changing, evolving process. As such, what are the limiting factors preventing this process from reaching its goal, and what can act as a catalyst to help the process along the way?

Human evolution is a constant process, hindered by limiting factors, but can be expedited with the help of catalysts.

A Lesson From An Environmental Engineer

This story is about patience and respecting your process. You have to honor and respect your timeline, for it is precisely that timeline, and the things that will happen along the way, that will prepare you for your success.

Respect your process and timeline - it prepares you for success.

I Want To Become A Black Belt

“Do as I say, not as I do” is a phrase that has been around for a long time, and many of us even heard it a lot as children; meaning, don't imitate my behavior but obey my instructions. How hypocritical it is to ask someone to do something you’re not willing to do yourself. It's very important for leaders to set good examples and be good role models. People who look up to them will be watching everything they say and do, so it's important to always be aware of that.

Leaders must set good examples as people look up to them and will be watching everything they say and do; "Do as I say, not as I do" is hypocritical.

Lead By Example

Is your leadership building up others or tearing them down? You’ve stepped into a leadership role, as such, it is important to recognize your actions first. Being a good leader requires a certain type of mindset, it requires you to value yourself. When you truly value yourself, you can then truly value others because now you can translate that type of value and worth to every person and every team member as you work together towards a common goal.

Good leadership requires valuing oneself in order to value others; building instead of tearing down.

Leading In A Vacuum

Dwight D. Eisenhower said: “Leadership consists of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your subordinates credit for everything that goes well.” And he is right. As the leader, if something is not working, you can’t blame anything or anyone else but your leadership. If something is not working it is because you haven’t properly led your team to make it work.

Leadership requires taking responsibility for failures and giving credit for successes to subordinates.

Leadership Is A Responsibility

When you start your leadership journey, you may not feel like you're doing it perfectly, and that’s ok. Leadership is an ongoing learning process. Every great leader is always looking for ways to improve their skills. No one ever wakes up and says, "I know everything there is to know about leadership”. It’s just like any other skill or activity, it takes practice and experience to be good at it.

Leadership is an ongoing learning process, requiring practice and experience to improve skills; no one knows everything about it.

Leadership Is A Choice

To become the best version of yourself you must go through a process of transformation, a self-cleansing so to speak, also known as transcending the ego. This is key to being able to release and let go of those limiting aspects of yourself that for a long time have created so much conflict and suffering in your life. When this happens, you’ll start living more from your heart and less from your head.

Transcending the ego is crucial for releasing limiting aspects and living from the heart, leading to personal transformation.

Leadership Is Transcending Yourself

There are inevitable challenges that are associated with becoming a great leader so being at the helm of your life through every twist and turn is key. Personal development plays a crucial role in ensuring you are equipped to face these challenges and investing heavily in this area is paramount.

Great leaders face challenges, so being in control is key; investing in personal development is crucial for success.

Are You Leading Yourself?

Breathing is one of the best ways you can tap into mindfulness throughout the day. Following the breath helps focus the mind and body back to the present moment. Breathing will relax the mind and body so you can calmly observe and respond to the world around you, rather than mindlessly reacting to events.

Breathing helps tap into mindfulness by focusing the mind and relaxing the body to calmly observe and respond to the present moment.

Breathe To Lead

As a leader, how well are you leading yourself? You must step into responsibility, be accountable for your behavior, and realize that unless you are succeeding at leading yourself, it’s going to be very difficult for you to lead others.

To lead others effectively, leaders must first lead themselves by taking responsibility and being accountable for their behavior.