At the time of writing I'm in Seville, at my parents' house, enjoying the extended summer over here... I saw 44 degrees Celsius at around 5pm a couple of days ago - talk about heat!

The contrast between life over here and life in London always calls my attention. Probably due to the better weather and the smaller population than in London, people in the South of Spain generally seem more friendly and extroverted, and it's easier to start a conversation with a stranger any time.

See the pics for a taste of the local open-air market - where you can find anything from fruit and vegetables to clothes to shoes or jewellery, for very little money.

This holiday feels to me like a necessary rest to my otherwise hyperactive mind. Brief rest though, for I already have plans of creating more music and more art and more writing for the web site once I'm back in London... ;-)

Wishing you a beautiful start of autumn!

Taska, a friend of mine and reader of The Benefits Of Positive Thinking, let me know about this project that a friend of hers, Denise, is involved in: Live The Love, a movement to end world hunger.

This beautiful initiative intends to help end world hunger by creating sustainable gardens which can make a difference - teaching life skills, creating vegetable and fruit gardens, and helping in affected areas such as Haiti, among others.

Check Live The Love, and especially have a look at the pictures under "Sacred Gardens" - now that is making a difference!

Thanks Taska for bringing Denise's project to our attention! :-)

The art of Alchemy, as you'll probably know, consisted initially on changing base metals into gold. By extension it also consisted on finding the elixir of longevity and achieving ultimate wisdom.

The principle of alchemy is based on transmuting something into something else. Lately I have found this concept to be really useful to dealing with thoughts and emotions.

As we are the masters of our own lives, it really is up to us how much we want to experience feeling bad or feeling good. However, when we're trapped in negative thoughts and feelings it may seem difficult to "escape" them.

The good news is that we don't have to strive for "escaping" them - we can, as alchemists, choose to transmute them. And you don't even need to know how to transmute the negative feelings or thoughts - all that you need is your intention to transmute them.

In fact, chances are you already transmute part of your negative feelings and thoughts into a form of energy that feels better. You may already be acting as an alchemist...

...when you feel upset about something, but rather than reacting on it you take a few minutes to feel the feelings and to think the situation through, and come out at the other end with a more satisfactory feeling or thought.




...when you observe a situation that would have left you feeling bad in the past, but you choose to not go with those predictable feelings, and remain open to other possibilities.




...when you're about to do your usual "I'm not feeling good today" talk, but just a second before you utter the words you choose to say instead "I'm so thankful that I'm alive today" - or anything else which feels uplifting and optimistic.

The best alchemist I've ever met is my friend Deb, a real blissmonger and author of "Resistance Toys: Clever Distractions Designed to Change Your Mind One Neuropathway at a Time".

Deb does the best alchemy ever by telling her story the way she wants to have it. Deb, just like you and I, has her fair share of "problems". But here's the thing...

...she won't say "I've had such a rough time today at my job, which is full of disorganized people not wanting to take responsibility for their own actions". She'll say instead "Today I have had another chance to envision the perfect scenario for my perfect job, which I picture full of people who are pleasant to work with and who take responsibility for their own actions".

See the difference?

Deb will use anything she experiences as an opportunity to refocus and imagine what she does want to live, rather than to complain about what she does not want.

This is a very simple yet powerful way of being an alchemist. Over the years I have only seen things getting better and better for Deb - and no doubt, the way she tells her story plays a part in that.

My proposal to you is that, for this month, you notice when you can be a powerful Alchemist, and that you exert your power and transmute thoughts and feelings at your convenience, to experience a more pleasant reality.

Every month I receive emails from readers - some of them contain questions or comments, and some of them are contributions, such as a positive story, an article or a tip.

This month someone anonimously shared their gratitude:

"I am grateful for all the beauty around me, and God. Everything I experience is just amazing.

I am a cancer survivor, 8 years, and I sometimes have to really pinch myself to see if I am still here. I am doing so well physically. Yup, still here! I am grateful for even all that I have been through, for it has even made me more grateful than I have ever been for God. He has stuck with me through everything!

I want to enjoy and help people now more than ever. And I have nothing to complain about, because what I have now is so much brighter, fuller, and even better than it was ever before.

All the past does not compare to what I am experiencing now at this moment. God's love, creativity and beauty everywhere. I have peace in my soul and it is just wonderful. And to think out of something so crappy, something so wonderful would happen to me. God truly works miracles, even from pain and sorrow. He is truly why I am here today. His love heals."

You can read this person's sharing of gratitude on its page at "I am grateful for the love of God".

Thanks, you out there! :-)

Back in July I was interviewed by James Rick, from FullPotential.com, for his Full Potential show. The interview was fun and flowing, and James and I shared some insights and a few laughs. The topic of the interview? Tips and thoughts on how to reframe our minds to experience a more pleasant life.

Here's the link to the interview, which is about 25 minutes long, with my wish that it is useful to you. Pardon the "hums" and "ehs" and giggle with us at Reframing Your Mindset.

I believe that being grateful for something is one of the most powerful tools to feel better immediately. Here are the two thanking bits of the month:

Thankful for... our brain. It's amazing the capacity of our brain to carry us through everyday life. You don't have to think about how to open a door, how to walk, what to do when the telephone rings - your brain automatically does all these calculations and many more for you, thus freeing your actual creative capacity so that you can use it as you please.

Thankful for... when things are easier than we thought. I love it when I've gone through a difficult situation and I realize "Hey, that was not as difficult as I thought it would be". I like thinking that I'm internally more evolved to deal with the situation successfully than I thought I was - which is always a boost to my self-confidence ;-)

What are you thankful for? Send me an email through the Contact Me form and let me know!

Thank you for reading this issue of Dare To Play It Big, the free positive thinking newsletter of The Benefits Of Positive Thinking.

Care to send me your thoughts about this issue's topics? Email me and let me know!

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please pass it along to your friends, family and colleagues, or send them to the Dare To Play It Big sign up page. I thank you in advance.

Stay well,

Cristina