Blog — Page 7

5 Ways to Focus on the Solution

April 12, 2020 by Gloria Ramirez Leave a Comment

To read this month’s Love in Action Newsletter, click here

There is a proverb that says that “after the storm comes calm.” This is what our hearts have been yearning for, an end to the suffering and uncertainty in our lives.

Deep inside of us we know, from previous experiences, that after the storm passes we should be able to see the light. Somehow, we have to gather the courage to stay positive and believe that individually and collectively we will be able to come to the other side stronger and more connected as a human family.

In talking to people about their experience with the pandemic, I am pleasantly surprised with their positive attitudes. Some have shared with me how they are enjoying quality time with their families, playing music, or games, or reading together. It seems like the creativity of people surfaces when there is a pressing need. Others tell me that they have been able to clean the house or finish projects that they didn’t have time before, to complete, and to do so many other things that were waiting for them to have the time to do them. My own sister shared that she dances for half an hour every day, calls 5 people to see how they are doing, prays for 2 to 3 hours each day, and makes sure to maintain a positive attitude throughout each day. What I have noticed, from these conversations, is a willingness from people, to have a good attitude, and to face this very difficult time with strength and courage.

In moving forward to rebuild our lives, it is important to help ourselves and have a mindset that focus on creating solutions to what lies ahead of us. Here are some suggestions that can help you to rebuild your life:

Believe that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Even though we might feel that we are in the middle of a dark tunnel because of our life circumstances, we must believe that better times will come and our job is to remain positive.
Focus on helping others. Whether it is financial help or moral support or with our prayers, we can always contribute to the well-being of our human family
Be courageous. Be willing to have the attitude of a worrier, knowing that you have the power within to overcome any storms life throws at you.
Have the mind of a winner. Reflect on the ways in which you have grown as a person and on the positive aspects of this experience. Count your blessings.
Focus on the solutions. Be steadfast in keeping a positive attitude. Do your best to keep your mind free of worries and fear so you are able to remain calm and centered. The more committed you are about focusing on the solutions, the more clarity you will have to make decisions and choose what is best for you and your family in the days ahead.

Affirm: I have a mindset that focus on solutions

Divine Blessings,

Filed Under: Consulting

10 ways to Remain Calm Amidst Challenging Times

March 16, 2020 by Gloria Ramirez Leave a Comment

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There is no doubt that what is happening all over the world is creating emotional reactions, like fear, panic and stress, that each one of us has to face individually.

I have been thinking about the ways in which I can face fear when it shows up and I came up with a list of ten that I’d like to share with you:

Use the Power of Prayer. Praying for ourselves and others helps us to open our hearts and bring peace to our minds. It is also a way to surrender everything that worries us.
Meditate. Taking the time to still the mind even for five minutes can really help us to release the stress and connect with calmness.
Use Affirmations. Using affirmations changes our mood and shifts the energy to a positive focus. Affirmations are positive sentences in the present time. For example: I feel peace. I am serene.
Use Visualizations. We can use them to focus on a positive outcome. For example, we can visualize our planet earth bathed in white light, or in a color that inspires you to bring healing to its inhabitants. I tried this today. It was a beautiful white light serving as a vaccine healing every one and cleansing every corner on earth.
Read books and watch programs that inspire a sense of peace, joy and love. They are many resources online that we can get for free. Feeding ourselves with positive messages will help our mind to stay calm and optimistic and our hearts to feel peaceful.
Count your blessings. We can do this by keeping a gratitude list. For example, every day, write or think of ten things, situations, people, that you are grateful for. This practice will help us to focus our energy in positive thoughts and experiences.
Stay positive. Doing our best to keep a positive attitude will help us and those around us to remain calm and clear.
Reflect on Spiritual Truth. Reading from a sacred book and then reflecting on it can help us to see and feel life situations with a new more expanded perspective. For example, this verse from the bible: “For God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1-7
Use the “Peace and Harmony Prayer“, from Paramhamsa Yogananda. Visualize the person(s), and mentally surround them with divine light. Then, deeply pray: “Lord fill this world with peace and harmony, peace and harmony” (10 times). Afterward, visualize yourself in a divine light and pray: “Lord fill me with peace and harmony, peace and harmony”. Repeat it 3 to 5 times throughout the day.
Surround yourself with positive people. It is very important to be around people who can uplift us and help us to understand the situation with an expansive consciousness and to stay positive. Also having a mentor or a coach helps us to get the support we need, to be heard and to bring clarity to our mind and peace to our heart.

Affirm: I remain calm at the center of life’s storms

Divine Blessings,

Gloria Ramirez

Transformative coaching for Self Mastery
Click here for more information

Filed Under: Consulting

Love yourself with the decisions you make every day

February 11, 2020 by Gloria Ramirez Leave a Comment

To read this month’s Love in Action Newsletter, click here

Have you ever asked yourself how much you love and respect yourself in the decisions you make every day?There are so many ways in which we tend to discount ourselves when we make decisions, maybe because we want to please someone by seeking their approval, or we are fearful of the consequences if we say no, or we are afraid of what they are going to think about us, or we just don’t believe in ourselves.

We discount and hurt ourselves when we don’t treat our bodies with love, or when we accept negativity in our minds, or when we don’t honor our emotions. It takes strong will power to let go of habits that can be hurting our bodies like smoking, not eating properly, not exercising. However, if we approach the change from our desire to love ourselves with the decisions we make every day, we will be more receptive.

It also takes determination to have a winning attitude and a mind that is positive. Becoming aware of our behavior and our thoughts is essential so we can decide to shift our attitude. The same idea applies to honoring our emotions. We need to take time to honor our feelings so we can be in harmony with all.

The ideal situation is to make decisions that end up benefiting everyone involved. However, there are times when we have to make decisions that someone might not approve, but deep inside we know it is best for ourselves. What do we do at a moment like that? We either end up giving up our dreams to please others, or we gather the courage to do it. What is important, obviously, is to never do anything with the intention of purposely hurting someone else. This would not be a wise decision and will create a boomerang effect that will come back to us.

Here are some ideas that can support you to love yourself with the decisions you make every day:

Do a self-analysis to see what areas of your life have some room for you to be more loving. For example, negative thinking, abusing the body, fear of saying “no”, fear of failure, self-judgement, people pleasing, procrastination and any detrimental behavior that may be hurting us.
Be authentic. Express yourself with the joy of being you. Be congruent with your thoughts, words and deeds. Be free to be yourself!
Believe in yourself: Trust yourself and let go of any self-doubt and self-denying behaviors. You have wonderful God given talents and abilities that make you unique. Share them.
Communicate with clarity and conviction. Express your truth with love and respect and be willing to accept that people may disagree with you. This does not make you wrong; it is just a different perception.
Give yourself permission to be happy: Happiness is a choice and it is something you have to decide to embrace. Your divine nature is bliss.
Ask for divine guidance: Your Higher Power is always available to guide you. Ask and it is given! Be open and receptive to the guidance than can come thru a friend, a book, a dream, meditation or your intuition.

Affirm: I make wise decisions that enhance my life every day

Divine Blessings,

Gloria Ramirez

Transformative coaching for Self Mastery
Click here for more information

Filed Under: Consulting

Seeing with the Eyes of the Soul

January 13, 2020 by Gloria Ramirez Leave a Comment

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Group of college students with whom we exchanged photos

I just came back from an amazing trip to South India. I went to the Kerala region to an Ayurveda resort near the capital, Trivandrum. This was my first time going to India. I was fortunate enough to follow my intuition to see India with the eyes of the soul, and as a result I had a very profound experience.

Seeing India with the eyes of the soul really meant to feel it with my heart and not to focus on the external but instead on its beautiful people. Externally there are things that can be overwhelming like the traffic, the poverty, the caste system, and many more. Every day I set up the intention to connect from my heart to their hearts and I believe this is the reason why I was able to experience the humbleness, devotion, kindness, sweetness, spirit of service, joy and deep spirituality of this extraordinary culture. I felt in love with their smiles, with the beautiful colors of their clothing, with the melody of their language and with their deep connection with God.

Very early every day, for hours at a time, you could feel their devotion in their voices singing to God in the temples, churches and mosques. The state of Kerala has a high catholic population. On the evening of December 24^th, my friends and I decided to go to midnight mass. The experience was quite profound. As we were approaching St. James Church, a very large church, thousands of people were walking to the church. When we got there, the church was packed with people inside and outside. There were no chairs. Everyone was sitting on the floor, women on one side and men on the other side. Fortunately, our driver had spoken to the priest earlier that day and they had reserved a space for us with chairs, to the side of the altar. The entire experience was breathtaking. The deep devotion, the singing, the rituals, everything was so deep that I was in tears most of the time. Here, at this church I understood why India is the land of spirituality. I could see and feel their devotion so deeply that it entered my heart and transformed me.

Everywhere we go, whether it’s in our own neighborhood or abroad, we have the choice to see with the eyes of the soul or the eyes of the ego. When we see with the eyes of the soul, we connect with the aspects of people that are positive and that can help us feel our similarities and unity and we can learn a great deal from them. The soul is kind, joyful, peaceful, compassionate, understanding, patient, and sweet. When we see with the eyes of the ego, we focus on seeing what is wrong and this only brings despair and separation.

Thinking about my experience in India, I’d like to live this new year by following the qualities in people that impacted me the most during my visit to India. I’d like to invite you to experience life every day with the essence of your soul. These are some of the qualities that we can embrace at a higher level:

Devotion: Being willing to go deeper in our connection with the divine within us.
Humbleness: Behaving in modest or unpretentious manner. Humility embraces contentment and simplicity.
Kindness: Committing to being kind to everyone regardless of race, religion, education or background.
Sweetness: Expressing outwardly the sweetness of the soul.
Joy: Keeping an attitude of happiness, regardless of the external circumstances. Being a smile millionaire.
Spirit of service: Having an unselfish attitude to serve whenever we are needed and with the intention of making a difference.

Affirm: I am willing to embrace each life experience seeing with the eyes of the soul

Divine Blessings,

Gloria Ramirez

Transformative coaching for Self Mastery
Click here for more information

Filed Under: Consulting

The Miracle of Giving

December 8, 2019 by Gloria Ramirez Leave a Comment

To read this month’s Love in Action Newsletter, click here

Recently, I was talking with my sister who lives in Bogotá, Colombia and she shared a couple of stories who reminded me of Francis of Assisi’s quote: “For it is in giving that we receive.”

The first story is about an initiative that she started many years ago to help my sister in law’s kids’ foundation, “Ayuda por Colombia”, by providing very impoverished kids and their families with food for the holidays, so they can have a decent Christmas. For this purpose, up until last year, my sister had received a yearly donation from a very generous soul. However, this year this person had to help someone in her own family and could not continue with the monetary support. My sister did not give up and asked members of my family and friends to help. Together they were able to collect the money to gift 54 families with food for the holidays. On the day the foundation celebrates Christmas with the kids and their families, each family will receive a big sack containing rice, lentils, pasta, grains, milk, oats, legumes, potatoes, and other Christmas treats. I was there for one of this special celebration and I saw parents carrying the big sack up the hill with an indescribable joy in their eyes and some of them with tears of joy. For me it was a very heartbreaking moment that will live in my heart forever.

The second story has to do with a church friend that my sister holds very dearly in her heart. This friend had called my sister to ask a favor of her. When my sister arrived at her home, she was very surprised to see how much weight her friend had lost. My sister was deeply touched by her amazing determination to help others. Despite of the fact that her friend was overcoming cancer, she found the energy to organize and wrap up Christmas gifts for 100 kids. The favor she needed from my sister was to get only 3 more pending gifts, one for a girl and two for 2 boys. Of course my sister promised to get them for her. My sister was deeply touched by this experience. In my sister words, “I don’t think I would have been able to do what my friend has done, if I had been sick. She is so virtuous.” Just imagine, she put her situation aside in order to serve. That’s the real spirit of service.

The miracle of giving is the satisfaction of what we feel inside from opening our hearts to others, especially during the holidays, so children can have a more joyous and memorable holiday.

Here are some ideas to consider some ways we can open our hearts to give:

Be proactive about starting and leading a project that is important to you.
Take the initiative to help someone who might be already working on a project.
Remember that if you want something, the best way to get is to give it to others. If you want love, give love. If you want friends initiate conversations with others. If you want joy, be joyful.
Ask God to guide you to manifest a project that fulfills your heart.
Be grateful for all the blessings you have received in your life.
Keep on giving

Affirm: I open my heart to the miracles of giving

Divine Blessings,

Gloria Ramirez

Transformative coaching for Self Mastery
Click here for more information

Filed Under: Consulting

The Power of a Smile

November 9, 2019 by Gloria Ramirez Leave a Comment

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“There is no better panacea for sorrow, no better reviving tonic, than smiles. There is no greater power with which to overcome failure than a real smile. There is no better ornament than a genuine smile. There is no beauty greater than the smile of peace and wisdom glowing on your face.” – Paramhansa Yogananda

I love this quote because it reminds me of the power of a smile. Sometimes, with our busy lives, we forget that our inner most desire is to feel happy and to express it with smiles. When we smile, we are welcoming life and allowing ourselves to express our true nature: Joy. Hidden beneath, pain, resentment, guilt, and all the experiences of life is that energy of joy that wants to find expression with a smile.

When we see the smile of a baby, it immediately fills our heart with joy because there is sweetness, innocence, joy and trust behind that smile. It is the same with us, everything changes from within, when we allow ourselves to smile, despite the outward circumstances. We bring to life, happiness, hope, trust, contentment, peace, patience, innocence, and joy. And what is more wonderful is that not only we feel good about ourselves, but also, we touch people around us and help them to feel accepted and loved. How many times have you smiled at a stranger and felt so good when that person smiled back at you, like saying “Thank you.”

A smile can bring healing to our world and if we each commit to smiling more, we can bring the energy of love and joy that is behind each smile. We have a powerful tool to share with others to awaken the joy that resides within us. I invite you to share your smile with others, knowing that it has the power to change lives, yours and others. Sometimes we just have to dare to do it, just for not reason and keep doing it until it becomes a beautiful habit.

I’d like to leave you with this quote from my friend Indrani from Ananda León in Spain: “If the soul has a face, the smile must be its natural expression.”

Affirm: I joyfully share the power of my smile with others

Divine Blessings,

Gloria Ramirez

Transformative coaching for Self Mastery
Click here for more information

Filed Under: Consulting

Happiness is a Choice

October 7, 2019 by Gloria Ramirez Leave a Comment

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Happiness is the foundation for success in your relationships,
your career, and every aspect of your life

“If you have made up your mind to find joy within yourself, sooner or later you will find it. If you want to be sad, no one in the world can make you happy. But if you make up your mind to be happy, no one and nothing on earth can take that happiness from you.” – Paramhansa Yogananda

The message from this quote is something that we know from within. However, why is it that sometimes we do not make up our mind to be happy?

From my own experience, we are conditioned to blame others and to play victim. This is something that I did for years and as a result my life was like a rollercoaster, one day I was happy and the next day I felt miserable. I was an awful existence. Then with self-effort and the help of mentors and teachers, I learned that by taking full responsibility for what was going up in my live, I could make changes right away and despite of external circumstances, happiness was my choice. My life transformed completely and now I share with others what life has taught me. Here are a few recommendations, you can use to expand happiness in your life:

Change your habits. Be willing to stop immediately, any behaviors of blaming, playing victim, gossiping or criticizing. Instead, with love and compassion, take a look inside of yourself to see what changes you need to make. Keep a journal to let go of what is not working in your life and every day be willing to choose happiness.
Be determined to be happy under all circumstances. Remember that no one has the power to add to your happiness or to take away from you, unless you yourself allow the adverse thoughts or wicked actions of others to affect you.
Don’t postpone your happiness. Have you ever said? “If this or that happens, I shall be very contented.” Don’t wait. Choose to be happy now.
Be committed to switching your attention from worry to calmness. Deep within you there is calmness. That’s the essence of your soul. Learn to say “no” so you do not add stress to your life. Let go of the fear of being rejected, criticized, or punished. Observe yourself and pay attention to your commitment to being calm. Go in a worry-free diet.
Meditate. This practice is the most powerful tool you have to help you to awaken the joy that already resides within you.

Affirm: I choose to be happy now

A wonderful way to support yourself in CHOOSING TO BE HAPPY, is by participating in the 10-week class series: “Discover the Secrets of Happiness”. This program will give you the tools to remain happy regardless of external circumstances.

Click here to REGISTER and for more information

Divine Blessings,

Gloria Ramirez

Transformative coaching for Self Mastery
Click here for more information

Filed Under: Consulting

Letting Go of Fear

September 2, 2019 by Gloria Ramirez Leave a Comment

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What do we do when suddenly we are face with something that is unfamiliar or unexpected or is opposite to our plans? Most of the time we move into fear and the mind starts making up all kinds of stories. This happened to me recently and I finally realized that I was allowing my ego to create scenarios in my mind, which in most cases they will never happen.

I noticed that I was analyzing the situation over and over and from different angles, but without coming up with any solutions. It was like I was in a hamster wheel, going nowhere. I finally realized that I was in a fear mode.

Have you ever felt this way, going in circles, frustrated, stress out, disappointed, fearful and confused? Most likely, we all have felt the effects of fear and how, if we do not stop it, it can take us deeper and deeper into despair. This is why it is so important to be conscious of how we are embracing our experiences in life with calmness and to stop and shift the energy right away, when we feel that we are going in the opposite direction of peace, joy and harmony.

This is exactly what I ended up doing when I realized that my ego was playing games with me, by keeping my mind occupied with F.E.A.R (False Evidence Appearing Real). I remember at that moment that I had a choice to change the way I was thinking and to embrace my situation with a positive attitude.

I have been thinking of ways I can use to remind myself that, at all times, I have a choice to be happy and peaceful. This is what I came up with:

Fear is the opposite of love. In any situation you can take your mind to choose love. You are in charge of your mind. Do not allow it to be controlled by fear. Switch your approach.
Do not focus on the problem and instead seek a solution. It has been said that every problem comes with a solution. You just have to be willing to see it.
Remember that everything is energy and if you focus on obstacles, that is exactly what you are going to attract.
Talk to your Higher Power and ask for His help.
Remember that you are not a victim. You are a child of the Most High with divine wisdom that enables you to come up with solutions to every challenge.
Use the power of prayer to pray for yourself and anyone involved in the situation.
Count your blessings. There are many things that you can think off that are going well in your life. Focus on them and be grateful.
This is what the bible says about fear in 2 Timothy 1:7: “God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
Above all, keep the right attitude and remember the power of positive thinking and affirmations.

Affirm: I choose to be peaceful, joyful and in harmony in all situations

A wonderful way to support yourself in letting Go of Fear is by participating in the free class: “3 Tips to Experiencing Happiness in all Aspects of Your Life“.

Click here to REGISTER and for more information

Divine Blessings,
Gloria Ramirez

Transformative coaching for Self Mastery
Click here for more information

Filed Under: Consulting

There is Hope

August 10, 2019 by Gloria Ramirez Leave a Comment

To read this month’s Love in Action Newsletter, click here

I recently had an experience that gave me the opportunity to remember that there is always a solution for every problem.

Last Thursday, I went early to the closest town to my home to do some errands and I decided to have breakfast at IHop. When I came out, I opened the trunk of my car to get something, closed the door and then I realized that I had left my key inside.

My mind wanted to take me into worrying and complaining right away, especially because my time had been planned carefully. I started to make phone calls to request the Honda road service to come and open my car. As I was talking to the person who was helping me, who told me I had to call another department, I looked up and saw the sign of the restaurant: IHope. I immediately realized that that was a sign and I could choose to stay, calm and joyful because “there is hope.” I ended up making many phone calls and I consciously chose to be gracious and courteous and joyful with everyone I spoke to. As a matter of fact, when I shared with them that I was in front of a restaurant IHope, I affirmed to them: “There is HOPE”. They laughed and one of them told me: “you made my day.”

This experience really invited me to remember that I always have the final say in how I am going to, either react to situations or respond to them. We react when we allow our ego to take control, to take us into fear, doubt, criticism and complaining. We respond to situations when we take responsibility and maintain a positive attitude, remembering that there is always a solution for every challenge we face in life.

I’d like to share what I did to keep a positive attitude as I was going through the experience:

Pay attention to life’s messages: I kept looking at the restaurant’s sign, to remind me “there is hope”
Maintain a positive attitude. Staying positive helped me to solve the situation faster because I was not blocking the energy and instead I was allowing the solution to come to me
Bring humor into the moment. This helps to stay calm and joyful
Be kind and courteous with everyone who is helping. They are doing their best and if you treat them with respect, they will respond to you in a like manner and help you to find a solution.
Have faith. There is always hope and the secret is to keep our energy focused on the solution.
The service I received from Honda was excellent. I was grateful for the experience and it reminded me that Victory comes to those who help themselves.

Affirm: There is hope. I choose to focus on the solution

Divine Blessings,

Gloria Ramirez

Transformative coaching for Self Mastery
Click here for more information

Filed Under: Consulting

Become an Ambassador of Peace

July 12, 2019 by Gloria Ramirez Leave a Comment

To read this month’s Love in Action Newsletter, click here

Mahatma Gandhi expresses simply the way we can become ambassadors of peace:
“I offer you peace.
I offer you love.
I offer you friendship.
I see your beauty.
I hear your need.
I feel your feelings.
My wisdom flows from the highest Source.
I salute that Source in you.
Let us work together. For unity and peace.”

Becoming an ambassador of peace is an individual decision that each one of us has to make. We have to be aware that it takes effort and commitment because when challenges show up in our lives, we have to pay attention to our behavior and how we react or respond to life situations. This is when we have to remind ourselves that we are responsible for how we show up in the world and how we impact it. We help the world when we offer peace, love and friendship, as Gandhi expresses it. We contaminate the world when we criticize, gossip, complain and live in fear. It is up to us how we choose to impact the world.

We have the examples of so many heroes like Gandhi, who have demonstrated for us what it means to be an ambassador of peace. These heroes have shown us the meaning of compassion, caring for others, responsibility, unity and divine connection. What’s important is to remember that creating a better world is not only their responsibility but it is also ours. We have to do our part and work together.

How do we do our part? Here are some ideas:

Respond to situations in life with calmness, instead of reacting with anger, judgment, or fear.
Be conscious of the language you speak. Make sure it is kind and uplifting.
Pay attention to the thoughts you entertain in your mind. Make sure they are positive. They are creating your reality.
Have a positive attitude in life, always focusing on the solution and not on the problem.
Remember to connect and embrace the divine power that flows thru you.
Live and enjoy the present moment.

I invite you to join me to continue Gandhi’s legacy to become ambassadors of peace by offering our peace, love and friendship to everyone. Lets be determined to see everyone as part of one human family yearning for the same things: peace, love and happiness. Instead of focusing on our differences, lets commit to focusing on our similarities and seeing the good in everyone. As Gandhi says, “Let us work together. For unity and peace.”

Affirm: I am an ambassador of peace

Divine Blessings,

Gloria Ramirez

Transformative coaching for Self Mastery
Click here for more information

Filed Under: Consulting