The Daily Zen Manifesto

.:: The Manifesto ::.

1. We Are All Connected

You are connected to every living thing on this planet. Humans are energetic beings who live in physical bodies. Our bodies, however, do not define who and what we are. They are simply the vessel by which we travel.  Everything you do in your life has a ripple effect. When you have a loving thought towards another person, that thought and intention carries an energy and actually has the ability to impact the other person without them even being conscious of the thought. The same is true for negative thoughts, they too carry energy and can impact others.  When you consider that we are all connected to each other energetically, it makes it easy to see the good in people and act with love.

2. Thoughts are Things

Thoughts do not define us, they happen to us. Thoughts are separate from who we are and can be observed when we sit in silence. Thoughts can sometimes be helpful and constructive, but they can also derail us. For this reason, we must always be mindful of the type of thoughts we are welcoming into our energy field. Too many negative or malicious thoughts can lead to bad moods, bad choices, and bad karma. But we can choose to replace our thoughts with better thoughts. As you go about your day try observing your thoughts and practice replacing negative thoughts with neutral or positive thoughts. Notice the impact that it has on your attitude, posture, and state of mind. Better thoughts lead to better days.

3. Energy Creates 

Every thought, action, intention and emotion creates energy. And like energy attracts like energy. This means that things can build or shrink depending on the frequency of the energy. Think about a time in your life when you sabotaged yourself by fearing that you would not succeed, worrying, or having excessive thoughts of failure. The reason why you failed was not because you are not capable, but because you simply created an energetic environment where failure could thrive. Similarly, think about a time when you felt confident, believed in yourself, and visualized yourself succeeding. It wasn't luck. It was the energy of success that propelled you. Energy creates. 

4. We Can Heal Ourselves

The body is a perfect divine work of art. It knows exactly what it needs and how to manage itself on a daily basis without any input or interference from our intellect. When we get sick; be it the body or mind - we possess an incredible ability to heal ourselves. Dr. Wayne Dyer, who recently passed away at age 75 was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2009. He believed that illness was caused by dis-ease in one's life and past, stemming from traumatic events. He also believed in his ability to heal himself so profoundly, that when he died just this year in 2015 not one trace of leukemia was found in his body. We have a tremendous amount of control over our health and can heal ourselves with love, thoughts, food, and movement. 

5. Love is Powerful

Love is incredible and can make tremendous things happen in our world. Not just romantic or familial love, but unconditional inclusive love of all things, all beings, and all life. Love can heal us and make our experience of life inspiring and joyous. Our true self and the pure essence of our being only knows pure love. It is the natural expression of who we are, and that is what makes it so powerful. When we practice the art of loving others freely, we attract more love and abundance into our lives as a result. We find ourselves in situations and circumstances that create ease and flow.  

6. This Moment is Perfect

When we live in the present moment there is nothing to fear or worry about. We never have to worry about our ability to handle a situation and we never have to fear a future event,  because we are already living it. The present moment is always perfect because it provides us with exactly what we need, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. Even if we forget to stay present, there is always an opportunity to return to the present moment. Staying present will provide you with a great degree of inner peace and help quiet the mind from its future-based thinking and plotting, which can often be disruptive to our lives. This moment is perfect. Relish it. 

7. Karma Balances

Humans are far from perfect. In fact we are beautifully imperfect. Throughout our lives we are constantly creating and balancing karma. Everything we do, think, and believe creates a karmic energy and we know that like energy attracts like energy, so it is very important to be conscious of your thoughts, acts and intentions. But also not to get too down on yourself if you do make a poor decision, you can counteract that decision by making a good one. If you are unkind to someone you can balance your karma by changing the energy of that choice and apologizing. If you hold a grudge against someone and have negative thoughts towards them, you can choose to forgive and create a more positive experience for yourself. Your karma is yours alone. Each of us have our own to deal with, so it is important to consider where you need to balance for your own sense of peace and wellbeing.

8. Kindness Creates Impact

Think about how it makes you feel when someone is kind to you; be it a stranger, a classmate, a coworker, a family member or a teacher. Kindness creates a positive energy that has a ripple effect much like a smile. When you smile at someone that smile has the ability to reach that person, and then move from person to person. But only when you are open to that and acknowledge it. Kindness can include anything from a smile, to a gesture, to a thoughtful word or helping hand. When you are kind to others it will return to you, maybe not always at the time you expect or in the way you want it to, but it will come back. It is important that we don't tie our kindness to expectations. Be kind just for the sake of being kind. Your life will flourish in unbelievable ways. 

9. Intentions Set Your Tone

Have you ever heard someone say "that wasn't my intention" when trying to explain something they did to another that caused hardship? Intentions are the thoughts and beliefs we have about something before we embark upon it. If we haven't consciously taken the time to set an intention and focus upon it, the outcome can be the opposite of what we want or expect. It requires some work to be conscious about setting our intentions because our thoughts can often derail them. You can set intentions for anything from your how your day will go, to how you will perform on a presentation or test. The more thoughtful you are about setting your intentions, the more you will begin to experience outcomes that you desire. Practice setting intentions for your day each morning by visualizing the kind of day you want to have and stating in your mind what you hope for the day. 

10. Love & Honour The Self

You are a divine being of energy and light. You are so much more than you ever imagined. It is so important that you acknowledge the good in yourself, as much as you acknowledge your faults. We spend far too long criticizing our faults and noticing the things that we don't like about ourselves. This creates a lot of negativity and prevents us from being the best version of ourselves. Take the time every day to smile at yourself, say I love you, and recite some of the things you love about yourself. Take time to nourish your body with great food, movement, and surround yourself with things that you love. When you honour yourself, you will create a tremendous amount of love and joy in your life.