Some Things are Always True: A Speech Charlie Chaplin Gave on His 70th Birthday

Today, I found these profound words of wisdom that are a perfect inspiration to start the New Year. It’s the speech that Charlie Chaplin gave on his 70th birthday.

As I Began to Love Myself

As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering
are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth.
Today, I know, this is “AUTHENTICITY.”

As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody
As I try to force my desires on this person,
even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it,
and even though this person was me.
Today I call it “RESPECT.”

As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life,
and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow.
Today I call it “MATURITY.”

As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance,
I am in the right place at the right time,
and everything happens at the exactly right moment.
So I could be calm.
Today I call it “SELF-CONFIDENCE.”

As I began to love myself I quit stealing my own time,
and I stopped designing huge projects for the future.
Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do
and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm.
Today I call it “SIMPLICITY.”

As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health—
food, people, things, situations, and everything the drew me down and away from myself.
At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism.
Today I know it is “LOVE OF ONESELF,”

As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right,
and ever since I was wrong less of the time.
Today I discovered that is “MODESTY.”

As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worry about the future.
Now, I only live for the moment, where EVERYTHING is happening.
Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it “FULFILLMENT,”

As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me
and it can make me sick.
But as I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally.
Today I call this connection “WISDOM OF THE HEART.”

We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems
with ourselves or others.
Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born.
Today I know THAT IS “LIFE”!

New Year Resolutions for 2011

Putting Knowledge into Action

The end of 2010 is very significant for me. It marks the end of a period of accumulation of knowledge and preparation and the beginning of a new era of conscious, responsible, and productive life. I am setting new goals and developing new ways of achieving them. The new year is going to be focused on putting knowledge into action, practicing what I have learned and taking responsibility for my thoughts and deeds.

Up to this point in my life, I have been reading and collecting knowledge piece by piece, until I got to this point where I know intuitively what works and what doesn’t work for me. I also have a list of favorite authors and people who inspire me and whose teachings are a constant source of wisdom and guidance. I know which thoughts, feelings, and activities I enjoy. The only missing part is putting all this knowledge into action. How can I do this? This is a challenging question that I want to find answer to.  

Sources of Inspiration: Pieces of a Puzzle

One of my recent realizations is that it is extremely important to know who and what inspires you the most and helps you to stay connected to your true self. It is true that our sources of inspiration change over time. What inspired me yesterday may not work today or tomorrow. I would like to mention a few authors and people that inspire me right now.

1. I recently read the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill and was very inspired by his scientific approach to studying the elements of success. I had this book for a long time and just couldn’t start reading it until now. I think I am ready now to start practicing his findings.
2. Klaus Joehle, the author of a series of “Living on Love” books, has a special place in my heart. I feel so close to him and share many of his beliefs and experiences. He is a true blessing and inspiration. I am extremely grateful that he is a part of my life. It has been four or five years since I read his first book, “The Messenger”. About a month ago, I had a strong desire to read his books again. I think I can get something new out of them right now.
3. Abraham-Hicks teaching has been a part of my learning process for the last 4-5 years. I find them helpful because of the detailed and specific instructions of how to shift your thoughts from a destructive to a constructive pattern quickly and effectively. 
4. Lilou Mace and Lincoln Gergar are both great visionaries who provide a great service to humanity by posting their videos on Youtube and their web-sites. Although the material they share with public free of charge is very different, they are a great example of a self-less service. Lincoln connect to his Higher Self in a meditative state and delivers messages that can help spiritual seekers to connect to their true selves. The quality and energy of the materials are very high and transformative. Lilou’s mission is to interview people who can “inspire, motivate and empower millions of people to pursue their dreams” and to “help spread joy, freedom and empowerment”.  Both of them have posted hundreds on videos on their Youtube channels.

As an additional motivation tool, I have signed up to participate in 100-Day Reality Challenge. This is an online community, created by Lilou Mace and her two partners. Participants begin by declaring what they want to create in their lives and for the next 100 days practice Universal Laws & Principles, such as the Law of Attraction, Law of Deliberate Creation and the Law of Allowing. After stating their goals, members of the community document the process of their achievement by posting video and text posts, watch and comment on each other’s posts, interact, and encourage each other.

Cultivating Harmony

For me, participating in 100-Day Reality Challenge is related to material in the books of Napoleon Hill and Klaus Joehle, as well in the Abraham-Hicks teachings. I think it will help me to stay on track with my goals. My own practice will combine recommendations in all these sources and introduce something new. I believe that the more I am in harmony with my inner self the more the outer world will reflect my true self, and therefore, the happier my life and the lives of those around me will become. So cultivating harmony within and without is going to be the biggest theme for the next year.

Taking Responsibility for My Life

Some people associate the idea of consumerism with the concept that we create the life we want with our thoughts. I see our material creations as a consequence of happy, purposeful, and harmonious thoughts. An important difference between these two points of view is that the material object is not the primary goal, but taking responsibility for all of our thoughts is. I recently found that taking responsibility for my life has a magical effect. It gives me power to change my life, instead of waiting for it to change as a passive observer. I know that everything I experience is a result of my own thoughts, emotions, and actions. Even though I can’t see the direct relationship immediately, because the causes are often far in the past, knowing this helps me not to react in the same way to outcomes that are perceived as negative. This breaks the cycle of similar causes and effects, and creates a new more productive and healthy pattern of thinking. 

Just the Way It Is

"The world is one big bowl of soup

Spinning around

And if peas and carrots

don’t like each other

That’s too bad.

Because they’re sure going

to see a lot of each other

And nobody is leaving until

We are all nice and tender

That’s just the way it is"

from "The Messenger" by Klaus Joehle If you would like a great read that can also answer many of your questions about Life, Love, and how to create the life you really want, you can download the book for free here: http://k.livingonlove.com/books.shtml#Messenger

I'm reading the book for the second time, but have much more appreciation for it now. Because I know how much heart was put in the book to make it alive and to translate all the magic into words. It can't be expressed with words fully, but the book takes you into the mood and creates the atmosphere where you can suddenly imagine that you are with Klaus everywhere he goes. Just wanted to share this adventure with you!