The Law of Dharma. We made it!!!

Finally! Here is it! The last of Deepak Chopra’s Spiritual Laws of success! Took long enough for me to get here. If you are a new reader, make sure to look back in the blog archives for the other six Spiritual Laws of Success:

    1. The Law of Pure Potentiality

    2. The Law of Giving  

    3.     The Law of Karma, or Cause and Effect

    4.  The Law of Least Effort

    5.  The Law of Intention and Desire

    6. The Law of Detachment

    7.  The Law of Dharma ß- Today!

The Law of Dharma tells us that everyone has his or her own unique gifts within, which come together to form our life’s purpose. According to Deepak, “when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals.”

Every single one of us has our own individual talents and gifts that the world can benefit from. A great example of this for me came from my college roommates. The four of us in my house were all completely different. However, we were the same in that each of us had our own certain passion and expertise, which we planned to build our lives around. One had a crazy knowledge on all things broadcast journalism, TV production, screenwriting etc. Now she’s working for “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?”. Another was artistic, and a great graphic designer who plans to go into branding and advertising. The other is a huge advocate for global health, who will be traveling to Ecuador on a Fulbright Fellowship studying infectious disease (I think I got that right!). Then there is me, the business minded roommate with my outrageous passion for wellness and helping every person live the best quality life possible. We are all going to make a difference in this world in our own way. No one of us is superior to the other.

Putting the Law of Dharma into effect can help this process along. Deepak suggests:  

   

1.     Nurturing our own souls, paying attention to our own spirits, and awakening ourselves to the stillness in our own hearts. This can be done through meditation, deep breathing, and taking time to enjoy silence. (See The Law of Pure Potentiality for some overlapping tips)

2.  Making a list of our own unique talents, and listing all of the things we love to do while expressing these unique talents.

3.   Asking ourselves daily: How can I serve? How can I help?

By doing these things, we can begin to put our life purpose into action. If you are truly passionate about something, and want it to be your life’s work, start now! Get all of the knowledge you can about that thing, reach out to other experts in the field, join clubs and groups for that interest, start projects focusing on it, follow blogs, twitter accounts, and Facebook pages.  You never know where opportunities will arise! Ask yourself how what you are doing will benefit others, and start doing that!

In a great panel discussion from Mind Body Green that I just watched (I will post the link to that this weekend), plant-based Iron Man athlete Rich Roll emphasized the importance of acting out of service. Don’t pursue you passion solely for financial or self-serving reasons. Take into consideration Deepak’s third step of this law. How can you serve? How can you help? Bask in the joy of living your passion and sharing it with others.

For me, this blog is it. This is my passion. As I progress through my own wellness journey, I want to share the blessings of good health and a happy life with anyone who will listen. I have dreams of helping people be free of disease and emotional turmoil. Yet, I am young, with limited resources, and need to be patient. So this is my offering right now. Vitality U, my wellness organization, was my offering in college. My Zumba classes were my offerings several years ago. What can you do to start to realize your life’s purpose? No matter how small, everything counts.

Be Well.

Love, Julie 

Deepak's Law of Least Effort

Happy Friday everyone! I hope everybody gets some much needed personal time this weekend. Today we go back to Deepak Chopra’s Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. We’re about half way to conquering the world! Go us! Have you been working on the previous three laws?

Let’s review! The first three laws to get you on the way to making all of your dreams come true are,

1. The Law of Pure Potentiality

2. The Law of Giving

3. The Law of Karma 

Find their individual posts in the archives!

And now… The Law of Least Effort! Although the Law of Karma is absolutely my favorite, the Law of Least Effort is definitely a close second! This law tells us to let go of our need to constantly control everything, and to trust in nature’s intelligence. That’s kind of liberating, huh? We don’t have to worry, we just have to be our best selves, acting with love and in harmony with nature, and the universe will take care of the rest. Specifically, Deepak tells us we can put The Law of Least Effort into effect by,

1. Practicing Acceptance- It is best for us to stop wishing things were different and to stop trying to change things. We should accept things as they are, knowing that everything is as it should be at this moment. Why waste energy struggling against what the universe has dictated should be? That could get exhausting!

2. Taking Responsibility- After practicing acceptance, we need to take responsibility for everything in our lives. We do not need to blame others or ourselves. By taking responsibility for everything, including problems, we can begin to recognize the opportunities for positive change. We can “have a creative response to the situation as it is now”. Every frustration and issue becomes an opportunity to make things better. That’s a more fun way of looking at things, right? Make every “problem” into a “challenge”.

3. Practicing Defenselessness- To practice defenselessness means to not feel the need to defend your own point of view. You do not need to try and convince others you are right. Also, in practicing defenselessness, you recognize the value of other points of view as well. In this way, we move through life flexibly. Think about it, living defensively can often result in anxiety or fear. But if we let go of the need to defend everything and push against others, we can be happy in the moment.

“When you remain open to all points of view -- not rigidly attached to only one -- your dreams and desires will flow with nature's desires. Then you can release your intentions, without attachment, and just wait for the appropriate season for your desires to blossom into reality. You can be sure that when the season is right, your desires will manifest. This is the Law of Least Effort.”

To me, the most obvious example of this law lies in relationships. Have you ever been in a fight, or a standstill with a significant other? You are not happy. You want things to be different. You want to get what you desire. So, you push for it. You chase it. You do basically everything opposite of the Law of Least Effort. Does it work? Usually not. You may seem to get what you want in the end. But is it real? Does your loved one really feel that way? Or did you push them into something illegitimate? If they are superficially giving into you, you really aren’t getting what you want at all. Likely, in a few days or weeks, you will realize things are falling apart again. All it was was an effort to please you.

Think about the opposite situation. You let go, accept life, have no need to be defensive, and no expectations. It is often with this mindset that the most wonderful things happen. Haven’t you heard the saying “love will come when you least expect it”? Also, in times of conflict, practicing the Law of Least effort ensures a genuine outcome. It may not be exactly what you want. However, chances are it’s exactly what you need. It’s what nature intended, and at least you won’t have wasted time on something fake.

So, in all areas of life, let go! Live a life of love, giving, and respect. Do not push, chase, or waste energy being combative or defensive. Just let it be. Yes, this is a lot easier said than done. I won’t pretend to be an expert. But, I think we’d all love to let the universe take our lives in its hands and send awesomeness our way, right? We might as well give it our best and try! Put this into practice this weekend, see what you find!

Wishing you a calm and peaceful Friday night <3

Be Well.

Love, Julie

My favorite Law of Spirtitual Success *It will change your life*

A favorite story of mine happened when I accidentally pulled out of my driveway without looking. Of course the one time I do this (I’m serious the one time), a car goes flying behind me. I hear this hugeee honk and hit the brakes one inch away from the car. I didn’t move a muscle, with fear I would give her nice SUV a love tap. The woman pulls away, and I remain still. Then she proceeds to get out of her car and scream at me for about 30 seconds straight. Mind you, I didn’t hit her. Yes it was my fault. Yes it was a one-time mistake. I get it. It was scary enough. Anyway, she’s screaming, on the street, alone. My windows are closed, and I hear absolutely nothing she says. All I can think is man, this woman is freaking out, getting all stressed, and I realized it was a bad situation, and have chosen to remain calm. So, when she pulled away in a huff, ruining her own day (for not being hit), I was shook up for a little and then decided to recognize my mistake and move on calmly. We made two very different choices, and I’m sure that day the universe responded to us in very different ways. Years ago, I may have been seriously bothered by that, or have yelled back. But, this law brought me back down to earth…

          Yes we have returned to Deepak! We still have many more awesome laws to go. Have you been reading? Listening maybe? I cannot possibly cover all the wisdom Seven Spiritual Laws of Success shares in this blog, so don’t cheat yourself. Go get it!

                 

          So let’s see where are we? Law number three! We just explored The Law of Pure Potentiality and The Law of Giving. Now we arrive at The Law of Karma.  I think it is safe to say that this is my favorite law. As can be seen from my little story, it is one whose relevance I see in my life every single day. It has gotten me through various tough situations, and continues to be a voice of reason in my daily life. Let it guide you as well!

According to Deepak, The Law of Karma tells us that “every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind”. How do these actions come to be? They are choices. Think about it. Every minute of every single day, we make choices. We choose what we do, we choose how we treat other people, we choose how we feel about ourselves, and we choose how we react to certain situations. In every single thing in life, we have the power to choose. However, so many times we forget this simple fact. We think we are subject to certain conditions. We unconsciously make decisions that may not return the best energy to us. Yet, they are still decisions, that we have made, that no one forced us to make.

Here is how Deepak suggests using the Law of Karma:

1. Witness the choices you make in every moment. The best way to prepare for any moment in the future is to be fully conscious in the present.

2. Whenever you make a choice, ask yourself two questions: “What are the consequences of this choice?” and “Will this choice bring happiness to me and to those who are affected by this choice?”

3. Ask your heart for guidance, and be guided by its message of comfort or discomfort. If the choice feels comfortable, go ahead with that choice. If the choice feels uncomfortable, then don’t make that choice.

This law is so simple, and yet again so incredible. How could we possibly have forgotten how much power we have over our own lives? For example, milk has spilled all over your kitchen. Do you freak out and moan and get angry? Or do you take a deep breath, calmly get some paper towels and clean up the mess? Which will return more positive energy to you? Which will upset everyone around you? Say it spills on your clothes. Will people admire you more for carrying yourself with poise, or for causing a huge scene?

There was a time this semester (or actually a few times) where I was absolutely overwhelmed with commitments. I didn’t know how I’d get it all done. I began to freak out. Then I remembered Deepak’s melodic voice in my head speaking about The Law of Karma. Stressing out over it would only cause me discomfort. It would not help me get everything done. So, I took a deep breath, made a to-do list, and decided to tackle everything one thing at a time. It would all get done, and I needed to take care of my sanity as well.

 So keep this in mind in absolutely any situation. You’re going out after a significant other did something to bother you…is it going to ruin your good time? Or will you go out confident in yourself, and have fun with your friends? Someone has a different point of view than you. Do you become irritated and judgmental? Or do you listen and consider different possibilities, offering your love and support?

It also pertains to health goals. Is skipping your work out today necessary? How will it make you feel? Does your body really need a break (the answer could most certainly be yes)? What are you going to feed your body? Will it make you feel good, or bloated and tired?

I in no way have mastered this law at all yet. However, it is an absolutely amazing resource. Whenever I am anxious or insecure about something, I always remember that I am choosing to feel that way. No one is making me. Remember the quote I posted a while ago? “You are only confined by the walls you build yourself”. It’s a lot to wrap our heads around. Society has conditioned us to react and act in certain ways. It’s ok. Let’s just take it one choice at a time, one day at a time, and remember that we are in control of our own lives. I’m speaking to myself on this one too!!

Wishing you a calm and wonderful day full of awesome karma from the universe,

Be Well.

Love, Julie