June Newsletter: White House Meeting & More!

June 2014 Dharat Suhavi: Volume 4 Issue 1 Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh! EcoSikh Invited to White House to Discuss Climate Action Our Washington based EcoSikh team met with senior White House officials and other religious leaders last month to discuss the US President Barack Obama's Climate Action Plan. EcoSikh's representative Dimple Sandhu, along with other interfaith community leaders and activists, discussed how religious communities could take action and participate in the Administration's plan to control carbon pollution and maintain clean air for future generations. Methods that religious communities could participate in environmental programs included abiding by environmental standards and working internationally with communities in other countries to reduce carbon emissions...Read more. EcoAmritsar Announces Amritsar Foundation Day Celebrations Amritsar, the city of the Golden Temple, will celebrate its annual Foundation Day on June 27, 2014. This day marks when Guru Ram Das ji, the 4th Sikh Guru, established the city of Amritsar in 1577. The city welcomes over 25 million pilgrims and tourists each year, and therefore the host city faces many environmental challenges. On the prime occasion of its 437th anniversary, the need to address challenges to sanitation, health, public transport, air and water pollution that pose a threat to its sustainability becomes essential. EcoSikh revived the Amritsar Foundation Day (Amritsar Asthapna Divas) last year in 2013, 36 years after it was lastly celebrated by SGPC and the Government of Punjab...Read more. EcoSikh Appeals to Make Anandpur Sahib a Green and Sustainable City EcoSikh has shared valuable suggestions in the recent appeal to the Punjab Government and SGPC to work towards making the holy city of Anandpur Sahib eco-friendly and sustainable as preparations are underway to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the city beginning on June 19th. Ninth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Tegh Bahadur, purchased the land in 1665 and established this city which is now visited by thousands of devotees from all over the world every day. The city is housing Takhat Keshgarh Sahib, a seat of authority in Sikhism in addition to many other sites related to the 9th and 10th Guru of the Sikhs...Read more. EcoAmritsar for Global Action in Japan The meeting of global faith leaders for environmental action at Ise, Japan invited EcoSikh to share the issues of Amritsar and progress on its EcoAmritsar programme with the Green Pilgrimage Network and other international agencies and organizations. It provided a platform for exploring specific interventions for the Holy City of Amritsar. Issues of Amritsar brought to the fore were the need for a collection and waste management facility, sanitation, renewable energy and green spaces. Eco-Amritsar made a presentation of its work to delegates, including UN Assistant Secretary General, Olav Kjorven, Deputy Secretary General of ICLEI, Emani Kumar and Secretary General of ARC, Martin Palmer and its initiatives were widely appreciated...Read more. Introducing: Sumeet Kaur, Program Manager Washington, DC Office Sumeet is recent graduate of the George Washington University with a bachelor's degree in International Relations. She is a strong advocate of human rights, especially in the field of environmental development. Her academic and personal life has been heavily focused on environmental preservation and community outreach. As president of the GW Sikh Student Association, Sumeet promoted Sikhism awareness in the GW community and in the DC area by hosting lectures and performing sewa at local gurdwaras. As program manager for EcoSikh, she hopes to bring her community outreach and organizing skills to engage the sangat and enrich their connection to Sikhi and the environment. Sumeet can be reached at Sumeet.kaur@ecosikh.org STAY CONNECTED

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Ego & change

The winds of change are blowing stronger this year than in all previous
years combined.

That sounds like hype, but it's what I experience, as I look at my own life,
and the lives of many people I've talked to. Change happens easier, with
less effort and struggle, than ever before.

From what I can tell, invisible energies are at play here, and they seem to
be increasing geometrically. Maybe it's a wave that's merely cresting - or
about to crest - and then the energies will subside. I don't know.

What I do know is that I'm milking this stuff for all it's worth while I can. And
I urge you to do the same.

Look, change doesn't mean you grow a third leg, or that you fall off into
some dark abyss, never to be seen or heard from again. Because the
demons ate you. No.

Change means the lesser parts of you fall away so you can become more
of who you really are. That's change!

Change means the misery and struggle and suffering subside. While the
joy and fun increase.

Change means you become more alive, more awake, more excited to be
here.

Change means you get what your heart truly desires. Or, at least, you're
more likely to.

More than anything, change means you're more glad to be alive.

Gratitude increases change, and change increases gratitude. There's a
tsunami of change happening right now, and it's linked to gratitude. You
can fight it, you can ignore it, or you can say WTF and embrace it.

You can go with the flow and let it lift you to places you've never been before.
Many people are.

So how do you surf this wave?

Easy. You stop holding onto the beliefs of the past. You loosen your grip
on your beloved stories about how life is, and how YOUR life is. You get a
smidgen of humility and let it in: I'm not so special that change won't work
for me.

"Everybody else in the world can change, but not me. My situation is
special. I have it harder than everybody else."

Stop lying to yourself! Or, at least, start listening to the stories your ego is
pumping and pounding into your head every waking moment of your day.

Start listening to your own stories. Then, once you know what they are,
start standing up to them. Stop being bullied by your own ego. Don't let
that negative voice hide in the shadows. Bring its sorry ass out into the
light of day. Make it be accountable.

Look, you don't have to DO anything to surf this wave. Just stop hanging
onto the anchors that are currently drowning you. Just let go. Be more
fluid and flexible.

Lighten up and stop thinking 'the world revolves around my ego'.

Anyway, that's my two cents worth for the day.

All the best

Mark

Mark Ivar Myhre
The Guy Who Pisses Off Your Ego

PS - Your ego does NOT like change. It has its own plan for you. And I
can guarantee you, you're not going to like it.

Day 3: Magical Relationships

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne Creator of The Secret From the book, The Magic  Imagine if you were the only person on Earth; you would have no desire to do anything. What would be the point in creating a painting if no one could see it? What would be the point in composing music if no one could hear it? What would be the point in inventing anything if there was no one to use it? There would be no reason to move from one place to another because wherever you went would be the same as where you were - no one would be there. There would be no pleasure or joy in your life. It's your contact and experiences with other people that give your life joy, meaning, and purpose. Because of that, your relationships affect your life more than anything else. To receive the life of your dreams, it's vital that you understand how your relationships affect your life now, and how they are the most powerful channels for gratitude to start magically changing your life. Science is now confirming the wisdom of the great sages of the past, with research studies showing that people who practice gratitude have closer relationships, are more connected to family and friends, and have other people look upon them favorably. But probably the most astounding statistic that has come out of research studies is that for every one complaint about another person, whether in thought or word, there have to be tenblessings for the relationship to flourish. Any less than ten blessings for every one complaint and the relationship will deteriorate, and, if the relationship is a marriage, it will most likely end in divorce. Gratitude makes relationships flourish. As you increase your gratitude for any relationship, you will magically receive an abundance of happiness and good things in that relationship. And gratitude for your relationships doesn't change only your relationships; it also changes you. No matter what your temperament is now, gratitude will give you more patience, understanding, compassion, and kindness, to the point where you won't even recognize yourself. The little irritations you once felt and the complaints you had in your relationships will disappear, because when you're truly grateful for another person, there's nothing you want to change about that person. You won't criticize, complain about, or blame them, because you're too busy being grateful for the good things about them. In fact, you won't even be able to see the things you used to complain about. "We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) writer and playwright Words are very powerful, so when you complain about any person you actually harm your life. It is your life that will suffer. By the law of attraction whatever you think or say about another person, you bring to you. This is the very reason why the greatest minds and teachers of the world have told us to be grateful. They knew that for you to receive more in your life, for your life to magically increase, you have to be grateful for others just as they are. What if every person close to you said, "I love you - just the way you are," how would you feel? Today's magical practice is being grateful for people just as they are! Even if all of your relationships are currently good, they will increase with more magnificence through this practice. And with everything you find to be grateful for in each person, you will see gratitude perform its breathtaking magic, and your relationships will be stronger, more fulfilling, and more enriching than you ever thought they could be. Choose three of your closest relationships to be grateful for. You might choose your wife, your son, and your father, or your boyfriend, your business partner, and your sister. You might choose your best friend, your grandmother, and your uncle. You can choose any three relationships that are important to you, as long as you have a photograph of each person. The photograph can be just of the person, or the both of you together. Once you have selected your three relationships and photographs, you are ready to set the magic into motion. Sit down and think about the things you are the most grateful for about each person. What are the things you love the most about this person? What are their best qualities? You could be grateful for their patience, ability to listen, talents, strength, good judgment, wisdom, laugh, sense of humor, eyes, smile, or kind heart. You could be grateful for the things you enjoy doing with the person, or you can recall a time when the person was there for you, cared for, or supported you. After you've spent some time thinking about what you're grateful for about the person, put their photograph in front of you, and with a pen and notebook, or on your computer, choose the five things you are the most grateful for. Look at the photograph of the person as you make your list of five things, begin each sentence with the magic words, thank you, address the person by their name, and then write what you're grateful for. Thank you,      their name       , for        what?       . For example, "Thank you, John, for always making me laugh." Or, "Thank you, Mom, for supporting me through college." When you've finished your lists for all three people, continue with this magical practice by taking the photographs with you today and putting them in a place where you will see them often. Whenever you look at the photographs today, thank the person by saying the magic words, thank you, and the person's name: Thank you, Hayley. If you're moving around a lot, carry the photographs with you in your bag or pocket, and make an effort to look at the photographs three times during the day, following the same procedure. Now you know how to use gratitude's magical power to transform your relationships into Magical Relationships. Although it is not part of the requirement of this book, you may want to take this amazing practice and use it every day if necessary to make every relationship you have magnificent. You can use it on the same relationship as many times as you want. The more you can be grateful for the good things in your relationships, the faster every relationship in your life will miraculously change. Magic Practice Number 3 Magical Relationships Repeat steps one to three of Magic Practice Number 1 - Count Your Blessings: Make a list of ten blessings. Write why you're grateful. Reread your list, and at the end of each blessing say thank you, thank you, thank you, and feel as grateful for that blessing as you can. Choose three of your closest relationships and collect a photograph of each person. With the photo in front of you, write five things you are most grateful for about each person, in your journal or on your computer. Begin each sentence with the magic words, thank you, include their name, and what you're specifically grateful for. Carry the three photographs with you today, or put them in a place where you will see them often. Look at the photographs on at least three occasions, speak to the person's face in the photograph, and thank them by saying the magic words, thank you, and their name. Thank you, Hayley. Before you go to sleep, take your Magic Rock in one hand, and say the magic words, thank you, for the best thing that happened during the day.

Day 2: The Magic Rock

From the book, The Magic 

"Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some."

Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

writer

In the beginning of working with these practices, it takes concentrated days in a row to make gratitude a habit. Anything that reminds you to be grateful is helping you turn your life into gold with gratitude, and that's exactly what this magical practice is about.

Lee Brower presented the gratitude rock practice in The Secretfilm and book, when he told us the story of the father of a dying child who used a gratitude rock to be grateful for his son's health, and his son made a miraculous recovery. Since then the gratitude rock has been a proven success with many people the world over, who have used it for money, healing, and happiness.

First, find a rock or a stone. Choose a small size that fits in the palm of your hand and that you can close your fingers around. Choose a rock that is smooth, without sharp edges, not too weighty, and that feels really good in your hand when you hold it.

You can find a Magic Rock from your garden if you have one, or from a riverbed, creek, ocean, or park. If you don't have easy access to any of these places, then ask your neighbors, family, or friends. You may even have a precious rock or stone already that you can use as your Magic Rock.

When you have found your Magic Rock, put it by your bedside, in a place where you will definitely see it when you go to bed. Clear some space if necessary so that you can easily see your Magic Rock when you go to bed. If you use an alarm clock, put it next to your alarm clock.

Tonight, just before you get into bed to go to sleep, pick up your Magic Rock, hold it in the palm of one hand, and close your fingers around it.

Think back carefully through all the good things that happened during the day, and find the best thing that happened that you're grateful for. Then say the magic words, thank you, for the best thing that happened. Return the Magic Rock to its place by your bed. And that's it!

Every night for the next 26 days, follow the same Magic Rock practice. Before you go to sleep, think back through the day, and find the best thing that happened that day. While holding your Magic Rock in your hand, be as grateful as you can be for that thing, and say thank you.

Using a rock seems like such a simple thing to do, but through this practice you will see magical things begin to happen in your life.

When you look for the best thing that happened during the day, you will search through many good things that happened, and in the process of searching and then deciding on the best one you are actually thinking of many things you're grateful for. You will also be ensuring that you go to sleep and wake up in gratitude each day.

The Count Your Blessings and Magic Rock practices will ensure that you begin and end your days in a state of gratitude. In fact, they are so powerful that together they would change your life in a few months. But this book is designed to change your life really fast through an abundance of magical practices. Because gratitude is magnetic and attracts more things to be grateful for, the concentration of gratitude over 28 days will intensify the magnetic force of your gratitude. When you have a strong magnetic force of gratitude, like magic, you automatically magnetize everything you want and need to you!

Magic Practice Number 2

The Magic Rock

1. Repeat steps one to three of Magic Practice Number 1 - Count Your Blessings: Make a list of ten blessings. Write why you're grateful. Reread your list, and at the end of each blessing say thank you, thank you, thank you, and feel as grateful for that blessing as you can.
2. Find a Magic Rock and put it by your bedside.
3. Before going to sleep tonight, hold your Magic Rock in your hand and think of the best thing that happened today.
4. Say the magic words, thank you, for the best thing that happened today.
5. Repeat the Magic Rock practice every night for the next 26 days.

Magic course

Day 1: Count Your Blessings From the book, The Magic "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around." Willie Nelson (b. 1933) singer-songwriter You will have heard people say to count your blessings, and when you think about the things you're grateful for, that's exactly what you're doing. But what you may not have realized is that counting your blessings is one of the most powerful practices you can ever do, and it will magically turn your whole life around! When you're grateful for the things you have, no matter how small they may be, you will see those things instantly increase. If you're grateful for the money you have, however little, you will see your money magically grow. If you're grateful for a relationship, even if it's not perfect, you will see it miraculously get even better. If you're grateful for the job that you have, even if it's not your dream job, things will begin to change so that you enjoy your job more, and all kinds of opportunities for your work will suddenly appear. The flipside is that when we're not counting our blessings, we can fall into the trap of unintentionally counting negative things. We count negative things when we talk about the things we don't have. We count negative things when we criticize or find fault with other people, when we complain about traffic, waiting in lines, delays, the government, not enough money, or the weather. When we count negative things they increase too, but on top of that, with every negative thing we count, we cancel out blessings that were on their way. I have tried both - counting my blessings and counting negative things - and I can assure you that counting your blessings is the only way to have abundance in your life. "Better to lose count while naming your blessings than to lose your  blessings to counting your troubles." Maltbie D. Babcock (1858-1901) writer and clergyman First thing in the morning, or as early in the day as you can, Count Your Blessings. You can write out your list by hand, type it on a computer, or use a special book or journal and keep all of your gratitude in one place. Today, you are going to make a simple list of ten blessings in your life you are grateful for. When Einstein gave thanks, he thought about why he was grateful. When you think about the reason why you're grateful for a particular thing, person, or situation, you will feel gratitude more deeply. Remember that the magic of gratitude happens according to the degree of your feeling! So with each item on your list write the reason why you're grateful for it. Here are some ideas for writing your list: I am truly blessed to have        what?       , because        why?       . I am so happy and grateful for        what?       , because        why?       . I am truly grateful for        what?       , because        why?       . With all my heart, thank you for        what?       , because        why?       . After you've finished making your list of ten blessings, go back and read each one, either in your mind or out loud. When you get to the end of each blessing, say the magic words three times,thank you, thank you, thank you, and feel the gratitude for that blessing as much as you possibly can. To help you feel more gratitude, you can be grateful to the Universe, God, Spirit, goodness, life, your greater self, or any other concept you are drawn to. When you direct gratitude toward something or someone, you will feel it even more, and your gratitude will have even more power, and create even more magic! It's the reason why indigenous and ancient cultures chose symbols like the sun to direct their gratitude toward. They were simply using physical symbols to represent the universal source of all goodness, and in focusing on that symbol they felt more gratitude. The practice of counting your blessings is so simple and so powerful in altering your life, that I want you to continue to add ten more blessings to your list every day for the next 27 days. You might think it could be difficult to find ten things you're grateful for every day, but the more you think about it, the more you will realize how much you have to be grateful for. Look closely at your life; you have received, and are continuing to receive so much each and every day. There is really so much to give thanks for! You could be grateful for your home, your family, your friends, your work, and your pets. You could be thankful for the sun, the water that you drink, the food that you eat, and the air that you breathe; without any of them you wouldn't be alive. You could be grateful for the trees, the animals, the oceans, the birds, the flowers, the plants, blue skies, rain, the stars, the moon, and our beautiful planet Earth. You could be grateful for your senses: your eyes that see, your ears that hear, your mouth that tastes, your nose that smells, and your skin that enables you to feel. You could be grateful for the legs you walk on, your hands that you use to do almost everything, your voice that enables you to express yourself and communicate with others. You could give thanks for your amazing immune system that keeps you well, and all of your organs that maintain your body so that you can live. And what about the magnificence of your human mind, which no computer technology in the world can duplicate? Here is a list of subjects that will remind you of the major areas you can look for blessings to be grateful for. You can also add any subject you want depending on what is important to you at any time. Magic Gratitude Subjects: Health and body Work and success Money Relationships Passions Happiness Love Life Nature: planet Earth, air, water, and the sun Material goods and services Any subject of your choosing You should feel significantly better and happier after each time you Count Your Blessings, and how good you feel is your measure of how much gratitude you felt. The more gratitude you felt, the happier you will feel, and the faster your life will change. Some days you will feel happy really quickly, and other days it may take a little longer. But as you continue to Count Your Blessings every day, you will notice a bigger and bigger difference in the way you feel each time, and you will see your blessings magically multiply! Magic Practice Number 1 Count Your Blessings First thing in the morning, make a list of ten blessings in your life you are grateful for. Write why you're grateful for each blessing. Go back and read your list, either in your mind or out loud. When you get to the end of each one, say the magic words, thank you, thank you, thank you, and feel the gratitude for that blessing as much as you possibly can. Repeat the first three steps of this magical practice every morning for the next 27 days.