So What?

by Carol James -

So what if I am confused, I can seek clarity.  

So what if I feel overwhelmed, I can always change my point of focus.  

So what if I am upset that I didn’t know that sooner, I know it now.  

So what if that didn’t turn out okay, I gained new knowledge and wisdom from it.  

So what if I lack money, I can always attract more.  

So what if I am in a bad mood, I have the power to change it. 

So what if I am feeling negative emotion, I am only a shift in focus away from relief.  

So what if it has not come yet, I know it is on its way.  

So what if I did that wrong, I can always do it over.  

So what if I’ve got stuff in my life I don’t want, it's only a temporary condition.  

So what if I don’t know the answer, I can always attract wisdom.  

So what if I am not as far as others, I am as far as I need to be.

inspiredliving.com

The First Step to Change

by Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD -

Life is a journey, not a destination. 

Have you pondered the true meaning of this statement? If you have, you no doubt recognize that life is a journey with many steps on your unique personal journey that takes you down a winding and sometimes bumpy road of constant evolution.

Each day, you are provided a myriad of opportunities that allow you to transform into your next best self-- more of who you truly are.

Each moment on your journey, you are presented with an opportunity to react differently when yet another someone or something in your life rubs you the wrong way or you may find yourself wanting to walk away from a circumstance but are not sure if that is the right thing to do.

However, you may find yourself stuck in a rut that seems impossible from which to extricate yourself. You may even make the same choices over and over again because you do not know how to choose otherwise.

Rather than moving you forward, your present path may take you in a seemingly never-ending circle where your actions and choices lead you, not only nowhere but to where you've been before.

It is during these repetitious moments that awareness becomes the first step to change.

AWARENESS

Awareness is the moment when you are able to recognize what you are doing at the deepest level. You observe yourself, noticing your actions, reactions and choices in real time.

Awareness is the first step to change because you can not make a change unless you are aware of what needs to be changed.

You can then understand why you are doing what you are doing. Afterward, it becomes difficult not to change because you are no longer in a fog about what you are doing.

You will also, realize that as much as you are the root source behind the causes for your behaviors, you are also the originator for any changes that you need to make.

There is infinite freedom in your awareness. 

Rather than thinking that you are stuck in a repetitive cycle with no escape, you will begin to see how you play a role in creating your life. Whether you are aware of them or not, your behaviors and choices are yours to make.

Your past and present no longer have to dictate your future when you choose to be aware in real time.

You are then free to move beyond your old limits, make new choices, and take new actions. With awareness, you take a new path that moves you forward while paving the way for new experiences and new ways of being.

It is through awareness that you can continue to consciously evolve.

drdorothy.info

Where Peace Reigns

by Carrie Hart -

The Sacred Chamber of Love:

Let us go now to a sacred place, a place deep and quiet. Go now within the depths of your heart, to that place where peace reigns, where you are completely alone and completely yourself, that place deep and quiet, so quiet that it almost echoes with its own silence.

Go there now and feel the sweet wonder of your heart of love, the place within you where love flows, where there is nothing but love, that chamber of your heart that is untouched by anything other than love, the place that survives no matter what happens, that stays ever within love. Let us go there now, to this sacred chamber of the heart.

Relax and feel how peaceful and safe it is. 

You are held here within your own love, a space that you created for yourself and that is always here. All it requires is that you take a deep breath, close your eyes and let silence lead you.

Now, deeply within this space and place of love, become aware that you are not alone at all. Become aware that this sacred chamber of love is full of spirit. Yes they are here at all times, these angels, filling your heart with love and light.

They live in this sacred space and glow for you always here, no matter what is happening outside, no matter what your mind is saying, no matter if you are peaceful or troubled. They are still here, shining for you, and sharing their love with you.

Now, from this place, expand outward. 

Take this quiet place of love, this deep connection with the angels and expand it outward from this tiny chamber of your heart until it fills your entire heart, your chest, your torso, your entire body and now expands out for several feet around you, so that you are a zone of love, an expanded state of love and grace, glowing for all to see and feel.

Let your own glow of love and connection touch all those whose lives touch yours. Let your heart of love overflow into everything you say and do. Let the peace of your wondrous being of love fully enter into your mind so that you embrace being this person of sweet flowing love of glowing light, of wonder and beauty.

This is who you are. 

Even if you forget it for a time, this presence of your true being is here deep within your heart, in the sacred chamber of Love.

carriehart.com

What are You Here For?

by Linda Abbott Trapp, PhD -

Crank up the intensity–live life at full tilt!

The most basic requirement of all for living a fulfilling life is to have a sense of purpose – to know what you’re here for. It’s your personal sense of mission and I believe our fundamental task on earth is to understand, identify and act on that mission.

Simply put, answer the question, “Why are you here?” I don’t mean here in whatever room you’re in right now, reading these lines but here on this planet.

If you haven’t thought much about your mission in life, then think about those people you admire, and why you admire them. There’s probably a clue there. Think, too, about the needs you are especially aware of – there’s a clue there as well.

Consider the talents you have developed so far in life and those you would like to develop – where do they lead you? Who has asked for your help, and were you glad for the request? Those are additional hints to follow.

Once your mission is clearer and of course it may change over time as you grow in understanding, then the next step is to set priorities for action. 

I use annual, monthly and daily lists, arranging them in groups of similar importance. But sometimes I put the lists aside and read, from the Bible, or another inspirational text, and follow the voice in my head that tells me what portion of those readings I need to be applying to my life.

Both the making of lists and the listening to the message of an inspirational text are ways to be certain you’re not overlooking something really important in the daily press of the urgent.

There are several questions useful for prioritizing or confirming the importance of the items on your lists. 

• Are they consistent with your values? 
• Do they stretch you and draw you toward opportunity and the future? 
• Do they matter to you and to others? 

If the answers are positive, that item or those items are truly priorities and deserve your committed action. 

One of the secrets of behavior that leads to powerful, effective consequences is to really commit yourself to some action daily that moves your top priorities forward. 

It might just be a phone call for information or it might be in-depth research or it might be something more glamorous and visible, like giving a speech in favor of something you believe in deeply. The size of the behavior is not as important as that it happens and regularly.

You know the old saying about how a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Failure is neglecting to take that single step. Success is being on the path, not how far along you are on that path. If it’s truly a priority, and if it meets your sense of purpose, then there is nothing more important for you to do today than to take that step.

Maybe you’ll just take one, maybe more than one. The subtitle of Stephen Covey’s First Things First Every Day says it well.

“Because where you’re headed is more important than how fast you’re going”.

A few tips for keeping the momentum going and for getting the most impact for the least effort:

• One: Ask for help. That behavior doesn’t make you look weak; it makes you look like you care about the quality of your results. We can’t know everything, but we can learn a lot, if we’re willing to listen. Respect the person who helps you, give them credit and take notes so you don’t have to keep asking.

• Two: Use your peak time for your most important activities. If you don’t know at what time of day you’re most creative and efficient, cut out a crossword puzzle or Sudoko from the paper and try some of it at two hour intervals until you surprise yourself with your quick, correct answers. That’s you peak time, and if you are lucky, you may have more than one peak in your daily bodily rhythm.

• Three: For the low-priority items on your list, delegate, ignore or lower your standards. You’ve already agreed that these are not where your best effort should go; just get it out of the way as quickly as possible at an acceptable standard.

• Four: Stay in balance, planning time for yourself as well as time on task. Five, be flexible – a new high priority item may pop up, and you may need to move things around a bit to respond to it. Six, and last, stay focused. Whatever you are doing right now, be there for it. Concentration and singleness of purpose pay huge dividends.

Most of us find that occasionally there are barriers to our actions on behalf of our purpose. 

For example, interruptions can be a problem created by others and procrastination can be a problem we create ourselves. Both interfere with the behaviors we know would best meet our priorities and create the kinds of consequences we want.

There are some predictable kinds of interruptions that you can prevent or avoid, creating a space in which to move toward your purpose with more speed and quality of effort. Interruptions, both personal and by telephone, voicemail or text messaging are very costly to your concentration.

Isolate yourself, especially during your most productive peak time. And don’t unnecessarily interrupt others.

Procrastination is an internal barrier to accomplishment. If you face this problem in minor matters, some self-discipline,​ like doing the unpleasant thing first in the day, usually solves the problem.

However, if you find yourself procrastinating​ on the steps you need to take to fulfill your mission, something’s wrong. The mission that defines your purpose in life is too exciting for you to want to put if off. Perhaps you’ll need to redefine it to meet that standard.

abbottpub.com

Uncovering Hidden Treasures

by Marlene Buffa -

My mother-in-law sat on the beach in Aruba and reached for her cold beverage nestled in the sand by her chair. She miscalculated her grasp and instead, her hand dove into the sand and she pulled out a glorious 14K solid gold rope necklace.

Teams of salvage hunters spend millions of dollars, countless years and untold hours searching for lost treasure, more often finding it elusive.

How is it then, some people find treasure when not seeking it and others hunt and never find anything even when using elaborate calculations?

The dichotomy of old sayings, "It'll show up when you least expect it," versus "Persistence pays," provides Spirit an opportunity to intrigue us in our journey and increase the value of things we desire but cannot yet manifest.

Hidden vs. Missing 

When something is missing, it means it once existed in our life and its no longer there.

When something is hidden, that means its still there, but we can no longer see it. In life, how do we distinguish between the two qualities of perceived lack?

In both instances, we experience a void - we can't touch or feel what we want. From misplaced car keys to hidden clues, we struggle with filling the void with what we already know - that which once existed - instead of moving towards something better.

The qualities of things hidden range from stifled emotions to disguised authenticity and integrity, to secrets about ourselves we don't want the world to see. Missing things usually represent what we need to learn.

If life repeats the lesson over and over for us, then we clearly missed the point of the lesson. Missing means a gap, a space, an emptiness for something which once served as a part of us, or for something we need to learn to complete the circle.

Hidden Meanings 

Buried deep between the lines of written or spoken words, we get a glimpse of interpretation that our life experiences brought to our present moments. We attach many translations to subtle nuances that stem from our belief about who we are and what we need to discover.

Forgetting to surrender to the Infinite and let go of judgment, we ascribe a meaning often all-too familiar with our repeated patterns instead of allowing new ideas and opportunities for growth to emerge.

The true meaning of any dusky perceptions lies not within our immediate accumulation of experience to shine the light on the unknown.

Instead, our piercing beam of insight and willingness to progress forward emerges as authentic understanding in all of life's foggy depths of confusion.

No mystical forces at work, simply accepting situations and circumstances at face value, without prejudice brings about the highest interpretations possible.

Hidden Blessings 

The saying, "Be careful what you ask for, for you shall surely get it," cautions loudly in our minds when we dare to ask for something others deem as greedy or ill-guided. While Spirit focuses equally on our declarations of what we do and do not want in our lives, it also understands that a lesson presents more profound if the prayer goes unanswered.

Many times we look back at our requests of God and wonder why they never materialized. Later, after life unfolds, we realize if our exact petitions appeared, things would turn out much differently than we intended and we rationalize that the unanswered prayer represented a hidden blessing.

In situations which on the surface appear negative, we find precious rewards in the little blessings carefully protecting us from what we believed we wanted.

What are you hiding? 

Inside each of us, burn the embers of understanding and coals of smoldering wisdom. With humility, many of us deny the truth about these gifts from life and bury our talents beneath our smoky exterior.

We mistakenly think that if we disguise our true selves, we hide our strengths and weaknesses from the world thereby protecting ourselves from the harm of exposure. Additionally, we grow to expect the worst from the revelation of who we are, instead of allowing the possibility that more good enter our lives if we simply take the risk.

Spirit invites us to reveal the treasure of our authentic selves and uncover greatness! 

Day by day, we are shown scenarios that portray greater abundance and prosperity if we only took the risk of digging up and displaying the hidden treasures of our glorious self to the world.

When we clutch tightly to a gold coin, it never transforms. It's stuck as a gold coin. If we open our hand and use it to bring more good into our lives, then all are enhanced by the transaction.

Today, take a moment to consider the elements hidden or missing in your life. Fill in the gaps with whatever you need to feel complete with Life and search for those parts of yourself that you scurried away out of your present awareness.

When you look for hidden meanings, be prepared for answered and unanswered prayers to equally educate you in that lesson and others. 

Frequently lessons overlap and the jewels we glean from one learning experience blend perfectly with others. Remember the most precious treasure of all already lives within you.

If you willingly identify and acknowledge your self-worth, the treasure chest of life awaits you!

wordsofmind.com

The Spirit of Celebration

by Jennifer Hoffman -

Celebrate Yourself:

Your human presence is a cause for celebration because it is the light of transformation for ascension, which is your contract with Source and the earth. You are the embodiment of the light and its manifestation in the third dimension.

Your physical presence, lessons, learning and healing are all celebrations of the victory of the transformation and the continuation of ascension. This is the energy you must embody to allow the unfoldment of the ascension process across all aspects of the third dimensional energy.

Your Mastery Journey 

Each of your emotions corresponds to a specific third dimensional energetic vibration whose presence is undergoing transformation. Your mastery journey includes the re-alignment of your emotional body with your divine blueprint so that you no longer carry the lower vibrating energies of fear-based emotions.

When you feel angry, tired, powerless, unworthy or undeserving of the joy and love that are your birthright, you see your human aspect as a burden or punishment.

Yet it is a blessing that can be celebrated.

Do you dislike your body, your life circumstances or your reality? Can you celebrate the presence of the energies you are transforming because together with your experience of them you also have the tools for transforming them into higher octaves of light?

You can choose to stay in the energy of what you dislike or transform it into its higher vibration. Every energy has a higher vibration but you cannot access it if you are not aware that through your intention you set the vibration of your energetic experiences.

Transforming Energies 

Be in the spirit of celebration at every moment for this is how you transform energy, shed light on the darkness, resolve energetic patterns of chaos and fear and move into the highest possible energetic experiences.

Your choice to celebrate or to be in mourning for what you believe is proof of your disconnection from your Source and inner divinity. But you are achieving great things and becoming masters of this dimension, allowing transformation through your experiences and intention to transform them.

Celebrate yourself and every aspect of your reality as you set your intention for transformation and mastery as you bring peace, love and joy to your dimension whose ascension is unfolding with every moment.

urielheals.com

Harmonizing Your Vibration

by Carrie Hart -

You are much, much stronger than you think you are. You are strong enough, not only to survive what life has brought you but to thrive within it.

What you seek is harmony, harmony between what actually is, the new day as she is unfolding and your actions and desires.

Today, this moment, holds the power. You hold within you the strength, the presence of mind, the talent and creativity, the heart. You bring all of this to the unfolding moment that is.

Create a moment so harmonious that it hums with joy. 

Create a moment in which you are catching the flow that is, riding it as it tumbles down the mountain and reaches the sea, then riding the waves to a distant shore.

Yearning and regret, fear and anxiety, holding on to what no longer serves, all of these create disharmony.

Set them down on the rocks as you climb into the swiftly moving waters of what truly is. Allow yourself to be carried and know that you will be strong enough, know that you will be guided and helped.

Just harmonize your vibration to the hum of the universe that you can hear as it moves, as it spins, as it creates, as if flows.

Even this old, old river, ancient as it is, runs with new waters every second of every day. Dip in a hand and feel the vibration that runs through.

Be sensitive to the current, the temperature, to how it is right now. Then fill yourself with faith, a deep belief in your own strength and let go into the flow. Ah, what a glorious ride life is!

carriehart.com

Breaking Through Your Barriers

by Debi Hebel - 
Bringing the Butterfly to Light:

Today I saw a butterfly come out from it's cocoon. It fought, it struggled and it emerged... strong, free, vibrant and ready to fly. Like the cocoon of the butterfly so many of us have self-imposed cocoons made up of fears.

Our fears, which we create to protect us, are in many cases the barrier that is holding us back. We should pattern the actions of the butterfly and emerge from our cocoons of fear. Imagine a life in which there was no fear holding you back from what you truly want. Being able to have that life depends upon how determined you are to break free from your cocoon.

Overcoming Fear

When it comes to fears, we need to understand they originate from a perception of a situation we deemed to be negative. Our perceptions are a compilation of our past conversations and experiences. These perceptions create our thoughts and emotions that are linked to our fears.

So, at the root of our fears are our perceptions. 

Therefore, since we are the creators of our own perceptions we also have the power to change our perceptions.

If we change our perceptions we change our thoughts and emotions thus, giving us an avenue for alleviating our fears.

Since my passion is helping people achieve their full potential, I have assisted many to overcome the fears that are blocking them from their great potential.

One of my clients, Sarah, had a fear of being judged by people. This fear inhibited her from speaking up in meetings, public speaking, and even pursuing her passion of dancing. She was allowing this fear to keep her in her protective cocoon that was holding her back from what gave her the most happiness in life.

Invalid Perceptions

When we began working on this fear Sarah told me about how she had danced from the time she was four until she was eleven. At eleven she no longer had a desire to dance. Going back to when she was eleven, she remembered a time when she was on stage at a rehearsal. Her mom sat in the audience with some of the other parents watching the rehearsal.

When Sarah was dancing she remembered looking out at her mom in the audience and saw that she was looking at Sarah and laughing. Immediately, Sarah's perception was that her mom was laughing at her. Sarah's thoughts and emotions that surrounded this told her that she was not good enough, she must look stupid up there, she felt embarrassment and humiliation. This then produced her cocoon of the fear of being judged by people.

When working through Sarah's fear we decided that whatever perception she had as an eleven-year-old child may lack validity. We agreed that she could not hold herself hostage by something that she saw through the lens of an eleven-year-old.

Next, we worked to change Sarah's perspective of the situation of her mom laughing at her. I asked Sarah if she knew without a doubt that it was true that her mom was laughing at her. Her answer was no. We determined that Sarah's mom could have been laughing for many other reasons since sitting around her was several other parents with whom she was talking. With this new perspective Sarah was able to reframe her thoughts and emotions to be positive rather than destructive.

Breaking Free

Last, we set up a plan for Sarah to begin breaking free from her cocoon. She began getting back to what she loved; dance. Sarah has worked very hard and next month will have her first ballroom dancing competition. Sarah is allowing herself to live her passion.

Have you ever felt like you are the butterfly struggling to get out? 

• Do you feel there is more you should be doing but your cocoon of fear is holding you back? 
• What would you do if you had no fears holding you back? 
• How limitless would your opportunities be? 

Now is the time to flex your power over your fears. Now is the time to change perceptions from your past so you can move forward on your dreams. Now is the time to emerge from your cocoon ready to fly.

lilylifeguidance.com
facebook.com/debhebel

How to 'Snap Out of It'

by Becca Lewis -

Have you ever said to yourself or had it said to you or said to another, “Just snap out of it.” This statement supposes that we have the ability, knowledge, and desire at that moment to do so, and this is often not the case. So this little article is dedicated to all of us for those times when “snapping out if it” sounds good, but feels impossible.

Of course we all know that the first step in “snapping out if it” is wanting to. When we are deep in joylessness or discouragement or despair or doubt the desire to leave this state of mind may have also abandoned us.

The Question Then Is:

“How Do We Become Willing?”

Here are two quick ways to get over the “why bother feeling” and begin to be willing to “snap out of it” and be happy again.

1. Pause and remember a time you were happy. 

To remember might take some deep recalling and imagination. Compare it to how you feel now. Really feel the difference. Where you more comfortable physically and mentally when you were happy? Keep feeling the difference until you catch that glimmer of “willingness” and hold on to feeling. Think of it as a tiny flame you have to keep alive. 

2. Do it for someone else. 

In everyone’s life there is someone else or a cause, that we love enough to choose to do something for them, if not for ourselves. Albert Einstein said, “Only a life lived for others is worth living.” Be willing to snap out of it so you can “do” for someone or something else.

OK, I’m Willing Now What –

What’s There To Be Happy About?

This next step is easier than discouragement would want us to believe. It’s the step of gratitude.

Everyone knows that being grateful is the perfect “snap out of it remedy” but exactly how is that done?

Have you ever told yourself to be grateful and heard the answer, “No I don’t want to.”Of course you have! Why would discouragement want you to leave it?

We are going to be grateful in spite of it! Why? Repeat steps one and two again if necessary and focus on that willingness flame. We are going to get it to burn brighter by blowing gratitude on it; but how and for what?

Most of the time when we have fallen into a “funk” it is not just one thing that has taken us there. Usually it is that one little extra thing that happens and our internal self finally says, “I can’t deal with it!”

Uncovering all that has taken us down might take forever, and often keeps us there as we ruminate over it like a cow chewing its cud. Instead, let’s begin with a premise, a point of view, that happiness is something we can be, and have a right to be, and is actually the by-product of the Divine Order of Good running the universe. Yes, in the funk we say, “Yea right,” and that’s ok. Let’s prove it to ourselves because remember, it is more comfortable for everyone when we allow ourselves to happy.

Here are a few examples of how to be grateful in a way that resets the internal system back to its original state of joy and happiness.

In today’s climate of uncertainly and change (which is always present just more promoted now then it has ever been) it may appear even more difficult to step away from it. Don’t believe it.

Snapping out of it now is just the same as it was thousands of years ago and will be in the future because the lie is always the same just said in a variety of ways.

Let’s take one of the lie’s variations that pop into everyone’s mind when in a funk and see what we can do with it. How about the thought, “Nothing I ever do makes a difference, and no one really cares anyway.”

These thought, if true, would mean there is an aspect of the Divine Order that is not working right. This is impossible. Therefore our perception shift will be to prove this fact to ourselves so that we can once again experience happiness.

To do this we will need to notice those things that do make a difference. 

Notice that when you smile at someone it lights up their face. Notice the dew sitting on the grass makes it sparkle. Watch a baby smile, a bird sing in the tree, and the sun rise in the morning. Avoid the thought that none of this is because of you, and instead translate what you are seeing back to qualities for which you can be grateful.

Perhaps it goes like this. “I am grateful that someone is happy, I am grateful for all those sparkles, I am grateful for the innocence of babies, I am grateful for birds singing, I am grateful that the sun always rises.”

Feel the Truth of this!

Keep going; the flame is starting to grow: “I am grateful for the order expressed in the stars moving smoothly in the night, I am grateful for the beauty of a flower, I am grateful for the ability to see all the evidence of Divine Order of which I am an integral part.”

Keep going; fan the flames with more gratitude for the power of Love, become immersed in the feeling of it.

“I am grateful that trees send down roots, the bulbs that bloom in spring, and the clouds that scuttle across the sky. I am grateful for the presence of light in all its forms, for the laughter of children and the hugs of my friends.”

As we fan this flame of willingness with gratitude we will rise out any state of mind that hides happiness from us. Translating “things” back into thoughts, or qualities, we find the spiritual joy that opens our eyes to the infinite power of Good and Love that is the ground of our being.

We are not required to swing between joy and sorrow because within the Divine there is no “shadow of turning,” there is only the eternal now of ever present Joy. 

Happiness is a by-product of this awareness, and we can always choose to return to it. Next time you hear “snap out of it” you can say, “Ok, I know how to do that!” And you know what? Sometimes that statement is all it takes!

theshift.com

Healing Your Buttons

by Dr. Doris Jeanette -

During the holidays you may be spending large amounts of time with family members. This can be very stressful, causing you to experience increased anxiety and reactive behaviors. As learning would have it, your family members push your buttons more than anyone else. After all, they are the ones who installed "The Buttons."

So when you spent more time with your family over the holidays there can be uncomfortable moments when Mother so sweetly says to you, "Gained weight?" Or Dad asks at the dinner table, "When are you going to give us grandkids?"

Or your sister gets all huffy and puffy and quips, "Who put this on the counter?" Maybe there is frequently conflict and arguing which makes your stomach flip and your heart race. Perhaps you are resigned to just inhibit yourself and consider it your "good boy" duty to be passive when you are with your family. Or maybe you eat too much or drink too much. Or maybe you dread the thought of spending large amounts of time with those who push your buttons.

Fear not. You can have a stress free holiday with a moderate heaping of personal growth. You can prepare yourself by mapping out different ways to de-condition your knee jerk reactions over the holidays.

Here is a healthy holiday stress relief tip to get you started: When your buttons go on red alert say, "Thank you." Instead of being offended, you can be grateful to the person who pushed your buttons.

Think of it as a step toward empowerment to become more aware of your sore spot. For this is what your button is-- a reminder that you need to improve your emotional health. Your sore spot needs to be healed. Reassure yourself that you will heal this emotional wound so that no one ever has the power to push your button again.

The best way to start healing your buttons is to improve your self esteem. The good news is that low self esteem is not caused by any inherent quality you may have or not have! So take a deep breath and feel better. Self esteem is learned and you can unlearn anything that you learned that is not healthy for you.

My holistic psychology approach does not involve a lot of talking or thinking. Instead you learn how to feel different realities so you can feel, sense, read, know the truth about yourself. Good self esteem is when your sense of self is based on reality. This means you know your strengths and weakness and stand proudly in your body with your heart open and your two feet on solid ground.

Here is something you can do right now to move toward better self esteem: Begin to notice the difference in the energy in your body when you are in your learned, ego state which will always result in low self esteem and when you are in your natural, authentic self which will result in stronger self esteem.

Enjoy the process of finding, accepting and loving your real self. Your authentic self is the only self that can ever achieve solid, secure self esteem. Everything else is fake and will never be solid and secure. The learned, ego part of you is the one with the buttons!

drjeanette.com

The Need for Love

by Marie T. Russell -

I strongly believe everyone's basic need is to be loved. From the baby to the elderly, everyone wants love. As I look around me, especially if I look at what's happening in the world events, I realize that this basic need has somewhat become distorted. 

The need for love has been translated by some as the need for attention. When we were children, the people who loved us also paid attention to us. We learned to interpret receiving attention as being loved.

What happens? 

People who are starved for love go out and try to get attention! Now some people may do that by becoming prominent in a constructive way by being in theater, media or the top in their field. Others choose another route. They go the way of theft, murder, rape, bombs, wars, etc.

Gone are the days where we can sit and shake our heads at how terrible the world has become... the youth of today... etc. We are part and parcel of that world. If it has 'gone downhill' we are also responsible. 

We have contributed to the society that has turned over their children to TV for upbringing. We have supported those same programs that teach children (through role-models) that crime is a way of getting attention. We even watch movies that are real life stories of murderers of children and parents (talk about giving them attention). There are no innocent bystanders here... we are all a part of the scenario.

Even our beloved planet has gotten in on the action. She also is looking for love... asking for us to nurture her, stop hurting her, etc. She is vying for our attention through earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, etc. 

She is saying, along with all other attention seekers, pay attention please. I need help, I need love. Is someone out there? Can anyone help me? Is anybody listening?

The answer to the above questions is obviously "yes".

We are here, and we can help. We have already started to help the planet somewhat by focusing on recycling, replanting trees, teaching children (and adults) to love and nurture the planet and themselves. 

What can we do for the violence, anger, crimes? 

My answer to that is: Pay attention! But not by focusing on the crime or on 'how terrible it is'... (i.e., Did you hear what so-and-so did?, etc.) That is just rewarding aberrant behavior. We need to start paying attention to the youth. 

Give them attention now before they turn to criminal behavior to get noticed, to get the media to print their names, TV to talk about them and so on.

There is no need to look down upon people who have turned to 'negative' ways of eliciting attention. We need to reach out and help them out of the rut they are in. We need to show them, by our caring and loving actions, that there is another way to get attention. 

We need to help them learn that attention backed by love is much more fulfilling and rewarding than attention fueled by fear, anger and rejection.

What can you do? 

• As people who are "into" higher consciousness and spirituality, we need to take action—positive action. 

• Contact your local schools and see what organizations need volunteers. 

• Donate your time to youth centers, offer used books to prison libraries, organize some activities for children and teenagers where they can learn the value of getting attention in positive and collaborative ways.

• Ask city hall, talk to the teachers, the baseball coaches, the parents. 

How can we start giving children attention now? How can we help rehabilitate society so that attention-seekers do not have to revert to crime. 

Let's provide opportunities for supporting the development of self-esteem, self-respect and self-love in the youth... This will lead to their respecting and loving the environment and the people in it.

Let us also remember the adults. 

Look around you and see how you can share your love and attention with those who need it. Sometimes, a simple smile can make a world of difference... someone who didn't think they mattered may feel special because you took the time to stop and chat, or to really listen to them, or hold the door open for them at the supermarket.

There is one commodity that we all have an abundance of — love. It's free and it comes in an unlimited supply. Love is ours to give. 

It is a powerful healer of emotional wounds. It answers all needs. Let's share our love with those who need it (and don't we all?) and watch love grow — and see the transformations happen! Go for it!

It is up to you. It is up to each and every one of us. 

We are the light bearers. Let us shine our light where it is needed, in the dark corners, in the gutters, in the hearts of those who need it the most. It is wonderful to love other light bearers...that is easy. Now let's go out and plant some seeds of light where they are greatly needed and really watch the world light up!

innerself.com

Quantum Physics: Why Love Heals

by Dean Shrock, PhD -

Picture two lines together perfectly parallel. Then imagine them moving and waving together in perfect synchrony. Whatever one line does, the other does at the precise moment of the other. In fact, there is no way to determine which line moves first. They both follow each other or follow some invisible force that conducts them in total harmony.

Now imagine a bunch of lines moving, waving and vibrating in similar form. All peak and trough, move up and down, in absolute unison. These wavelengths can be all sizes, large and small but all are perfectly aligned.

All are singing and dancing and moving as one.

This is a way to begin to understand the unity that underlies all of creation. At the most fundamental level, all atomic and subatomic matter work and exist in harmony and order. Everything is interconnected and functions as one.

Quantum physics has established this scientifically.

This is how our bodies work as well, when they're healthy. Most of the time the trillions and trillions of cells in our bodies work together in unbelievable harmony. They cooperate beautifully to keep us breathing, living, growing and thriving.

When we do things like eating nutrient-rich foods and exercising our muscles in appropriate balance, it contributes to the harmony and growth of our cells. When we are joyful and "going fishing," this emotional state also resonates with the natural harmony of our cells and contributes to our health.

When we are practicing wellness, all the electrons that comprise our bodies are dancing together in the greatest line dance you could ever imagine. Think trillions and trillions of Fred Astaires and Ginger Rogers waltzing and spinning and swaying as one.

However, when we experience dissonance or stress, the harmonious movement and activity of the cells is disrupted. 

When we eat something that cannot be properly absorbed and used by our cells - and when we don't exercise our muscles appropriately - and when we experience "negative" emotions - all of this causes the vibration of our cells to not be able to dance the same dance in harmony.

The cells can then weaken, and the systems in our bodies stop operating optimally. Disease is now able to thrive in the environment of our bodies, where normally it would be sitting out the dance.

The quantum field, Life Force, and Qi energy described in ancient wisdom texts are all ways to label or understand the fundamental "glue" of the universe that flows through and connects everything.

When you are aligned or resonating with this energy matrix of harmony and order, you allow for a greater flow of this life-giving energy through your body.

The key is to get the cells of the body back to vibrating as one. 

Love is the expression or experience of oneness - this is why I define love as oneness. Love expressed as listening, caring, compassion, hope, etc. literally bathes the cells of our bodies with exactly what they need to return to their natural state of oneness.

When we experience love, it's like getting a "tune-up." 

For example: Remember in science class when iron filings were scattered on a card held over a magnet? They always arranged themselves in the pattern of the "lines of force" of the magnet's field.

Similarly, love functions like a magnet's force field, and realigns the molecules of our bodies with their fundamental, natural state of harmony and order.

This is why love heals.

deanshrock.com

Holiday Self-Care

by Cheryl Richardson -

Well, it's the time of year when I usually share a few holiday self-care reminders to support you in taking good care of yourself over the next few weeks so you enter the New Year feeling good about yourself.

Because the holidays are a time when many of us attend parties and family gatherings, it's also the time of year when we tend to overindulge with the intention of making up for it in January. Then, New Year's Day rolls around and we start beating ourselves up for letting our health go - a horrible way to celebrate a new beginning.

A few things to remember this holiday season:

1. Get connected instead of fat.

When attending social gatherings, spend more time using your mouth for meaningful discussions than unconscious eating - something we tend to do when we feel bored, empty, or frustrated. For example, rather than stand around the food table munching like crazy as you listen to a co-worker talk about her latest crisis, find one person you really like, sit down and have a heartfelt conversation.

To generate this meaningful exchange, you might ask:

• What's your favorite holiday memory?
• Have you seen any movies or read any books that were particularly meaningful or thought provoking this year?
• Have any big plans for the new year?

I'm always pleasantly surprised by how open and receptive people are to having intimate, deeper conversations in a quiet corner. Try it with at least one person and I'm sure you'll be surprised, too.

2. Move now not later. 

Why not begin an exercise program during the holidays? (Now there's an unusual concept). Bundle up and go for a walk after a meal, join the gym now before the New Year rush, or take a fun fitness class. How about doing something new like snow shoeing or learning to surf? You might even gather the family together for a stroll around the neighborhood to look at holiday lights. Remember, your body needs fresh air and sunshine just as much as food and water.

3. Get the good stuff first. 

When attending parties, start your meals with some kind of salad or vegetable dish along with a small amount of protein so you have less room for the empty calories found in tempting cookies, cakes, candy or bread. When you fill up on the good stuff, you're bound to leave a party feeling clear-headed and strong.

4. Drink plenty of water.

If the weather is cold and dry where you are, you'll need to be more conscious of staying hydrated. Remember, when you feel thirsty, it's an indication that you're already dehydrated. Bring a bottle of water with you wherever you go, and remember that alcohol, soft drinks, coffee, and tea are not hydrating liquids - they actually deplete your body of water.

5. Just say no.

Be willing to avoid parties or gatherings that leave you feeling empty inside. Choosing to disappoint someone else may be just what you need to do to make sure you don't disappoint yourself. Gently let family and friends know that you feel the need to sit this one out. Don't defend, overexplain, or debate your decision. Simply be gracious and firm. Your soul-care is always a valid excuse.

Most importantly this season, reach out to someone who could use your love. Look for those who've experienced some kind of loss, are healing from an illness, or just tend to be (or feel) alone during the holidays. If they say they need to avoid the holidays altogether, please support their decision. I know what it's like to feel even worse because of "holiday expectations."

Allow others to be where they are by offering your unconditional love. After all, there's nothing like putting the focus on someone else's heart to keep us away from the self-indulgent actions that set us up for trouble later on.

Relax and have fun over the next couple of weeks by practicing smart holiday self care. It's the perfect way to make your memories count!

Take Action Challenge 

Make one change this holiday season so you'll feel better about yourself in 2010. Eat before going to a party so you don't overdo it or limit your alcohol consumption to one drink. Cancel a party that you'd rather avoid and invite a couple of close friends to dinner. Stay awake so you can experience what it means to have a "happy" holiday.

cherylrichardson.com