Exercising an Open Mind: Difference between revisions

Prayer and meditation connect us to higher intelligence and have positive impacts on calming our mind.  Prayer focuses on positive emotions like love, gratitude and compassion, which allow goodness in our lives and the lives of those we pray for. Meditation reduces anxiety, stress, and depression, which helps us to find and connect to peaceful states. Being mindful improves our mental flexibility, brain elasticity and keeps neurons active. Spiritually centering ourselves on peace, prayer and contemplation of God/Universe, helps us maintain our trust in life, faith, and relaxes every part of the body.  

Keep reinforcing the positive things that you have in your life right now. Feel and express gratitude for the people, things, and experiences that are positive or have a silver lining for higher learning. Reinforce one's commitment to expressing love, goodness and gratitude, and to behave as ethically as Christ would.

Be aware that poor self-esteem and lack of trust in our own abilities to learn and problem solve, will close our mind and harden our heart. Do not feel intimidated by knowledge, competence or other people that criticize to shut you down. Knowing that you are a worthy, valued and loved person, stay strong to build core self-esteem and self-efficiency, knowing that you can depend on yourself if the going gets rough. Most of the fears we dwell on never come to pass. As you focus on building the right relationship to self-acceptance and self-love, this builds trust and confidence in oneself. Building trust in oneself and building trust with God are the only two relationships that we really need! With those two relationships and ego surrender, all else will fall into place.