A to Z for Harmony on Earth

With the recent escalations in conflicts and many theatres of war opening up, it is imperative that each human becomes humane and that they work towards building harmony in their communities, organisations and governments.

If you don’t, then we all know you will suffer through exclusions, bloody wars, and economic stress.

Here are simple A to Z rules you can apply wherever you are, to make a difference for the better..

• A for Awareness: Become aware of what is so and why. Learn about the interconnectedness of things at the material, mental and metaphysical levels.
• B for Beauty: Be grateful for the beauty and usefulness of nature and automatically you will make it better by balancing the ecosystem.
• C for Cooperation: Be committed towards your mission in this A to Z framework which can be achieved only through cooperation.
• D for Dialogue: Continue dialogues to iron out disagreements and to avoid conflicts.
• E for Empathy: We are all one and what you do for another you do for yourself. This will help you to act out of empathy.
• F for Freedom: We need to give freedom within frameworks of natural discipline for individuals to feel loved and feel joy which are the driving force for the development of all humans.
• G for Glocal: In whatever you do for the good of your locality, try and apply the global best practices suited for it.
• H for Honesty: Transparency is the first step towards honesty. Balance security and transparency for the good of humanity.
• I for Invest: What you sow is what you reap. So invest in actions that will secure the future of the next generations.
• J for Joy: When you help others the outcome is joy. Focus on getting this joy.
• K for Kindness: When you speak kindly you will be listened to.
• L for Love: Love your passions.
• M for Machine: Use machines like your servants for the overall benefit of humanity.
• N for Nurture: Without nurturing what you sow within this A to Z framework, you will not get the fruits of it.
• O for Openness: Keep your eyes and ears open to new ideas and your heart open to new acquaintances.
• P for Protect: Use your power to protect that which is in need of it for the greater good.
• Q for Question: Questioning is hard but yet you have to question things rather than taking them as gospel truth.
• R for Responsibility: Without taking responsibility for what you wish to change, nothing is going to happen.
• S for Sustainable: Whatever solution you are working on, make sure it is sustainable for itself and sustainable for the earth.
• T for Thoughtful: Be thoughtful towards the overall good of humanity.
• U for Umbrella: Develop umbrellas for protection against all kinds of anticipated disasters.
• V for Visit: It is important to make physical visits to places for meetings and inspections which can be interspersed with virtual ones.
• W for War: Yes war! You have to start a war to bring harmony on earth. Appoint generals and soldiers to fight this war.
• X for Xray-eyes: You have to see through ulterior motives of people through xray-eyes and counter them with win-win solutions.
• Y for You: The most important person for this A to Z framework is YOU! So focus on your self-development on a daily basis.
• Z for Zone: You can’t change the world alone. For whatever work you pick up to work for the harmony of humanity, create different zones for the work where others trained by you will lead the work.

The words are simple but to implement them takes a lot of courage. What do you do when you have a time-bomb in your house and you cannot go outside that house. You muster the courage to defuse the bomb. It’s a do or die courage that you have to muster up right now! So let’s get on with it...

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My Pursuit of Happiness

I’ve read a lot about happiness and applied what I learnt to my life. Today I’m going to share what worked for me to have constant joy, in the hope that some of it might work for you as well. However, you will have to put your own music to my words to get your happiness.

Humans are 3-part beings and to address any human quotient one has to address all the three parts - Body, Mind and Spirit! So, throughout this article all these have been addressed somewhere.

Let’s see what a 4th Century BC philosopher Zhuangzi had to say-

“Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness.”

In keeping with this “no striving” I have developed an attitude of accepting things as they are if I cannot change them. For example, if a flight is 5 hours late and there is no alternative, I’ll enjoy the airport restaurants and shops and happily pass my time. I don’t fret about it nor do I dwell on it later because the past is gone and I don’t believe that I am a victim of the past! This helps to reduce the secretion of the hormone Cortisol which is a downer!

However, I believe you have to strive daily for a DOSE of the high of happiness, since we live in a human body which triggers hormones that have to reach the brain through a very complex system for you to actually feel happy. Here’s how I get this daily DOSE!

A. The D in the dose stands for Dopamine - The reward chemical. For this:

1. I eat tasty vegetarian protein rich food and desserts that support the transport of happiness hormones and take supplements for vitamin B12 and vitamin D3 that are also important for happiness.
2. Achieving a daily goal in a word game gives me immense happiness when I complete it.
3. I have To-Do lists and completing tasks in them and actually ticking off items gives me happiness.
4. For self care, I take a daily bath as soon as I wake up to bring me happiness in the morning.

B. The O of DOSE stands for Oxytocin - The Love Hormone. For this:

1. I regularly socialise with classmates and friends. It’s interesting that the 80-year Grant study at Harvard University found that being in communities was the key to a fulfilling long life.
2. I hug friends when I meet them.
3. I love to pet a cute dog breed Shih Tzu and it is very satisfying.
4. I get a helpers high by selflessly doing things for people.

C. The S in DOSE is for Serotonin - The Mood Elevator. For this:

1. I try to spend 10-20 minutes in the sun. It also helps in getting vitamin D.
2. I look at trees and listen to birds chirp consciously to be with nature.
3. For mindfulness I try to pay attention to what I’m doing.
4. I’ve been doing daily transcendental meditation (TM) for over 25 years along with breathing techniques such as Sundarshan Kriya of The Art of Living. These work like shock absorbers for me.

D. The E in DOSE is for Endorphins - The Pain Killer. For this:

1. I exercise, by walking daily for 45 minutes and every alternate day do muscle strength training with dumb bells and stretch bands.
2. Music makes me high especially a genre called Deep House and I have my whole house filled with music almost everyday for happiness.
3. I watch short films and documentaries on YouTube.
4. A few friends make me laugh often and I’m fortunate for that.

So that’s my daily life story and A DOSE that keeps me happy everyday.

A for Acceptance

D for Dopamine

O for Oxytocin

S for Serotonin

E for Endorphins

As you may observe, all these habits can be learnt and applied easily to your life and it’s almost like skill training! You can choose your own activities to apply to your life for your happiness.

So here’s wishing you joy everyday because it’s easier to laugh than to cry!

Life is delicious and adventurous, so just enjoy it!!!

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The Harmony of Spiritual Wisdom and Self-Help - Podcast

Embark on a transformative journey with the latest episode of God: An Autobiography, The Podcast - The Life Wisdom Project.

Special guest Ajit Dass joins the conversation, bringing insightful perspectives while exploring and comparing the messages from God: An Autobiography and Conversations with God.

Dr. Jerry L. Martin engages Ajit in a thought-provoking discussion about the depth of life experiences, the importance of acceptance, and the pursuit of one's best self, a harmony of personal growth and profound spiritual insights.

This discussion unravels the nuances of divinely guided purposes and destiny with compelling wisdom on becoming your best self, the pitfalls of sin, pursuing a higher self, and the delicate balance between attachment and non-attachment. Gain valuable perspectives on desires and fulfillment and discover the transformative power of balancing spiritual principles with practical self-help approaches.

Listen Now

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Why Yoga & Meditation is Good for You

In the rush of life, the pressure to meet timelines to deliver results, the desire to achieve some kind of superiority leading to frustrations caused by ambitions not reached, excessive indulgence in sense pleasures due to greed as well as habits, the cognitive apparatus gets disheveled, defiled, drained and tired, leading to symptoms of stress and burnout.

Unless you energise and infuse this cognitive apparatus with Vital Life Energy (Prana) you will be unable to perform tasks satisfactorily, with creativity and enthusiasm. A tried and tested way of energising yourself is Yoga in its broadest sense, which is not limited to the practice of just posture based excercises known as Hatha-Yoga.

195 Yoga aphorisms, known as Yoga Sutras, were compiled in the early centuries CE, by the sage Patanjali in India who synthesised and organised knowledge about Yoga from much older traditions.

The Yoga aphorisms are best known for the reference to 8 elements of practice culminating in a state of meditative consciousness of the mind, by concentration on something, leading to meditative absorption, and with regular practice, the development of a luminous mind which is equanimous and mindful.

The 8 elements of Yoga practice are:

1. Abstinences (Yama)
2. Observances (Niyama)
3. Yoga postures (Asana)
4. Breath control (Pranayama)
5. Withdrawl of the senses (Pratyahara)
6. Concentration of the mind (Dharana)
7. Meditation (Dhyana)
8. Absorption (Samadhi)

The main aim is to reach a state where you are untouched by the highs and lows of a dual world by transitioning to a meditative and metaphysical witness-consciousness state and observing empirical reality as separate from it. The by-product of this is being infused with Vital Life Energy which elevates your body and mind leading to a better quality of life.

Here are a host of metaphors that may encourage you to do Yoga and meditation, daily, to keep you going with your life in a state of happiness and devoid of stress:

1. Yoga and meditation is like filling your bicycle tyres with just the right amount of air so that your ride is not bumpy but smooth because the air also acts like a shock-absorber.
2. Yoga and meditation is like topping up your vehicle with fuel for the day. You just need to plug-in to the fuel source for a short while and then move on to your tasks for the day.
3. Yoga and meditation is like a gentle wind that blows and clears the clouds hiding the sun so that the light of your Soul can shine through into your body and mind and bring in a feeling of lightness and take away the feeling of heaviness.
4. Yoga and meditation is like rain that keeps the soil humid and therefore more fertile for seeds of creativity to sprout and new cells to grow.

According to scientific research, Yoga may:

1. Reduce stress
2. Relieve anxiety
3. Help manage depression
4. Stimulate brain function
5. Help prevent heart disease

I hope this article has encouraged you to learn techniques for Yoga and meditation and practice them daily for a fulfilling life.

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God: An Autobiography - A conversation with the author

 An enlighteneing Zoom conversation with Jerry Martin, the author of God: An Autobiography as told to a philosopher, after I met him in USA.

Some interesting topics that were talked about from the book:

1. Obedience to God
2. Guidance from God
3. God beyond God
4. Universal Theology and more..

YouTube link to the conversation - Click

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To engage with the author of the book, click here - Jerry L Martin

Preventing Burnout by ramping up your Spiritual Quotient

Why develop your Spiritual Quotient?

Burnout is the chief reason.

What are the symptoms of burnout? Ask yourself these questions and even if one answer is “Yes” you need to address it.

1. Have you become cynical or critical at school/college/work?
2. Do you drag yourself to do a job and have trouble getting started?
3. Have you become irritable or impatient in your interactions?
4. Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive?
5. Do you find it hard to concentrate?
6. Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements?
7. Do you feel disillusioned about what you are doing?
8. Are you using food, drugs or alcohol to feel better?
9. Have your sleep habits changed?

Statistics of Burnout

• Gallup recently surveyed more than 7,500 full-time employees about burnout.
• 23 percent of those workers said they felt burned out more often than not.
• An additional 44 percent reported feeling burned out sometimes.
• To put that into context, nearly 2/3rd of full-time workers are dealing with burnout at some point while at work.

Burnout Defined

Employee burnout cases have increased to the point where the World Health Organization has officially recognized it and included it in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases. 

The handbook describes burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

Body-Mind-Spirit

Humans are 3-part beings – Body Mind & Spirit and we have to manage all these three parts effectively for a balanced life that is without dis-ease!

What is Spirit?

Spirit is the presence of the fine energy within and around you which for instance is responsible for digestion.

A dead body cannot digest food because the Spirit is missing!

SPIRITUAL QUOTIENT is about infusing your thoughts and actions with Spirit leading to desirable attitudes and qualities. 

Examples are - Cheerfulness, Gratitude, and Empathy.

There are many ways of building your Spiritual Quotient, the chief ones being – 

Life Skills, Mindfulness, Yoga and Meditation.

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5 Minute Simple Ritual To Align With God

God is that which has power over nature and human fortunes and is also referred to by some as Creation, Spirit, The Force, Universe, Cosmos, Existence, All That There Is etc. The word God originated from ancient words that mean ''to pour'' and ''to invoke''. When you surrender to God, in a sense you are bowing or pouring yourself into the immanent presence of God and at the same time you are calling forth and invoking the transcendent presence of God.

You may ask, “Why do we have to surrender to God?”

Everything has a mind of their own and then there is the collective mind of “All That There Is” which is perhaps like the conductor of an orchestra. By letting go of one’s individual mind for a while one can align with this “Conductor” and heed Its direction so that you play your part with your own mind in harmony with the symphony of the universe.

By no means is surrendering for a while ''not thinking for yourself''. Attuning to a force you have no control over is “thinking for yourself” and doing it. An example of attuning to a force you have no control over is carrying an umbrella even when the weather forecast says, ''No rain today'', because you know that you cannot control the weather nor can anyone predict it accurately. On a more logical note, we surrender to the laws of the land such as traffic rules and do not drive vehicles on the wrong side of the road so that people including yourself are not killed because everyone has aligned themselves to these rules.

So here is a 5 minute simple morning ritual of inner yielding to align with God, the Lord of the universe.

Note: This ritual does not mean that you have to become passive in your life but passive only for the guidance of God and then active to implement the guidance.

THE RITUAL

1. Relax your body: Lie on your back with your hands facing up and close your eyes. Relax all your muscles one by one from your toes up to your head. Take your attention to your jaws and your tongue and relax them. When relaxed, place yourself in the hands of God with complete faith. Transfer all your past and present loads to God. Know that you do not have any burden or debt of “karma”. There is nothing to get stressed about and there is nothing to fear. Feel your concerns disappear and enjoy your lightness.
You may like to say, "I place myself in Thy Hands and request Thee to hold all my concerns and support the load of my past, present and future."

2. Yield your mind: Simply let go of your thoughts and yield your mind earnestly to the mind of God. Feel the deep silence around you.
You may like to say, "I let go of my thoughts and yield my mind to Thy Mind. I request Thee for Thy guidance." 

3. Open your heart: Take a soulful deep breath in and as you exhale, open your heart wide and deep to allow the joy and grace of God to pervade your whole being and circumstances. Know that all of your past is forgiven and that the solutions you are looking for are emerging with God’s grace. Feel your worthiness to receive the love of God.
You may like to say, "I open my heart wide and deep and request Thy Joy and Grace to pervade my body, being and circumstances. May Thy Will be done.”

4. Enter God's Heart: Gently turn over to your left side and curl up like a child in the womb of God. Whisper from your heart, “Lord, as I enter Your Heart, envelope me with Thy Love”. Feel the warmth, calmness and reassuring security of God’s motherly love for a while.

5. Thank God: When you feel like, get up and say, “Thank you Lord for Thy ever-present, Love, Grace, Guidance and Support”. Remember that all of these are ever-present, so do not unplug yourself from them as you get up, by entertaining any thought that implies that you are done. Instead, fall in love with God and stay in love with life, God and yourself.

Now you can resume your responsibilities, with enthusiasm, in tune with God, and remember to be open to miracles. Your inner feelings are the gentle wisdom of God guiding you. Know that you are now an inspired agent of God and that you have to act with benevolence and humility, at all times.

(If you cannot remember the sequence of the ritual in one read, then practice the ritual a few times by reading it from your mobile phone while you do it. Ultimately it has to be done without any aids, with your eyes closed and with your whole-self, which is the fullness of your being)

Whenever you feel out of tune during the day, now you know how to be back in tune again in 5 minutes!

May the benevolent Force be with you.

As you resume your responsibilities, in order to remain in balance, here are some tips - The Pursuit Of Balance

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CHECKLIST FOR MASTERY ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK “FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD”

7 STEPS TO FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD

The 7 steps to any friendship are – Know, Trust, Love, Embrace, Use, Help, and Thank which lead to Mastery. When you apply them to God you have a friendship with God which is all the more Masterful!

1. Do you Know God? And do you know that, Knowing God is Knowing your Self which is your Soul - the God in you which is ever-present and everything, and needs nothing except experience of what it already is? And that, this process of experience happens by experiencing things one by one like tall & short, hot & cold, rich & poor, activity & peace, etc.?
2. Do you know that you can Trust God by not needing to Trust because God is always there for you just like gravity is always present?
3. Do you Love God without condition, limitation, expectation and need? And do you know that Love is free and therefore should be unconditional? And that you will receive Love in the same way as you give it?
4. Do you Embrace God by sitting in silence often? Do you know that one way this happens is by just BEING and watching where your thoughts are going without analysing them? Do you Meditate at least twice a day?
5. Do you Use God by applying tools given by God - Creative Energy (Thoughts, Words & Deeds); Gentle Wisdom (Intuition); and Pure Love (Unconditionality)?
6. Do you Help God by living, Deliberately by using thoughts, words and deeds; Harmoniously by using intuition; and Beneficially by using unconditional love and kindness?
7. Do you Thank God by being in a state of Gratitude for your eternal life which is full of excitement and constant change? Do you know that you cannot think Gratitude but you can BE grateful (Ex. You don’t think love but you BE in love)? And that, being Grateful will attract what you choose to be Grateful for very fast?

5 ATTITUDES FOR SPIRITUAL MASTERY

1. Joy:

• Do you know that your Soul Energy which is also your Creative Vibration is Joy and wisdom just like the sun’s energy is heat and light?
• Do you know that Joy is experienced when your Soul expresses its energy by uniting with other living beings and things, with the natural magnetism of love which is let out by opening your Heart and opening your Mind which when closed shield love?
• Do you know that when you connect with others and give Joy to them by simple things like humour, laughter and smiles, that you will feel Joy moving in you?
• Do you know that when you connect with things and release your Creative Vibration, that you will feel Joy moving in you?

2. Love:

• Do you know that the first step to Love is to Love yourself?
• Do you know that Love is Giving and Love is Freedom within a discipline?
• Do you know that Love is Being Natural and not Normal?
• Do you know that allowing another to bring you joy is Love?
• Do you know that Love let’s go of expectations and requirements and need holds on?
• Do you know that Love is not having to say you’re sorry?
• Do you know that Love is not withholding Love when you do not agree with another but giving more of it then out of compassion?
• Do you know that you have to be aware, honest, transparent and willing in Love?
• Ask, What would Love do now? Do you know that you have the answer and you are the answer and that the answer will bring harmony?

3. Acceptance:

• Do you know that Acceptance is Embracing and not rejecting? And that, what you resist, persists?
• Do you know that Acceptance is like water that washes the stains of judgement?
• Do you know that Acceptance changes your inner experience no matter what the outer circumstance is?

4. Blessing:

• Do you know that Blessing is not condemning but commending?
• Do you know that you cannot fully Bless when you judge?
• Do you know that you are complete and overflowing with Blessing?
• Do you know that you Bless when you give all things your best?

5. Gratitude:

• Do you know that you should always be Grateful because every circumstance is a gift of experience?
• Do you know that the following prayer is an expression of Gratitude when you think you have a problem and that it can heal your condition? – “Thank you God for making me understand that every problem has already been solved for me.’’

3 SPIRITUAL CODES OF CONDUCT FOR MASTERY

1. Awareness:

•  Do you know that Awareness is to be keenly observant of-

i) What is so and why?
ii) What can change it and why?
iii) What are the probable outcomes of your choices?

• Do you know that you have to be Aware that you are Aware and not pretend that you are not Aware?

2. Honesty:

• Do you know that Honesty is truthfulness?
• Do you know that Honesty is transparency without hidden agendas and dramas?

3. Responsibility:

• Do you know that taking Responsibility is not an admission of guilt?
• Do you know that Responsibility starts by willingness for it?
• Do you know that knowing-ness that WE ARE ALL ONE will help you to take Responsibility for whatever shows up before you?
• Do you know that Responsibility is doing whatever it takes to get, the best outcomes and the best remedies for unwanted outcomes?

1 BIG NEGATIVE TO BE TACKLED

Anger:

• Do you know that ANGER negates all the above mentioned 7 STEPS TO FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD; 5 ATTITUDES FOR SPIRITUAL MASTERY; 3 SPIRITUAL CODES OF CONDUCT FOR MASTERY???
• Do you know that to avoid the negativity of Anger, you should not use it to justify changes proposed in your life?
• Do you know that frankly stating your views and feelings will help subside your Anger?

IF YOU APPLY ALL THAT YOU KNOW AND DID NOT KNOW IN THIS CHECKLIST YOU WILL MOVE TO MASTERY. IF YOU MEMORISE THIS CHECKLIST AND RUN THROUGH IT FOR ANY PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCE IN YOUR LIFE, YOU WILL SURELY SURF THROUGH THAT SITUATION LIKE A MASTER! PRACTICE MAKES YOU A PERFECT SURFER… TO KNOW MORE READ THE BOOK ‘’FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD’’.

Here's something interesting on another channelled book about God and you - God - An Autobiography

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