God, The Universe, and Everything In Between

Published on: 5th February 2020 by Jessica 26 Comments

Last week’s blog post about the meaning and possible interpretations of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo generated some interesting discussions online, especially around one particular example: “I Am God”

I can very much relate to a certain level of resistance to a term that is inherently associated with a monotheistic concept, especially when used in the context of Buddhist practice and modern spirituality. I used to be just as opposed to the concept myself, but I wanted to explain in a bit more detail how I now think about God, and offer some more food for thought and discussion.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo – Meaning and Interpretations

Published on: 29th January 2020 by Jessica 21 Comments

Chanting nam myoho renge kyo is a truly powerful practice which can transform your life and mindset in hugely positive ways. There are a few ways you can focus your mind when chanting, but the practice becomes even more profound when you focus your attention on the meaning of what you’re actually saying. Not just the literal translation of the words, but what they represent. This mantra is rich in history and symbolism and can be interpreted in various ways, but all really coming down to the same general idea.

How to Get What You Want: Create a Vision Board for What You Have

Published on: 15th January 202015th January 2020 by Jessica 2 Comments

When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around

Vision boards are hugely popular, I see references to them and guides and templates for putting one together everywhere I look, especially at this time of year when everyone is making resolutions and plans and goals for the year ahead.

Usually, a vision board is created with the intention to immerse yourself in images of the things that you want, so you put up a picture to represent that new car you haven’t got yet, or that beach holiday you’re aching to go on, or that bank balance with more zeroes than you’ve ever had in your life. By meditating on this, imagining yourself as if you already have all these wonderful things, getting into that place of high energy and “Thanks in Advance” gratitude, the Universe will see your heart’s desire and conspire to make it happen. And it does work! Countless people have testified to how effective they can be.

However, I like to do things a bit differently…

How to Deal with Negative People in Five Easy Steps

Published on: 27th August 2019 by Jessica 1 Comment

A few years ago, there was a guy in my life. I won’t go into the boring (and ultimately irrelevant) details of what happened, but suffice to say he was not a good guy. It took me a while to realise that, though, as he had enough charm and wit to get under my skin, and also had the same effect on two close friends. He was quite manipulative and in the end, he had managed to play us all against each other, even resulting in a rift in our friendship. He didn’t care that he was hurting us; on the contrary, he actually seemed to get enjoyment from toying with our lives and emotions. We all worked in the same company so it was a very difficult time, with every day bringing new arguments and feelings of resentment, anger, and hurt. Even after I cut off contact with him, I couldn’t get the situation out of my mind. Every time I saw him in the office, strong feelings of bitterness and hatred would rise up, spoil my mood, and ruin my day.

A Big Confession, A Big Commitment

Published on: 28th February 2018 by Jessica 18 Comments

A Big Confession

Once again I’ve come with promises, and once again I’ve left you high and dry. Months have passed since my last post and my voice on this page remains silent.

The truth is, I’ve been struggling.

A Return From Recess

Published on: 14th November 2017 by Jessica 3 Comments

The other day I was sitting on the beach here on Koh Lanta, my home away from home again this winter, watching this serenely beautiful sunset. I was thinking about someone, a person in my life whom I have come to love beyond measure.

21 Quotes From “Conversations With God”

Published on: 3rd June 20163rd June 2016 by Jessica 15 Comments

Neale Donald Walsch’s Conversations With God is one of my favourite books of all time, and one that resonated deeply with me when I first started getting into all this spiritual malarkey. The book is written as a dialogue between Walsch and “God”, after Walsch claimed to hear a response to his desperate plea for answers during a low period in his life. I understand that it may be a bit of stretch to ask you to believe that Walsch had an actual conversation with God (although for the record, yes I do believe it), but regardless, this book is full of beautiful insights and life lessons. This is a book I return to time and time again, and I wanted to share with you a selection of my favourite nuggets of wisdom within.

(PS If you like what you read here, you might consider buying your own copy!*)

5 Ways To Focus Your Mind While Chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo

Published on: 8th May 201614th January 2017 by Jessica 59 Comments

As spiritual practice goes, chanting is a relatively easy option. It can be challenging to quiet your mind and release stray thoughts during silent meditation. It can be difficult to bring a sense of mindfulness to every moment, especially the difficult ones. With chanting, however, all you really need to do is say the words. Out loud, regularly and consistently. After a while, you’ll even find that those meditation and mindfulness skills start to come naturally! You just need to start with nam myoho renge kyo.

People often ask what they should think about while chanting, and there is no right or wrong answer to that. The power of the words alone will be invoked no matter what you’re thinking about as you’re chanting.

However, there are several ways you can consciously direct your thoughts and intentions to get the best out of your chanting, or to complement any other spiritual or self-help practice.

7 Easy Ways To Chant nam-myoho-renge-kyo

Published on: 4th April 201614th January 2017 by Jessica 101 Comments

When it comes to spiritual (or self-improvement) practice, everyone has different preferences. Some like meditation, some prefer yoga, some do mindfulness practices, some talk to angels… I think that all practices can ultimately connect you to the same energy that lies within and around us, so it doesn’t really matter which particular practice resonates with you. There is no right or wrong.

With one caveat…

Spiritual practice should be a DAILY thing. Not every few days, or every once in a while. EVERY DAY.

Thanks In Advance! How To Get Whatever You Want In 3 Simple Steps

Published on: 7th March 2016 by Jessica 4 Comments

Imagine having a conversation like this with a friend:

“Hey buddy! Thanks so much!”
“For what?”
“That 100 quid!”
“Ummm… what 100 quid?”
“The 100 quid you’re going to give me!”
“What, you need a loan?”
“Haha! No, not a loan, you’re just gonna give it to me!”
“Ehhh are you crazy? I can barely afford to splash out 100 quid on myself, let alone just give it away!”

Sounds about right, yeah? After all, it would be a bit presumptuous to just assume someone is just going to give you something for nothing.

Well here’s the good news – the Universe LOVES presumption!