The art of wise living involves four steps: Plan purposefully, prepare prayerfully, proceed positively and pursue persistently.

The joy of wise living involves the art of joyous looking. There are two types of looking. You can look at the world with thoughts; you can also look at the world without thoughts, from a pure Being.

When you look at the world with thoughts, then you should be aware of the subtle pollution that exists. Thoughts come from memory, memory is the representation of an experience of the past, and so from the past you see the present. Hence, pollution happens.

(See also: Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

See also:

Jewish philosophy, Jewish philosophy - Approaches, Jewish philosophy - Early Jewish philosophy, Jewish philosophy - Philo of Alexandria, Jewish philosophy - Avicebron Solomon ibn Gabirol, Jewish philosophy - Jewish Mysticism Kabbalah, Jewish philosophy - Saadia Gaon, Jewish philosophy - Karaite philosophy, Jewish philosophy - Bahya ibn Paquda's Duties of the Heart, Jewish philosophy - Yehuda Halevi and the Kuzari, Jewish philosophy - The rise of Aristotelian thought, Jewish philosophy - Maimonides, Jewish philosophy - Position in the history of thought, Jewish philosophy - Renaissance philosophers, Jewish philosophy - Post-Enlightenment Jewish philosophers, Jewish philosophy - Modern Jewish philosophy, Jewish philosophy - Holocaust theology, Jewish philosophy - Modern Jewish philosophers, Jewish philosophy - Orthodox Judaism philosophers, Jewish philosophy - Conservative Judaism philosophers, Jewish philosophy - Reform Judaism philosophers, Jewish philosophy - Reconstructionist Judaism philosophers, Jewish philosophy - Others, Jewish philosophy - Philosophers informed by their Jewish background

Read more here: » Jewish philosophy: Encyclopedia II - Jewish philosophy - Position in the history of thought

positive thought

A thought instigated by a person that is in accord with his or her good judgment, cultural values, ethical standards, self-worth or personal value system and is therefore felt to be correct for himself

(See also: Positive thought, Body Mind and Soul)

The best form of visualisation is when you try and affirm your oneness with the Divine Spirit. Sit, relaxed and comfortable, in a chair with your spine straight, or on a mattress in the meditative/cross-legged posture. Focus your gaze on the area of the third eye in between your eyebrows.

This in yogic terms is the seat of concentration and will power. Fill your heart and your mind with the joy of God or any other happy feeling that you are able to relate with. Know yourself to be a being of light. Forget the heaviness of the body. See yourself surrounded by this ball of light. It is immersing you in its warmth and permeates you into the space around. This light is the presence and consciousness of God.

(See also: Meditation and Visualisation, Meditation, Meditation for Beginners, Meditation Techniques)

Visualisation is the process of focusing your concentration on an image of what you want and seeing it as already having manifested. It is a ritual of going in into the inner recesses of your mind, and with the power of the subconscious mind, causing the manifestation of the desired object, instance or circumstance.

Visualisation resembles our familiar habits of fantasies, daydreams, and imaginations but entwines a certain discipline into them. Visualisation is not imagination, though the dividing line is very subtle. Imagination is an outward projection of the mind and has its foundation in desires and emotions.

(See also: Meditation and Visualisation, Meditation, Meditation for Beginners, Meditation Techniques)

We are what we choose to be. Man has access to all the gifts given by Existence. Yet life on earth for many is one of want and deprivation. There are people living below relative poverty lines, and there are those who are overwhelmed by their excesses in wealth. Why these differences? Is it that God is partial and kind to one at the cost of another?

No! Relative differences arise because one believes that the abundance of the earth is for him to reach out and access, while the poverty-torn person unconsciously and continuously re-affirms his / her poverty-consciousness.

(See also: Affirmation Advantages, Affirmations, Practising Affirmations, Life Transforming Affirmations, Essence of Affirmations, Faith and Belief, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Body Mind and Soul)

Change all thoughts to empowering ones. Ask not "Why me?" Ask, "What can I do to reach my goals?" Change any mindset of "I can't" to a mindset of "I can." Just as when you climbed the high diving board as a child, gave a first speech in college, got married, or decided to be a parent, you will find the strength to face any future challenges.

Change any overly independent thoughts such as "I'll handle this alone" to "I have many sources of help, if I simply ask." Shift any catastrophising thoughts such as "This is the worst thing that could happen to me" to "I'm sure I'll survive this one."

(See also: Practising Affirmations, Affirmations, Practising Affirmations, Life Transforming Affirmations, Essence of Affirmations, Faith and Belief, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Body Mind and Soul)

An affirmation is a statement of truth which one aspires to absorb into his life. It has been said that we are what we eat. It would be truer to say, "We are what we think." For our minds express, and also influence, the reality of what we are far more than our bodies do. Our thoughts even influence, to a great extent, our physical health.

Words, which are crystallized thoughts, have immeasurable power, especially when we speak them with concentration. The mere thought of fatigue is enough to sap our energy. To strengthen that thought by the words, "I'm exhausted," gives definition, and therefore added power, to the thought itself.

(See also: Practising Affirmations, Affirmations, Practising Affirmations, Life Transforming Affirmations, Essence of Affirmations, Faith and Belief, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Body Mind and Soul)

Men of great success have been men of great concentration. Success does not come from outside. It is right within your brain. When a brilliant thought /idea strikes you, it needs to be nurtured and reared with patience, will, focus, and determined action. Only then will the tiny seed of an idea truly flower into a vibrant plant. The entire basis of the flowering is the mind and its powers.

Concentration involves a honing in of the attention so that one's entire field of attention is thrown into whatever it is that one is doing. Concentration entails a focusing of energy-the energy that influences all our actions in life.

(See also: Meditation and Concentration, Meditation, Meditation for Beginners, Meditation Techniques)

Everything in creation is influenced by the law of magnetism (also called Law of Attraction). The law of magnetism teaches us that whatever we concentrate upon, we draw to ourselves. If we focus on goodness, our life can be a garden of happiness; if we concentrate on wealth, we will draw wealth to ourselves.

Success in life presupposes the power of concentration. Just as a magnet draws to itself iron filings and not rice grains, so too, the quality of our focused thoughts will create a dynamic but silent power within that will find us placed in situations akin to the nature of our thoughts. If we think ' good health ' and with faith and belief embed this deeply within our minds over a sustained period of time, we will gradually create for ourselves situations and an environment, which will be conducive to good health .

(See also: Law of Attraction, Meditation, Meditation for Beginners, Meditation Techniques)

For the achievers, the need to dream beyond what is possible, passion for the job, enthusiasm and sense of purpose are the prime tasks. The mental attitude to set clear goals, patience and perseverance even when the results are not visible, and the ability to take failure in one's stride sets these men and women apart. Positive thinking is critical.

(See also: Positive thinking, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Ralph Emerson, the 20th century American philosopher, described man as the "ever-losing winner". We tend to measure God's blessings on the basis of how many of our prayers have been answered - we compare what we sought with what we got. We do not often get what we prayed for. Then we accuse God of being unkind. Subsequently, we discover later that whatever happened was in fact for the good. The 'bad' event turns out to be a blessing in disguise.

(See also: Power of Prayer, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

In time of spiritual need and strength I silently utter prayers that come to my mind, often from various faiths. I repeat them to still a restless, turbulent mind. Sincerity of action is important. It is alarming, disturbing, terrifying and heartbreaking to witness religious strife and the atrocities that are taking place in the name of religion.

We don't have to comprehend each and every ritual. It is more important to be a good human being - this is what God expects of each one of us irrespective of our religion.

(See also: Power of prayer, , Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Are miracles just mumbo-jumbo, products of a willing suspension of disbelief? Or are they 'real', as the faithful would have us believe? A miracle, essentially, implies a hiatus in natural causality, brought about by divine or supernatural intervention.

(See also: Miracles, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

People become enlightened in three main ways: through suffering, outcome and purpose. Sudama's life is an example of enlightenment through suffering.

He was reluctant to go to Dwarka as he thought he might be misunderstood as wanting something in life. He believed that man gets what he deserves, not what he desires.

Living in poverty, he could enjoy bliss remembering the Lord. When he returned from Dwarka, seeing the prosperity showered on him, he lamented: "Oh Lord! You think that you can imprison me with this material prosperity, but you forget that you are imprisoned in my heart till eternity".

(See also: Miracles, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

A number of studies conducted by medical scientists, over a time, have tried to make a case for the salutary effect of prayer on people suffering from cardiovascular, immune, and other disorders.

Herbert Benson, a Harvard Medical School professor told a conference recently that saying a few prayers can trigger the mind, lower high blood pressure and even cure infertility. However, the prayers had to be emotionally surcharged to be effective.

(See also: Power of Prayer, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Studies have shown that more than 90% of self-talk is negative. In other words, all day long, you fill your mind, consciously or not, with negative thoughts and unproductive feelings. You therefore get a corresponding life. The law of attraction doesn't know (and doesn't care) if this is a good or bad thought. It attracts whatever you're thinking about. The solution to a more successful life is simply asking yourself: "So, what do I really want?" Take some time to define your ideal lifestyle, in every aspect of your life: family, business, financial freedom... And now that you have defined these goals, use techniques like affirmations or visualization to literally flood your mind with positive, motivating thoughts and feelings.

(See also: Negative Thoughts, Emmanuel Segui, Law of Attraction, Practising Law of Attraction, Law of Attraction for Prosperity, Law of Attraction for Love, Law of Attraction - Obstacles)

We human beings have a unique advantage over other species: We can think and reason. Unfortunately, we have gotten into the habit of thinking negative rather than positive thoughts.

We need to understand that the way we think controls and governs not only our speech and action, but through them, it will come to govern our life and the way we live. So how you think Ñ negatively or positively Ñ will decide whether you are going to be happy or sad.

Read more here: » Christian Science: You Are What You Think You Are

Our thoughts, emotions and feelings act as a powerful magnet, attracting circumstances into our lives. Whether these circimstances are positive or negative, is completely dependent on how we think!

This is the sixth of seven articles in our continuing series covering the core seven Universal Laws. The focus of this article is the Law; The Law of Attraction.

(See also: Universal Laws, Tony Davies, Law of Attraction, Practising Law of Attraction, Law of Attraction for Prosperity, Law of Attraction for Love, Law of Attraction - Obstacles)

What does it mean to manifest ? What was the first thing that popped into your mind? Was it 'to create ,to come to be ,to bring to reality ?' Close. The definition is: 'clearly apparent to the sight or understanding!' Did you know that an infinite number of things are manifested every day? That's right! Each thought, each vibration, each feeling or belief manifests a response. Be it positive or negative, good or bad.

(See also: Manifestation, Eva Gregory, Law of Attraction, Practising Law of Attraction, Law of Attraction for Prosperity, Law of Attraction for Love, Law of Attraction - Obstacles)