Personal Growth Archives - Page 3 of 7

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 87 – Cultivating Simplicity

Lifestyle, Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Simple Living, Simplicity

Cultivating Simplicity “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~ Lao Tzu Are you finding it a challenge to keep up with everything that is on your to do list? Do you ever feel tired and exhausted, overwhelmed, under-satisfied and overworked just so you can pay the bills and find a little happiness in life? Like Henry David Thoreau, I love a broad margin to my life. Simplicity can mean so many different things to people. We go searching for it in exterior things. - “If I could just de-clutter and get rid of all this junk in my life”. Or, “If I just didn’t have to work two jobs to keep up!” Or my favorite, “If I could just get away from all this madness to a cabin…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 86 – Cultivating Love

Meditation, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Well-being

“I believe three of the most important words anyone can say are not ‘I love you”, but I hear you’.” ~ Oprah ~ ~ ~ If you want to be your absolute best and function at top performance levels, you need time to pause, reflect, meditate and restore. If you want to be present and give your absolute best to the ones you love and are depending on you, you can’t afford NOT to take a few minutes of mindful meditation to sharpen your saw and create a strong and healthy internal state that is able to handle any obstacles and stressful, difficult situations that may show up today. Meditation, (in nature especially), helps build your emotional immune system, strengthening it as a shield against knee-jerk reactions to unexpected problems…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode – 85 Cultivating Faith

Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development

Cultivating Faith “The capacity to trust and so live with inner peace, contentment, and joy, is a Divinely endowed capacity written into the genetic code of your DNA.” ~ Dr. Steve McSwain Have you ever wished you could live every moment of every day like in joy and simplicity? What would that feel like? Well the truth is, you can. Now some people will say, now wait a minute that’s just not realistic. And I have to ask, “Why not?” I love the picture of the clock that shows, in place of the numbers 1 through 12, the word “Now”. It is always “Now” and in this moment, this very moment, there are no problems, only situations. It is the perfect time to be present. So, welcome to this moment.…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 84 – Cultivating Hope

Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Well-being

“Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all.” ~Emily Dickinson ~ ~ ~ Today we’re going to talk about hope. What is hope and why is it important? Hope can be a bit complicated in today’s complex world. Too often when asked if something good or positive is going to happen, we hear people say “I hope so…”, as if it probably won’t, but they’re going to wish for it anyway. In context of what we are talking about today, wishing and hoping are two very different things. Wishing is simply a sort of passive desire for a thing or state of being… Wishing and and Hoping are two very different things Hope is defined…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 83 – Cultivating Gratitude

Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Well-being

“Acknowledging the good you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~ Eckhart Tolle It’s a great day to be alive, and it’s a great time to slow down a bit and practice presence and awareness. With Thanksgiving only a couple weeks away, I think it’s appropriate that we revisit the concept of Gratefulness and Appreciation; that we practice cultivating Gratitude. When we slow down enough to get out of autopilot, and actually stop and look around – while there are probably lots of things we would like to change in the world and especially in our lives - there is way more to be grateful for than to complain about. It’s all where you put your focus. Having just celebrated Veteran’s Day here in America,…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 82 – Cultivating Presence

Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast

“The whole essence of Zen consists of walking along the razor’s edge of Now.” ~ Eckhart Tolle ~~~ So how are you doing today? Are you in a good place? In spite of circumstances or any situation you may find yourself in? Even when things are going well, do you sometimes find yourself experiencing an underlying unease or restlessness? Sometimes we find ourselves feeling a certain level of unexplainable anxiety, boredom or nervousness, a background static that is always there. This is our minds in a habitual resistance to the present moment. It is like the hum of an air conditioner or machinery that, when the sound ceases gives enormous relief. The reason our mind doesn’t want to live in the present has to do with our ego, which lives…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 81 – Plant Something (Cultivating Your “Garden of Well-being”)

Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Podcast, Self-Development

Cultivate Your Garden of Well-being "A seed, dropped into the ground, springs into activity, and in the act of living, produces a hundred more seeds. Life, by living, multiplies itself. It is forever becoming more; it must do so to continue to exist.” ~ Wallace Wattles ~~~ As you’ve probably begun to notice, inner tranquility doesn’t just happen automatically. You’ve got to show up and put yourself in a place where you can receive the benefits of meditation which lead to restoration and relaxation we all so desperately need and deserve. But the BEST part of mindfulness and meditation, is that it leads to a renewing of the person doing the meditation. It helps us grow and become a more complete individual, capable of contributing to the world around us…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 79 – How To Meditate (The Basics)

Meditation, Mindfulness, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Podcast, Self-Development

“Renew thyself completely each day; do it again, and again, and forever again.” - Chinese Inscription (cited by Henry David Thoreau in Walden) Welcome to the Mountain! Let’s get back to the basics. Today we’re gonna learn how to meditate. You may be thinking, “This is the 79th episode of MZD and you’re just now telling us how to meditate?! Too often people make a really big deal about meditation, complaining that it’s just way too hard, or discouraging, or that they don’t have enough time to meditate. So we’re going to take a few minutes to squash those objections and then…we’re gonna meditate. So what is Meditation…really? Broken down to its simplest form for our purposes, Meditation is an intentional pause in your day to stop all doing…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 78 – Showing Up

Meditation, Mindfulness, Mountains, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Podcast, Self-Development, Uncategorized

“You gotta play to win!” ~ Famous Lottery Slogan You again?! How do you like being greeted like that? Don’t take it wrong, I’m glad you showed up! In fact it tells me a lot about your heart and character, your desire to be present, and hunger for personal transformation – that is, making positive changes in your world. The time you take to consistently, show up and start your day with intentional, focused mindfulness, presence and awareness is the most important ten minutes of your day. This sets the tone and direction for your next 24 hours, and the more you show up, and consistently, purposefully spend time meditating in Nature (so to speak), creates new neural pathways in the brain and helps you form new habits, that over…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 77 – The 3 Soul Questions (A Dialogue With the Universe)

Meditation, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Podcast, Self-Development

“Your own reason is the voice of God himself which speaks to you and all mankind without an interpreter.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Welcome to the Mountain! So good to have you back at Mountain Zen Den, the place for connecting with Nature for mindfulness and Personal Transformation, naturally! It's a New Season! “We’re back! Today starts the beginning of a new season here at Mountain Zen Den. If you’re looking for inspiration to help you move forward in every area of your life, you’ve found the right place. Daily inspiration from the mountain, in a natural setting here by the river, to help you get centered and find your balance for whatever you are going through. You know, finding balance and living a life of Excellence takes time…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 71 – A Day in the Life of a Mindful “Citizen Naturalist”

21-Day Nature Challenge, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast

“We can never have enough of Nature.” ~ Henry David Thoreau Welcome to Day 21! If you've been following along, congratulations, you did it! For the past 3 weeks we have been on a journey of discovery; one of mindfulness, inner peace, personal growth, and health and well-being through time spent in and with Nature. This is only the beginning. The purpose of this 21-Day Challenge has been to encourage you to create a new habit of getting outside everyday, viewing the natural world through new eyes. You’ve learned to daily cultivate “Beginner’s Mind” for the purpose of renewing your outlook and restoring your soul. Hopefully it has helped open your eyes to some things you may not have noticed before and given you fresh perspective on life and…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 69 – Tranquility

21-Day Nature Challenge, Lifestyle, Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast

“If your mind is still… you can sense the peace that emanates from the earth.” ~ Eckhart Tolle Welcome to Day 19 ~ Tranquility Here at Mountain Zen Den we are on a quest for love and simplicity, joy and tranquility, and energy and abundance through Nature. Each of these gifts can be found separately and together, as we seek to stay mindful, dwelling in the present moment. You don’t always have to be out in nature to be present. But Nature is an amazing catalyst for presence. Presence is the place that is always with us. It is the quest we are on today, and every day that we choose to bring our “A Game”, and be the best we that we can be! You know you can find…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 66 – Living Love

21-Day Nature Challenge, Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Podcast, Self-Development

“If I become the vibrational frequency of love, harmony, peace, and I’m radiating that, it’s going to show up in my life.” ~ Michael Bernard Beckwith Welcome to Day 16! Here at Mountain Zen Den we talk a lot about tapping into Nature for mindfulness and personal growth. But what does that really mean? Personal development involves seeking our deeper, truer selves and becoming the best “You” that you can be. It means becoming a more authentic and caring individual. One who gives more than he takes. One that others are drawn to because they find wisdom, compassion and empathy in their presence. One whose heart’s desire is to help make the world a better, more beautiful place. You’d be hard pressed to find a spiritual leader, or wise and…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 51 – Beginner’s Eyes

21-Day Nature Challenge, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast

“There’s so much beauty around us for just two eyes to see, and everywhere I go I’m looking…” ~Rich Mullins Welcome to the is special edition of Mountain Zen Den - The 21-Day Nature Challenge Day 1 ~ "Beginner's Eyes" (Learning to see as if for the first time)) Welcome to Day 1! We’ll begin with this thoughtful and active meditation for the day. Today you begin your journey to a new life in a new world as you start to see everything through fresh eyes with a mindful heart. Now there are two things you need to commit to as you begin: Set an “Intention”. Take a few thoughtful moments to write in your Nature Journal exactly what you hope to get out of this 21-Day adventure. It…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 49 – Self-Development Through Nature

Health, Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast, Self-Development, Success, Well-being

“What the false self fears more than anything else is change.” ~ Father Richard Rohr We all have different and varying opinions on the definition of success, but I think it’s say to say that we’d all agree that success in life is becoming what you want to be. The path you take to get there is up to you, but the fact is - Nature is a major catalyst in helping us get there faster! Here’s how: Everything alive is either growing or dying. To be alive means to grow. When you stop growing, you die. In his classic personal growth book, “The Science of Getting Rich”, author Wallace Wattles offers this universal wisdom – “The purpose of nature is the advancement and development of life… Every living…

Category: Personal Growth