Your attention is not just your focus, but a force with which to steer your life, thoughts, emotions, and personal change.

I got listened to and understood in a way that I felt important and valued. What I didn't know was that this wasn't an accident. The person listening to me was doing some very conscious and skillful things in their listening to help me have that experience.

I got listened to and understood in a way that I felt important and valued. What I didn't know was that this wasn't an accident. The person listening to me was doing some very conscious and skillful things in their listening to help me have that experience. The post #77 Relationship Connection the Secret Ingredient appeared first on Pathway to Happiness.

we have these strategies of giving a good impression and hiding the stuff we fear they will judge us for. And so our relationship is made "comfortable" in that space of keeping up a false impression and hiding our negative feelings and thoughts. However, it's not comfortable long-term living in these masks and false versions of our self. Certainly not with our intimate partner. We can't keep the facade on all the time. It's exhausting. It's going to break down.

I gathered all sorts of habits and false beliefs in my childhood that later led to disconnection, disappointment, frustration, and heartbreak in a relationship. 

One example was from the fairy tales and movies growing up. They painted a picture of "happily ever after" into my brain. Once you meet the right person, it goes seamlessly to "happily" ever after." But, unfortunately, those stories planted a false paradigm that set me up for disappointment later. 

I got into this "inner work" because I was struggling and unhappy in my relationships. I think a lot of people do. Even if their relationships are "good," they may not feel good in them. Sometimes a "great relationship" brings up our inner fears, insecurities, jealousy, and other sabotaging emotions and behaviors.

Daniel's journey from misery to happiness took a lot of work. There were many ingredients essential to making his transformation happen and he shares it here in this interview with him.

The narrative story in our mind is what produces those negative thoughts, self-judgments, and emotions. It arises from the core beliefs we acquired earlier in life, and that can be re-programmed with awareness.

The mind is dreaming all the time. It is dreaming when you are awake, and when you are asleep. The consciousness process involves waking up from these dreams that run through your head. Most often they appear as narrative stories. What will change your life is when you take charge of the dreams in your mind during the day instead of allowing them to dream you.

I've been doing a digital detox. I gave up news and social media for lent. I wanted to pull my attention out of the habitual cycle of opinions, fears, needing to be informed, emotions, and addictive social media scrolls. I wanted to clean up and clear space in my mind.  In the process, I had this dream last week. It represents part of the Deam of Maya, or illusions we live in. If you want to be happy and fulfilled, you will need to move your attention out of such stories.

Pauline Victoria was born without arms or legs, Despite this physical challenge, she has done what many would think impossible. I wanted to know how she did things like drive, swim, and scuba dive. She said it was how she played the mental game to overcome her physical challenges. In this interview, I got to explore how Pauline masters her mental game. The mental game includes desire, faith, presence, surrender, and calming your nervous system with control over your attention.