“Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don’t open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”
~Rumi

It doesn’t have to be just during tough times that we can make adjustments to live more simply and more in tune with our heart; being true to our Self. Small lifestyle changes can reap big benefits; monetarily, spiritually and health-wise.

I’ll use a couple important personal changes I’ve made over the last year as examples.

• Giving up my daily coffee. A daily coffee with an occasional bagel or muffin runs $2.00 to $4.00 per day, an average of $21.00 per week ($1092. per year). Yes, I had a really bad headache for a couple days giving up caffeine but it sure was worth it if just for the health benefits I’ve achieved. So, instead of morning coffee, I take yoga classes for $12.00 per week. Energy without caffeine. And now I bake a batch of healthy muffins for the week at the cost of one purchased at the market.
• No more alcohol. Wine with dinner, meeting people out for Happy Hour cocktails turned into an easy $30.00 per week, more if it includes appetizers or a night out to see a band play. Alcohol not only takes a toll on the wallet but health as well. Herbal tea or seltzer water compliments dinners nicely. Instead of wasting time and money during Happy Hours, I took up knitting and made much cherished Christmas gifts. Knitting or anything that you are passionate about, keeps your attention in the present. Being absorbed in the present alleviates stress, tension and anxiety. (See my post Living in the Present)
• A morning and evening meditation, daily Reiki and journaling cost nothing but have added a lot to my life. Meditation offers multiple health benefits which I will discuss in another post. Meditation is also a gateway to manifesting your life’s desires if they are in alignment with your true Self and not from the ego. Meditation allows the Law of Attraction to come to fruition by releasing resistance and raising your vibration, this creates a state of allowing pure energy to flow through you. I can say, “it really works!”

“Fifteen minutes of effort will change your life because it will allow the Energy that is natural to you to flow. You will feel better in the moment, and you will feel more energized when you come out of it.”

“A big benefit that you will notice right away is that things you have been wanting will begin showing up.”
from Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires by Esther and Jerry Hicks, The Teachings of Abraham

What can you give up or change to simplify yet enhance your life? What makes your heart sing? Why aren’t you doing it?

Remember, fear blocks flow.