Perhaps a deep rooted joy and peace does not lie in the pursuit of happiness, but in addressing the contributors to one’s perception of unhappiness.

Popular today are encouragements to think positive, happy and grateful thoughts. And if that comes easily and naturally, stay with that! However, there are many, myself included, who have discomfort with denying current feelings. Instead of ‘faking it’ till it feels real, I prefer to acknowledge, examine and allow whatever is my truth in the moment. The wonderful thing about impermanence is that no matter what it is, or how intense it feels, it will surely pass. But in the interim period, instead of arguing it away, or disowning it, here are some simple things we can do to help ourselves regain centredness.

The suggestions have been organized to look at things from a physical level, emotional level and then eventually from a higher perspective.

WASHINGTON – With money pouring into American political campaigns at a torrential pace, President Barack Obama has begun promoting the idea of amending the U.S. Constitution to slow the flow.

The former constitutional-law-professor-turned-commander-in-chief has become an increasingly vocal advocate for a constitutionally mandated curb on campaign donations.

Its basic aim would be to scrap a landmark Supreme Court decision in the 2010 Citizens United case. The court triggered a gusher of spending by companies, unions and other organizations by declaring that organizations have free-speech rights.

The subsequent election saw US$6.3 billion spent on presidential and congressional races in 2012, according to the group the Center for Responsive Politics – more than double what was spent in the U.S. in 2000.

“I would love to see some constitutional process that would allow us to actually regulate campaign spending the way we used to, and maybe even improve it,” Obama said in an interview with the Vox site, released Monday.

What if you knew with absolute certainty that your next great love was on their way to you? What would you do in the meantime? You would spend your days in delicious anticipation and preparation, all with a focus on the love that is surely coming. Do you see? You can find joy and excitement in the aligning process, as well as the actual manifestation of whatever you desire, because both are part of the delight of creation. ~Archangel Gabriel

There's a lot of good advice in this article, but I wanted to add a word of caution. This can be used to manipulate and control another person, which is not something healthy for you or the other person. What we really need now is to open people up, not try to implant our beliefs into them.

Antony Sammeroff, Contributor
Waking Times

How do you change someone’s mind?

Well first of all, you have to be aware of the fact that people rarely change their mind on fundamental issues in one conversation. The mind is like a river running down the side of the mountain. It has momentum and likes a path of least resistance. In order to change the course of a river you have to divert it in such a way that another path down the mountain becomes lower and easier to follow. So it is with the mind. The mind likes its habit pattern because it is familiar, and so it is often reluctant to change.

If you make a decision and have to ask others if what you have done is ‘right’, it probably is not.  Allow The Universe to be your guidance system.  Truth exists there and it is waiting for you to claim it. ~ Creator

Pay close attention to those you share your intimate energy with. Intimacy at the sexual level intertwines your aural energy with the aural energy of the person you’ve been intimate with. These connections are extremely powerful. Regardless of how insignificant they might seem to you, they leave spiritual debris, especially within people who don’t practice any form of physical, emotional, or spiritual cleansing. The more you interact with someone intimately, the deeper the connection and the more their aura is intertwined with yours. Others can sense this energy which can repel positivity and attract negativity into your life.

“I always say, never sleep with someone you wouldn’t want to be” - Lisa Chase Patterson