So Grateful for YOU

 
People whose hearts are full of gratitude 
and appreciation 
are truly beautiful. 
A humble heart 
is the wellspring 
of great growth and development.
Daisaku Ikeda, from Ikedaquotes.org

Right now I am filled with gratitude for you. 
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this blog, for your emails and postings, and for spreading the happiness of this practice to your friends by forwarding the url: chantforhappiness.com.
(Also you can like the "Chant for Happiness" page on facebook and share postings on facebook. 

It is such an honor to be friends with people all over the world sincerely putting their hearts into this practice. 

Thank you for sharing your hearts with me. 

Quote from Daisaku Ikeda

Strengthen Your Life with Gratitude ~ Questions and answers with a reader

There is no one 

as strong 

as a person whose heart 

is always filled with gratitude.

Daisaku Ikeda, from Ikedaquotes.org under "Attitude"

Dear Jamie,

Life seems directionless and full of despair. I have no job. My dearest friend who is all I had in life has fought bitterly and says he doesn't want any communication with me. He has developed hatred which am not able to tolerate. I can't imagine a life without his presence. The very thought that I may not be able to meet him again is making me nervous. 

I am chanting Nam myoho renge kyo everyday.  Just writing to you to lighten my heart. No friends to share my pain.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Signed, 
Discouraged
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Discouraged, 

I am chanting for you right now. 

Please do not give up hope. 

Today I want you to make a list of all the things you appreciate in your life. Take one page and write a topic at the top- like "my body" and write all the things you appreciate about your body...start with simple things like the fact that you can see. The fact that you have hands that can feel. The fact that you can breathe. 

Then move on to another page...put "my family" and think of everything you appreciate about your family. Make a page "my mind" and appreciate your mind...other page titles might be your town, this world, nature, your practice, and on and on. 
I call this a rampage of appreciation. I guarantee that writing these things out will cheer you up. 

And before you close your eyes to sleep think of ten things you appreciate. Make yourself do this. Do the same before you get out of bed in the morning. This will absolutely help you but only if you DO it. Please do it. 

Love, Jamie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Jamie, 

Thanks for the quick response and for keeping me in your prayer. I will do as suggested. I want my friend back, my source of strength and happiness.

Signed, 

Feeling a Little Better
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Feeling a Little Better, 

You need to chant for strength. You are your own source of strength and comfort! Please chant for this. Also please follow the 5 keys for a successful Nichiren Buddhist practice that you received when you input your email address to the right of this post. Chant consistently, make a strong determination or power prayer for your life, attend your Soka Gakkai meetings, help others to the best of your ability and study, study, study! 

Love, Jamie 

Financial Success Experience from Morag in the UK

In June  2011 I decided that I had had enough of my husband saying that he always took more money than I did in our business (I manage one shop, he manages the other).  I decided to challenge him and myself to take more money than him the following month.  
I knew I would have to be really strict about everything; no more sloping off 15 minutes early because I wanted to, no more judging that some jobs were worth chasing and not others, ruthless invoicing of every sale no matter how small....I knew the actions I had to take.  I read quite a bit of guidence and used examples from other businesses. I was ready for the 1st of July.
I knew I would have to chant a LOT more.  I usually managed 20 minutes in the morning.  I got up earlier, (much to his annoyance, ha!) walked the dogs then sat in front of my Gohonzon and chanted for a full hour.  I wanted to prove this practice to him.  I wanted to surpass his totals, I was burning with determination!  As I sat there, I remembered a scene from Kevin Costners film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, the bit with the arrow zooming towards the tree, and I used that to 'target' my daimoku.  That visualisation helped me a lot...............................  
'I WILL surpass his totals'  
  'I WILL chase every sale'
    'I WILL keep going to prove this practice'
and most important..............' I WILL be cheerful and optimistic no matter what happens.'

I expect that tree bristled like a porcupine by the end.  It worked. How could it be otherwise?  I had poured my guts into my daimoku everyday.  My total was twice what I had taken the same month the previous year and (hooray!) I had surpassed my husbands total by over £4000.  I was exhausted and exhilarated.

I learned a lot from that month.  I could not keep that pace  all the time and the tax bill was far more than we were used to.  
 But from that time came wider benefits; my attitude to the customers, the business, my husband/family and especially to myself and my practice all changed for the better.  I linked my prayers to being a great helpful sales person, to be more business minded, to regard myself properly as a partner who made a real contribution.  The person who had under-valued my input into the business WAS ME!

Morag lives in Hythe, in Kent. It's a coastal/ rural town, historically one of the Cinque ports. Approximately 70 miles frm London.  Ashford is a much bigger town, straight on the motorway to London.

Make Your Power Prayer Today (And a request for your Power Prayer Submission).

How do you make your own Power Prayer or Determination? 

It starts with your desire. When you think about your desire can you broaden it to be more encompassing? Can you include a vision in which the fulfillment of your prayer moves others to fulfill their own? 

Most of my best determinations and Power Prayers come when I am in front of the Gohonzon chanting. That's why I always have pen and paper handy.

What's the difference between a goal and a determination?

Goals are usually short and set in time. "I will lose 20 pounds by my birthday." Sound familiar? "I will get straight "A"s this year. Get the idea?

A Power Prayer is more encompassing. 

Here are a few examples of mine.

Power Prayer for a Healthy Body:

"I vow to create VICTORY in every aspect of my life! 

For my Body: I am determined to be healthier, happier, and more fit than I have ever been. I'm determined to find the right practitioners and who will guide me in my path to vibrant health! I feel better and better every single day! I am determined to know which food choices contribute to my overall good health, and to use this knowledge to the best of my ability! As I get healthier and healthier I inspire others more and more through my presence, my determination, and my radiance. My health is a positive cause for me to do my best work. 

I have a vow for my love life too: 

"I VOW to create Victory in every aspect of my life! I will have the kind of love relationship that brings us both absolute joy! It will grow every day and we will spend our time together delighting in each other's happiness and having fun exploring this wonderful world! Both of us have passion and drive and we appreciate each other in ways I have never experienced in a relationship. Our love and appreciation will grow and deepen through the years. Our relationship will be an inspiration for others to have hope that love is real and true and possible. People will see us and say "I really want to chant now!" 

I have Power Prayers and determinations for many areas of my life. I believe this is integral for creating the life of my dreams and being happier than I ever thought possible. And all of this is possible for you. That's the purpose of this blog.

You can make a strong Power Prayer for every area of your life. And while you are chanting, you focus on expressing these prayers.

It's the right time to move your life. It's the right time to dig deep. 

Please share your Power Prayers with me, and share your successes. 

I am actively gathering material for the book Julia and I are writing for you and everyone you wish to inspire. We are close to publication. Have some of my posts inspired you? Would you like to be included? Have you written and chanted a Power Prayer that has made a difference in your life? Would you live to have YOUR story told? 
I will publish in your name or anonymously if you wish. We are getting close. Email me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com

Great Quote from Daisaku Ikeda

You Prayer Deserves YOUR Love

Loving Ourselves....
Something some of us 
find so hard to do. 
Chanting to experience 
love for ourselves...
aaaahhh what a wonderful idea!