March 20, 2005

The Grace of Karma. What Is It and How Does it Effect Me?

Being from California, I think one of the most over used and misunderstood words is Karma. What is Karma? How do I create my Karma? Is Karma good or bad? Am I coming back as a cockroach in my next life? These are all questions that come up anytime the word Karma is mentioned. So what is Karma exactly?

Karma first came into being as a concept in Hinduism. Karma literally means "deed or act" and more broadly names the universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction which governs all life. Karma is not fate, for man acts with free will creating his own destiny.

Most karma comes in two "flavors" - "good" karma, which leads to positive and pleasurable experiences and "bad" karma which leads to suffering. There is also a completely different type of karma that is neither good nor bad, but liberating. This karma allows for the individual to break negative cycles of suffering.

Christian teachings do not usually include the idea of Karma, although some parallels can be made, as exemplified by biblical verses of God is not mocked, what a man sows he must reap and Vengeance is mine says the Lord. It is also worth noting that most interpretations of Christianity do not emphasize the religious importance of thoughts and intentions, that are usually understood to be a major form of Karma by the doctrines that use that concept.

In a recent email I received from Deepak Chopra I was really moved by his interpretation It is as follows:

"Everyone performs millions of actions every day—strictly speaking, every thought is a karma, along with every breath, every bite of food, etc.—so the billiard game in this case has a nearly infinite number of balls. But something unfathomable is at work here: grace. In short, grace adapts itself to each person. We make our choices, some of which are good for us, some bad, and then grace shapes the results."

"You can use the Law of Karma to create peace, love, abundance, affluence, and the flow of all good things to you any time you want. But first, you must become consciously aware that your future is generated by the choices you are making in every moment of your life. And since every decision we make is a choice between a grievance and miracle, we have -within our souls- the ability to dance from miracle to miracle with every choice. Theses threads of individual miracles can be woven into a magical karmic fabric that allows us to sow the seeds of happiness, peace, and compassion throughout our daily interactions with the world. In that process, we can create happiness, peace, and compassion in our lives and in the lives of those we touch. Choose light over darkness, peace over violence, grace over entitlement, and ease over force, and in doing so our conscious choice-making as well as our subconscious choices will be aligned with the timeless energy of the universe."

With that in mind I suggest that you exercise a little good Karma today. Do something unexpected and nice for somebody for no reason whatsoever except to be nice. Remember if it is good... "Pass it Forward".

Thank you for your patronage.

Have an excellent day.

Thom King
President
thom.king@steviva.com
Steviva Brands, Inc.


Releasing Your Brakes
by: Brian Tracy

Do you have any ideas or attitudes about yourself and your abilities that may be holding you back from great success and happiness? As it happens, everyone does.

In her wonderful book You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay says that each one of us has feelings of inferiority that are manifested in the conclusion that we are not good enough. We think that we are not as good as other people, and we feel that we are not good enough to acquire and enjoy the things that we want in life. Very often, we feel that we don’t deserve good things. Even if we do work hard and achieve some worthwhile objectives, we believe that we are not really entitled to our successes, and we often engage in behaviors that sabotage our successes.

The fact is that you deserve every good thing that you are capable of acquiring as the result of the application of your talents.

Overcoming Obstacles
You need to develop your beliefs about yourself to the point where they serve you every day in every way. Men and women who accomplish extraordinary things are just ordinary people who developed themselves mentally to the point where they were able to overcome the obstacles that stood in their way, and they kept on keeping on until the goal was attained.

The most harmful beliefs that you can have are what we call “self-limiting beliefs.” These are beliefs about yourself, most of which are not true; but they hold you back nonetheless. Sometimes you, or others, will say that you cannot achieve certain goals because you did not get enough education.

Questioning Your Excuses
The humorist Josh Billings once said, “It ain’t what a man knows what hurts him. It’s what a man knows what ain’t true.” It isn’t the actual truth about yourself and your abilities that hurts you; it’s the things that you consider to be true and that have no basis in truth.

The starting point of changing your beliefs is to get up the courage to question them seriously. Question your basic premises. Check your assumptions. Ask yourself, “What assumptions am I making about myself or my situation that might not be true?”

It’s a fact that we fall in love with our excuses and our negative assumptions. We fall in love with our reasons for not moving ahead.

The author Richard Bach wrote this beautiful line: “Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they’re yours.” Very often, we become the prosecuting attorney in the case against ourselves. We dispute and argue and attempt to prove to ourselves and others that our limitations are real. And the less justification these ideas or beliefs have, the more adamant we become in attempting to prove them to others.

Whatever they are, resolve to challenge them. Hold them up to the light. Imagine that you had absolute confidence in yourself in a particular area. Then, act as if it were impossible to fail, and it shall be!

Action Exercises
Now, here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, accept that you are as good and as talented in your own way as anyone else you will ever meet. There is nothing you can’t accomplish if you really want it.

Second, challenge a belief or idea about yourself that is holding you back. What if you had extraordinary ability in that area? What difference would that make in your life?

Third, stop making excuses for lack of success. Instead, start making progress. Think and talk about what you want and then get busy making it come true.

Click here for your Free CD of 21 Success Secrets of Self Made Millionaires


Getting Into Awesome Shape For Summer

Summer's almost here and that means bathing suit season is right around the corner. But even if you've been a little neglectful about your workouts, there's no need to panic about having to face the world nearly naked - you still have plenty of time to get in shape before you hit the beach.

Most fitness experts agree that it takes four to six weeks to see results from any new exercise plan, so if you start today you'll have five weeks before the those lazy, hazy days officially start. Here are 10 things that can help you reach your beachy best.

  1. Lift weights and do aerobics. Building muscle will raise your metabolism and tone and strengthen your body; cardiovascular exercise strengthens your heart and burns calories. Just do it.
  2. Visualize. Every time you think of skipping a workout, picture yourself in a bathing suit - the way you look now and the way you know you can look. Now go workout.
  3. Cut down on fats. Summer brings a bounty of juicy peaches, plums, berries and sun-ripened tomatoes plus a wide variety of crunchy, colorful vegetables that are low-calorie, nutrient-rich and loaded with fiber. Enjoy.
  4. Drink lots of water. If you exercise for an hour a day you lose 20 percent more fluid than you would if you just sat still and it's even higher on hot, summer days. Dehydration can cause headaches, diarrhea, muscle cramps, and exhaustion, and water is the best (no-fat, no-calorie) way to hydrate. What I suggest is adding the juice of half a lemon or 4 tablespoons of unsweetened cranberry juice to 32 ounces of water with a sprinkle of Steviva Brand Stevia Powder . Aside from being less than 2 carbs, you will get the health benefits that the stevia provides along with the vitamin C and electrolytes that lemon have. You can substitute limes for lemons if you get bored. Click here to order stevia powder.
  5. Exercise outdoors. Research shows that being exposed to natural light can make you feel more energetic. Now that the weather is cooperating and the days are longer, go to a park or beach and run, walk, cycle, rollerblade or swim. The varied terrain will challenge your body in ways that indoor exercise machines can't.
  6. Steer clear of salty snacks. They're usually packed with fat and often leave you feeling bloated, dehydrated and generally sluggish.
  7. Divide and conquer. If you're very busy during the day and can't work out for a full hour at a time, break it up into two half-hour sessions. For example do a half hour of aerobic exercise at lunch and a half-hour of weight training after work or vice versa.
  8. Wear sunscreen. Try to avoid exercising outdoors between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the sun is at its peak, but no matter when you choose to do an outdoor workout make sure you slather on the sunscreen. Choose one with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 to 30 and put it on at least 20 minutes before going out so it has time to penetrate your skin.
  9. Workout in water. Take advantage of your visits to a pool, lake or the ocean by incorporating exercise into your leisure time. Tread water while chatting with friends, jump over ocean waves or walk laps in the pool. The added resistance of the pool water will give your legs a great workout and burn lots of calories.
  10. Make lemonade. Drinking iced tea or coffee may seem like a great way to quench your summertime thirst but these beverages may end up doing just the opposite. Both act as diuretics and can cause dehydration, especially if you've been perspiring. A better choice is a tall, frosty glass of lemonade made with Steviva Brand Stevia Powder or any fresh unsweetened fruit juice with a dash of Steviva Brand Stevia Powder and then poured over ice - you'll get extra vitamins too.


Laugh!

"We don’t laugh because we’re happy, we’re happy because we laugh."

-- William James

Why laugh?

Laughter nourishes the soul and triggers joy. It’s a natural stress reliever. It stimulates the immune system and increases oxygen, stamina and our breathing capacity. Medical literature is full of reasons to laugh for the health of it.

Don’t rely upon your funny friends, favorite sit-com or jokes to tickle your funny bone -- just laugh for the joy of it!

"Laughter is like the human body wagging its tail."

-- Anne Wilson Schaef


Amazing All Natural Sugar Free Almond Pudding
(makes 8 servings)
Skill Level: Easy

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
6 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup Steviva Brand Stevia Blend
3/4 cup almonds, finely ground
6 egg whites
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

Directions:
Lightly coat a 9-1/2-inch round cake pan with cooking spray; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl beat egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Add almond extract; beat on low speed until combined. Gradually add Steviva Brand Stevia Blend beating on low speed until combined. Fold in almonds. Set aside.
Thoroughly wash the beaters. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold about one-fourth of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until combined. Fold remaining egg whites into egg yolk mixture. Spoon into prepared pan, spreading evenly.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 20 minutes or until puffed and golden and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into wedges. Serve warm with strawberries and whipped cream made with Steviva Brand Stevia Blend.

Try All Natural Steviva Brand Stevia Blend and Steviva Brand Stevia Powder!

For More Great All Natural Sugar Free Recipes Go To Steviva Recipes!


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