If we plant a positive, clean seed of thoughts and concentrate on it, we give it energy, like the sun gives to a seed in the earth. And as the seed in the earth awakens, stirs and begins to grow, the thoughts on which we concentrate awaken, stir and begin to grow. So let us sow positive thoughts. Each morning before we begin the journey of the day let us sit still, in silence, and sow the seed of peace. Peace is harmony and balance. Peace is — freedom from the burden of negativity and wastefulness. Let peace find its home within us. Peace is our original strength, our eternal tranquility of being.

If my mind is still enough, I can see the deeper meaning behind each situation. No matter how bad a problem may seem on the surface, if I remain positive eventually I will see how everything has worked out for the best.

Words! They are all around me! I see them. I use them. Harsh words, soothing words, biting words; words that give pain and sorrow; words that give joy and pleasure. They are vital to communication. When words are spoken there are reactions, negative or positive. Either thoughts are triggered or emotions fired or actions performed. Words color our behavior. And how lovely it is to hear words that are calm and free from rancor and aggression. To hear words that lift the soul and leave it with renewed vigor. Such words come from always seeing the best in people and situations.

We all know the old adage - what you give out you get back, or what goes around comes around. But we forget this cast iron law which is found everywhere in the universe. The energy of life is constantly moving at physical, mental and spiritual levels. And if we stand back and just observe, we see it moving in the process of exchange. In the context of our relationships, we give and receive energy, and when we are truly giving and receiving positive energy there is harmony and balance. But when we do what we are taught to do, which is to take and to keep, then we destroy the harmony and the balance of our life. When we say possession is nine tenths of the law we give life to the illusion of ownership which blocks out the truth. It is possession itself which is our attempt to break the law and it is that illusion which lies at the heart of all human pain, discomfort and disharmony. While many 'things' will come to us, we possess nothing. We intuitively acknowledge this when we say to each other, "You can't take it with you when you go." Can you?

When I give without 'calculation' or thought of what I may receive in return, there is beauty in bestowing positive energy into the world.

The most important part of you is your mind (not your brain — the brain is the hardware and the mind creates the software). Care for your mind, make friends with it, always feed it healthy food, engage it in positive activity, exercise it with knowledge and wisdom. Like a garden returns fragrance and beauty according to the care invested, so your mind will repay you with thoughts, ideas and visions of great beauty when tended and invested with care. Your mind is not made of matter but it does matter what you give it and what you create with it. Where your mind goes, you go. What your mind creates becomes your destiny.

We each have the three energies we need to learn to manage — spirit, mind and body. All three need a good diet — body needs pure food (vegetarian), your mind needs positive ideas and images, and the spirit that you are needs time in silence and stillness to refresh and renew. These are our resources, and each one needs topping up, otherwise we run on empty and dis - ease comes to visit. But diet is just the beginning. Coming soon... exercise!.

Life experiences are like sentences — we are always looking for the full stop, the conclusion. It’s OK to end a train of thought, but not thought itself. Thoughts are like the magic carpet, on which the soul rides across eternity — in reality, there are no endings, no conclusions. Rest for the spirit (which is what we are) is when we allow only the current of the purest thoughts to flow through our mind — thoughts which carry good wishes and blessings for ourselves and others. This is not so much going with the flow, as being in the flow, and refreshed by the flow. For when we have powerful, positive thoughts for and about others, who experiences them first?

While we spend much time 'making up' our faces to ensure our appearance is beautiful for others, we forget to make up our minds. This is not about making decisions. Making up our mind means ensuring that our thoughts are positive and our feelings towards others are filled with good wishes. When we do, others begin to sense a deeper beauty emanating from behind the skin! This is inner beauty. Don't hide behind your face. Let the real you show through.

The one who is wise is free from careless or negative talk about others. When someone is talking about another person's shortcomings, I need to question why I am listening: is this information of any use to me, or can I do anything about the situation? If not, then I need to remind myself that there is no use in listening to such talk. Instead, I need to make an attempt to look at the positive qualities of the person in question, and think about how I can help everyone focus on these instead.

Let me learn to keep myself in a positive frame of mind and look for the beauty or benefit in everything that happens.