ENJOY LIFE MAGAZINE

Mind Body & Soul features Nicole B. Simpson

February/March feature: Nicole B. Simpson

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Mind Body & Soul with Lakesha Woods

"Fast Forward, No Flashbacks" Written by Lakesha Woods Published December 15, 2009

Flashbacks of the times we've had Some made us laugh and some made us sad ..."Same Ole Love (365 Days)" Wait, wait I'm not done ... allow me to refresh your memory a little more .... Memories Light the corners of my mind ... misty watercolor memories ...of the way we were ... Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind ... Smiles we gave to one another... For the way we were ... can it be that it was all so simple then... or has time rewritten every line... If we had the chance to do it all again ... Tell me - Would we? Could we? "The Way We Were".

Good question ... if you could do life again, or repeat a love affair maybe even just set the hands of time back for 10 or 15 minutes would you? What makes your memories pleasant thoughts and what makes them awful flashbacks that keep you stuck in the past? Well the answer is simple; the events that surround the memory create pleasant thoughts or ill feelings and it doesn't take the brain of a rocket scientist to figure this out. However, it does take a lot of soul cleansing to release negative thoughts and to stop FLASHING BACK on things that you just can't change.

Life goes on .... Why waste your precious time thinking on "how things use to be" its time to fast forward and live life the way you see yourself in 5 to 10 years from now ... or even 5 minutes away. If you plan to be a mother, then begin to act like a mother would act .... prepare your MIND, BODY & SOUL. If you want to be a college graduate, then get enrolled in school, study, and absorb knowledge - learn and with in 2- 4yrs you'll have a degree. The key is to step into position NOW. Don't waste time thinking about what you COULD HAVE, SHOULD HAVE or WOULD HAVE done. Fast forward, and take a look at what tomorrow may bring. Envision yourself doing positive things, and releave your mine of yesterday because yesterday is not yours to change. No matter how you try to recreate the past its already written. And, while you have no control over the future ... no matter how you plan your life somethings are always subject to change. But, wouldn't you rather focus on a positive future instead of of flashing back to people, places or things that caused bad memories? If you answered, "YES", shook your head and hummed, "Mmmhm", or yelled out "I know that's right" Well then, same here ... so let's fast forward, no flashbacks allowed!

It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday, but living in the past is no way to live "life"... the past is stagnant - dead - filled with good, bad and indifferent memories. When a you're truely living, your life is full of activity and motion. You can most definiately learn from your past but you can not change it, not one bit.

But he said ... and she did ... and they all hurt me ... AND LIFE GOES ON! The time you spend contemplating why someone treated you wrong is time that could be spent helping you get one step closer to YOUR BRIGHT FUTURE.

"Who Are You Today?" by Lakesha Woods

My inspirational message to you this month is advising you to take the necessary time to learn yourself. Knowing who you are and being yourself is the best gift that anyone could ever give themselves. Who are you today? Get to know yourself and be unwavering in your decisions. People will tell you to do this, do that, and this worked for me. It's all good, but what's best is what works for you. If you can manage to remember that much then you will find it much easier to live your life in the truth. It's hard to be true to yourself when you are trying to accommodate everyone else.

Just Be Yourself by Lakesha Woods

To be yourself should seem to be very simple and yet some find it to be so hard. We live a bit too much for image and the likes of others. As my grandmother use to often say; If I had to live off of the likes of others ... well, I may as well be dead. She was a woman who stood her ground and sincerely believed in being herself ...at any cost. Now I'm not advising you to be belligerent or obnoxious. Just be who God created you to be, because there is no other individual in this world exactly like you. We are all unique in our own special way. Be proud of yourself, because if you aren't chances are no one else will be.

"Peace Within - Got to Have It!"

Written by Valerie Woods

Ah, Peace. Divine order is what keeps the universe spinning in a controlled like manner. And, it is what keeps the soul in the divine flow with the universe. You’re probably saying how I can achieve peace when there are so many stressful situations around me. To that I answer, just go within. I have found that this works for me. My day just doesn’t seem to go right until I go within. Some call it meditation. Some call it being still. What ever name you give it, it is an excellent way to stay centered and focused.

There are several methods of meditation. The one that I use that works for me is as follows:

Start off by sitting comfortably on a padded floor or chair in a quiet room with eyes closed. Saying a prayer of protection is a must. During meditate the spirit actually travels. Prayer is a protective shield; just decree that God’s protective light surrounds around you.

First, began the meditation by breathing deeply and slowly. As you inhale visualize each breath cleansing and calming the body starting with the toes, feet, ankles, calves, knees and so on. With each exhale visualize toxins and stress leaving the body.

Following the relaxing breathing exercise; return to normal breathing and start repeating one syllable positive words silently. Example: love, light, God, Christ, peace, Yah, faith, etc. You will find that your mind has a mind of its own. You’re going to be thinking of things you need to do, things you have to do, what you’re going to have for dinner. Any and everything is going to pop up in your mind. But, be gentle with yourself and come back to the meditation each time you find your thoughts drifting away.

Next, imagine yourself in a beautiful setting of your choice. My favorites are a beautiful beach with white sand, blue sky and ocean or sitting near a water fall in a green sunlit forest. You can do this while silently repeating the one syllable word if you like. To take it even further you may want to meet the spiritual guide of your choice there. It may be Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed or whomever you choose. Greet them and begin to walk to a house that you see several feet ahead. The house represents you. Visualize the house in detail. When you reach the door open with the key that you have in your hands. Walk inside (still accompanied by your spiritual teacher); down a beautiful hall way to a lovely bedroom (the bedroom represents your heart). Inside the bedroom are two chairs. One chair is for you, the other for your spiritual teacher. You both sit and you pick up the remote, which is then used to close the drapes, blinds and door. You find yourself in total (but pleasant) darkness. Begin to meditate on emptiness.

Start off with five minute meditations. Add five minutes at your own pace. Work your way up to a twenty minute meditation or more if you desire . Do this every day and you will find that your thinking will be clearer, every day stress will not ruffle you and you will begin to look and feel calmer and more youthful. Meditation lowers the pulse rate, quiets the mind and helps you “be still”. Learning to “be still” has brought miracles to my life, obstacles seem to vanish and life flows along at a smoother pace. I rarely miss a day of meditation and when I do, I can feel the difference.

It is extremely important to view the world through the eyes Of God (remember we were made in His image). How do we do this? Simply ask God to help you. When you ask your higher self for assistance, it is always there. When you see the world through the eyes of your God self, it is then that you realize there is never any reason to get upset. In other words don’t sweat the small stuff and in reality everything is small stuff. Things are never as bad as it seems.

I have learned to include my higher self in every phase of my life. It is like having a Genie in a Bottle. Ask and you shall receive. Be consistent with your “being still”. Remember practice makes permanent. A calm mind coupled with patience is a powerful tool.