Spiritual Healing and Growth

by Jennifer Hoffman -

Which Path Do You Choose?

We can choose one of two paths to accomplish our spiritual healing and growth. One is easy, the other is hard. Each lesson comes with these two choices and we do have a choice as to which path we will take, although with many lessons, especially the challenging ones, a choice is not always apparent.

We are aware of this choice when we are not afraid, emotionally invested in the outcome or have the belief that the greater the struggle, the greater the reward. Which path do we choose?

We often choose the hard path for many reasons, it is our past experience that life is hard, we don't know any better, we are sure that if we work hard we will learn more, are just a few.

The bigger reason is that we don't see options for an easier way out of our situation because many of our lessons bring up our fears and doubts and make us feel powerless. 

So we react instead of responding, do the first thing that we can think of and hope for the best. As you have read here many times, powerless choices yield powerless results.

We don't choose the easier path, the path of least resistance, because we generally don't see it. But that doesn't mean it isn't there because it always is.

The easy path becomes obvious when we can practice detachment are not invested in the outcome that we want to have, are willing to let go of the process and trust that we will be guided to a successful outcome.

That sounds so easy, why would anyone choose the hard path? 

But the easy path takes trust and faith, a willingness to forgive and to surrender - not give up but remove our ego from the process and let ourselves be guided by the Universe.

As we approach a lesson if we can remember that we have the option to choose which path we will take through it, both paths become obvious to us. Both will require effort and our willingness to learn but the hard path will take us through it on an ego level; the easier path will take the spiritual route.

Whatever we choose is what is right for us - sometimes we need to take the hard path to remind ourselves that there is an easier way.

Whatever path we choose the destination is the same, we arrive at a new place on our spiritual journey with new understanding of ourselves, our connection and our path.

urielheals.com

Playing Outside the Box

by Keith Varnum -

Throughout my life as I witnessed the marvels of powerful teachers, shaman and healers, I found myself asking, "How'd they do that?"

"What was Mr. Rogers' secret?" He seemed so quiet, retiring, passive—and yet events always went his way at the television station where he produced "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood." In his presence, rambunctious kids and novice adult guests always seemed to know what to do and say without a script or rehearsal. Wild animals acted as if they were performing on some invisible cue.

At the station, the conservative Board of Directors, reluctant management and stubborn studio crew all miraculously went "against character" to go along with whatever bold, visionary schemes Mr. Rogers put forth. "How did he disarm people's opposition and bring out the play and adventurousness in rigid parents, teachers, staff and city officials?"

The esteemed American actress Helen Hayes could convey with vivid clarity to her student audience and me seven very diverse characters she was portraying on stage without any discernable difference in the way she dressed, gestured or carried herself. "What were her hidden devices? What keys to successful communication had she mastered?"

My macrobiotic mentor, Michio Kushi, could take a very intellectual, spiritually challenged audience on a profoundly electric journey of personal visions, physical healing and visceral ecstasy. "How did he change lead—stuck points of view—into gold—alive wisdom? What was he doing behind-the-scenes to catalyze such remarkably strong, experiential catharsis in each of the normally unfeeling, unresponsive students?"

I watched in amazement as Medicine Cloud, my Hopi medicine buddy, conjured up a drenching thunderstorm out of a totally blue sky to wash away the mud from the sacred red clay ritual he'd just performed on me. "Where did the pain and rash go so quickly, so completely? How could I feel so peaceful so fast when I had been so upset and depressed for a year?

"How did St. Germain physically appear at the foot of my bed when the doors to my house and bedroom were locked tight?" I had to touch his robe every tenth visit to make sure the Ascended Master standing there was solid and real. "How did he know my deepest, most secret thoughts that I had never expressed to anyone?" I felt so vulnerable, yet safe; so naked, yet open—when he directed his eternal, yet personal wisdom to me. "Why did I feel so calm, clear and courageous in his presence?"

The profound feeling of absolute connection and aliveness has remained with me ever since his visits. "How was he able to communicate with me without his mouth moving? How did he project scenes of my life on the wall?"

"Why did my friends and I instinctively trust this mysterious Eastern teacher with our souls?" Muktananda was just some dark-skinned man from India we'd never heard of before this day. Our fears melted and our hearts opened to the Heavens with the sound of his laughter. Our inner beauty blossomed with the touch of his finger to our foreheads.

Jewish by birth, New Yorkish by nature, Lester Levenson looked like a cross between a mischievous 100-year-old leprechaun and a noble Native American Indian chief. He could charm the needles off a porcupine. And he would bring out more excitement, strength and insight from me in one day than I had encountered up to that time in my life. "What was his magic?"

Common Underlying Dynamics? 

"How did all the shamans, acupuncturists, rebirthers, Reiki masters and other healers I've known pull off their miraculous cures?" 

In the aura and influence of powerful facilitators, I have witnessed many remarkable turnarounds in peoples' physical conditions, financial wealth, mental attitudes and spiritual abilities. My whole life, I have asked Spirit the question, "How?"

Go to the Source 

When I observed my very first extraordinary phenomenon in life, I decided to find out what was behind this and other wondrous occurrences.

I concluded that the only way for me to ever really know what was going on was to open to the same level of magic in my own life.

Move Outside the Box 

I quickly realized that to experience more magic in my life, I had to leave the life that I was currently living. I had to move "outside the box." Act, not just think, "outside the box." By definition, miracles occur outside our usual world.

Ex-periment 

All magic occurs beyond the boundaries of our current belief system. To experience something new, we need to ex-periment with reality. "Ex" in Latin means to go outside. "Periment" comes from the same root as "perimeter," that is, boundary, border. To experience anew, we need to go outside the boundaries of our old box. With this intention and willingness, all is possible!

Ask Outside the Box 

To get specific suggestions on what actions to take outside the box, ask for a suggestion from the part of your consciousness that is "outside of past experience." If you intend to access this realm of your knowing, you can connect with it. It's only a matter of what part of your consciousness you ask.

Again, intention and willingness are the key. Direct your attention and receptivity to the aspect of your being—knowing, essence—that is independent of past experience. Voila! Fresh, new answers, options, alternatives, outcomes … miracles!

Our Trusty Friend Intuition 

What is that part of our consciousness that is free of the past—free of fear, limitation and programming? Our intuition of course!

Intuition by definition operates outside of the box. Do whatever you can to develop and nurture your clear connection to your intuition.

Walk Out of Your Old Reality 

My shaman teachers told me that I could simply walk out of my old boxed-in world. Literally walk out of the box! At first, I certainly didn't believe them.

Freedom from old patterns and limitations couldn't be that simple. Yet, I did it—and it worked! Not every time—but it worked with enough patterns to encourage me to practice and hone my skill. Now, with my actions guided by my intuition, I can walk out of old limitations that have served their spiritual purpose and value.

Know that the whole of your life—events, situations and people—has been secretly structured by your soul in order to bring you the experiences you want to have this lifetime. Approach life as if the whole of creation is conspiring to bring you goodness … because it is!

thedream.com

Overcoming Ego's Hold

by Dr. Wayne Dyer -

Here are seven suggestions to help you transcend ingrained ideas of self-importance. All of these are designed to help prevent you from falsely identifying with the self-important ego.

1. Stop being offended. 

The behavior of others isn't a reason to be immobilized. That which offends you only weakens you. If you're looking for occasions to be offended, you'll find them at every turn.

This is your ego at work convincing you that the world shouldn't be the way it is. But you can become an appreciator of life and match up with the universal Spirit of Creation.

You can't reach the power of intention by being offended. By all means, act to eradicate the horrors of the world, which emanate from massive ego identification, but stay in peace.

As A Course in Miracles reminds us: Peace is of God, you who are part of God are not at home except in his peace. Being is of God, you who are part of God are not at home except in his peace. Being offended creates the same destructive energy that offended you in the first place and leads to attack, counterattack, and war.

2. Let go of your need to win. 

Ego loves to divide us up into winners and losers. The pursuit of winning is a surefire means to avoid conscious contact with intention. Why? Because ultimately, winning is impossible all of the time. Someone out there will be faster, luckier, younger, stronger, and smarter-and back you'll go to feeling worthless and insignificant.

You're not your winnings or your victories. You may enjoy competing, and have fun in a world where winning is everything, but you don't have to be there in your thoughts. There are no losers in a world where we all share the same energy source.

All you can say on a given day is that you performed at a certain level in comparison to the levels of others on that day. But today is another day, with other competitors and new circumstances to consider.

You're still the infinite presence in a body that's another day (or decade) older. Let go of needing to win by not agreeing that the opposite of winning is losing. That's ego's fear.

If your body isn't performing in a winning fashion on this day, it simply doesn't matter when you aren't identifying exclusively with your ego. Be the observer, noticing and enjoying it all without needing to win a trophy.

Be at peace, and match up with the energy of intention. And ironically, although you'll hardly notice it, more of those victories will show up in your life as you pursue them less.

3. Let go of your need to be right. 

Ego is the source of a lot of conflict and dissension because it pushes you in the direction of making other people wrong. When you're hostile, you've disconnected from the power of intention. The creative Spirit is kind, loving, and receptive; and free of anger, resentment, or bitterness.

Letting go of your need to be right in your discussions and relationships is like saying to ego, I'm not a slave to you. I want to embrace kindness, and I reject your need to be right. In fact, I'm going to offer this person a chance to feel better by saying that she's right, and thank her for pointing me in the direction of truth.

When you let go of the need to be right, you're able to strengthen your connection to the power of intention. But keep in mind that ego is a determined combatant.

I've seen people end otherwise beautiful relationships by sticking to their need to be right. I urge you to let go of this ego-driven need to be right by stopping yourself in the middle of an argument and asking yourself, Do I want to be right or be happy?

When you choose the happy, loving, spiritual mood, your connection to intention is strengthened. These moments ultimately expand your new connection to the power of intention. The universal Source will begin to collaborate with you in creating the life you were intended to live.

4. Let go of your need to be superior. 

True nobility isn't about being better than someone else. It's about being better than you used to be. Stay focused on your growth, with a constant awareness that no one on this planet is any better than anyone else.

We all emanate from the same creative life force. We all have a mission to realize our intended essence; all that we need to fulfill our destiny is available to us. None of this is possible when you see yourself as superior to others.

It's an old saw, but nonetheless true: we are all equal in the eyes of God. Let go of your need to feel superior by seeing the unfolding of God in everyone. Don't assess others on the basis of their appearance, achievements, possessions, and other indices of ego.

When you project feelings of superiority that's what you get back, leading to resentments and ultimately hostile feelings. These feelings become the vehicle that takes you farther away from intention. A Course in Miracles addresses this need to be special and superior:

Specialness always makes comparisons. It is established by a lack seen in another, and maintained by searching for, and keeping clear in sight, all lacks it can perceive.

5. Let go of your need to have more. 

The mantra of ego is more. It's never satisfied. No matter how much you achieve or acquire, your ego will insist that it isn't enough. You'll find yourself in a perpetual state of striving, and eliminate the possibility of ever arriving.

Yet in reality you've already arrived, and how you choose to use this present moment of your life is your choice. Ironically, when you stop needing more, more of what you desire seems to arrive in your life.

Since you're detached from the need for it, you find it easier to pass it along to others, because you realize how little you need in order to be satisfied and at peace.

The universal Source is content with itself, constantly expanding and creating new life, never trying to hold on to its creations for its own selfish means. It creates and lets go. As you let go of ego's need to have more, you unify with that Source.

You create, attract to yourself, and let it go, never demanding that more come your way. As an appreciator of all that shows up, you learn the powerful lesson St.Francis of Assisi taught:"…it is in giving that we receive." 

By allowing abundance to flow to and through you, you match up with your Source and guarantee that this energy will continue to flow.

6. Let go of identifying yourself on the basis of your achievements. 

This may be a difficult concept if you think you are your achievements. God writes all the music, God sings all the songs, God builds all the buildings, God is the source of all your achievements.

I can hear your ego loudly protesting. Nevertheless, stay tuned to this idea. All emanates from Source! You and that Source are one! You're not this body and its accomplishments. You are the observer.

Notice it all; and be grateful for the abilities you've accumulated. But give all the credit to the power of intention, which brought you into existence and which you're a materialized part of.

The less you need to take credit for your achievements and the more connected you stay to the seven faces of intention, the more you're free to achieve, and the more will show up for you. It's when you attach yourself to those achievements and believe that you alone are doing all of those things that you leave the peace and the gratitude of your Source.

7. Let go of your reputation. 

Your reputation is not located in you. It resides in the minds of others. Therefore, you have no control over it at all. If you speak to 30 people, you will have 30 reputations.

Connecting to intention means listening to your heart and conducting yourself based on what your inner voice tells you is your purpose here. If you're overly concerned with how you're going to be perceived by everyone, then you've disconnected yourself from intention and allowed the opinions of others to guide you.

This is your ego at work. It's an illusion that stands between you and the power of intention.

There's nothing you can't do, unless you disconnect from the power source and become convinced that your purpose is to prove to others how masterful and superior you are and spend your energy attempting to win a giant reputation among other egos.

Do what you do because your inner voice always connected to and grateful to your Source-so directs you. Stay on purpose, detach from outcome, and take responsibility for what does reside in you: your character. Leave your reputation for others to debate; it has nothing to do with you. What You Think of Me Is None of My Business!

excerpt from 'There is a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem'

drwaynedyer.com

The World Behind Thought

by Alice Gardner-

The Simplicity of Wonder:

One of the things that our minds do all the time is to decide what is important enough for us to notice and what is not.

If we didn't discriminate with our perception, we would get overwhelmed with too much information, so our minds are habituated to helpfully sort the wheat from the chaff, so that we notice what it important to us and not the rest.

The trouble with the whole system is that mind (if its running the show) thinks what really matters is anything that is a threat and what doesn't matter are the things that don't change.

Things that change and move and have drama get our attention, while the simple unmoving true nature of the people and things around us are not deemed to be worthy of our attention.

Mind is just trying to be helpful but without the influence of our true Self, no wonder we are having a hard time staying calm!

If we can notice this process at work we are well on our way to opening our perception out of its habitual narrowness.

We can now intentionally put a portion of our attention on that which doesn't change, even while mind is being riled up about something. We are then open to the incredible peace that radiates from the world that is really here, behind all the thinking.

Wonder is the best word that I can think of to describe the way to apprehend the world behind thought—the world as it is before we think about it.

To meet the world with wonder is to become like little children. 

This is the way an innocent child will perceive things for the first time. With the eyes of wonder we see without preconceived ideas that would cause us to no longer notice what is there (and only relate to the labels that we give things).

We don't pretend that we know all about what we see. We just see. We just feel. We just know and are known directly and simply.

This is an experience of utter simplicity. 

It is an experience of just being Here and whatever we are perceiving being Here too. As we look around, we meet the world just as it is, without labeling it, comparing it or deciding whether we like it the way it is or not.

We meet the simple cup we drink from, the computer in front of us or the tree outside our window with the wonder of being open to what they are, to what is there and simply being there with them.

We meet our own selves the same way. 

We let it all be here with us, just as it is and we allow the thought-based world that had shrouded it from our view to become the thing that is barely worthy of our notice.

 awakepublishing.com

Unlocking the Fullness of Life

Gratitude . . . unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more.  

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  

It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home and a stranger into a friend.  

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.

--Melody Beattie
melodybeattie.com

The Solution is Always Love

by Nick Ralls -

Drawing Others Closer:

I change my view on people when I get to know them better, become closer to them and understand them more. When we draw people closer and do not push them away we have the chance to honour and love them more.

Changing the way I look at people, changes the way I see the world. I seek to see love, only love.

OUR view on people changes when we get to know them better, become closer, start to deconstruct the barriers that separate us. Our viewpoint moves closer to love.

When we seek to judge people, stereotype them or give them their own special label, we create division, distance and grave misunderstanding.

It is from this separation, from this distance that conflict happens, wars take place. And it is much easier to harm or even kill another. But when we bring people closer, seek to dissolve differences, relate and connect, it is so much harder to hurt them.

The moment one side in a conflict can fully explore and relate to the feelings of those on the other side, all war and conflict becomes hopelessly meaningless and unnecessary. 

To be a true peace maker the aim is to bring the so called enemy closer, to understand him or her, to step into their shoes, to see the world from their eyes and to have compassion for how they think they way to do.

Just as it is possible to love intensely and passionately so it is also possible to hate intensely and passionately. These are the two opposites here. So to better understand those who hurl the bricks at us, we need so much to see how people are driven to hate so ferociously.

We need to see just what it takes to make someone in such a place of fear and lovelessness that they want to lash out and kill. And this is true for all those in the world who seek solutions through violence and warfare. This can happen globally, between nations, within communities and even within households and circles of friends.

The solution is always love. 

The problem is always being out of love. All our problems in the world happen when we abandon our loving connection, our oneness and we step into another world which dwells on individual power, fear, isolation and separation.

The moment you or I set ourselves apart from anyone, yes anyone, we are helping to bring disunity to the collective of which we are part. The moment you or I set to be different from this human being or that, better or worse, then we are creating dividing lines in the collective which will bring a lack of peace for all of us.

When you and I seek to understand the troubled mind in our midst, seek to include even those most challenging of people then we bring an energy to the collective which reminds of us our oneness and our unity.

So the closer we get to someone, the more we listen to them, hear their story with open mind and open ears, the more we connect our heart to our ears and to our mouth, then the more our view changes towards them. Put simply, the more we fall in love with them for how they are healing and moving in the direction of love.

Love is the big magnet... it draws each of us to itself.

We might perceive people resisting the pull, being drawn far too slowly or seeking to repel the force but ultimately their power to withdraw, isolate and resist will weaken as the magnet relentlessly pulls in their direction to bring them back to their home which is love.

So let's change our view about people, view them through the eyes of love once we see more clearly where they are coming from so that we can love them more dearly.

We as a society fail dismally when we seek revenge against people, even put them to death, build more prisons to keep people out of society and build more walls around our borders to protect ourselves.

The mind is so protective. The heart is made of a different energy.

It seeks to heal, to love and to connect. 

So let us connect our heart to all parts of us including our mind, our actions and our words. So that we can change our view of the world. We can change to love. Then we become real. Because love is real and is all there is.

aishahypnotherapy.co.uk
blogtalkradio.com

Going Beyond Impressions

by Gloria Wendroff -

Harmony does not have to mean agreement. Harmony is more like peace. People can be opposed in their thoughts and opinions and yet there is no opposition. There is acceptance. There is no need to change how anyone thinks. What does it matter if one calls the sky green and the grass blue?

Ways to think cannot be forced.

No one can be made to think one way or another. It is not obligatory. Thoughts do change, yet they can change only of their own accord. Thoughts have a will of their own. You cannot by dint of will change even your own thoughts let alone someone else’s. Yet the day will come when your thoughts do change.

Thoughts resemble beliefs.

You believe what you believe. No matter what the reward or punishment, you can only believe what you believe. You can act differently from what you believe. You can pretend to believe and not yet believe.

Yet it is good to have your thoughts and actions coincide. If you think to do a kind act, follow through on it. Do not let opportunities go by. Then you will not have regrets. A kind thought is good. A kind thought acted on is better.

By what means do thoughts change? 

You cannot make them change, yet thoughts change. Thoughts change when a light goes on. Your thoughts are based on your perceptions. How you think depends upon how you see.

Today you see the person in front of you as a friend. Tomorrow you may see him as a foe. Have you not experienced this or vice versa? The person before you is what you make of him. You paint your own picture with the brushes of your perception.

You may say that another person’s words, actions or reactions are what you base your thoughts on. Beloveds, you base your thoughts on your interpretation of another’s words, actions, or reactions. You must know this is so.

There may be someone you cannot tolerate, and someone else loves that person you cannot tolerate. You may say that the person you don’t like shows himself in a different light to the one who loves him. That may well be so. And yet it is also possible that he gives the best of himself because the one who loves him sees him differently and treats him differently too.

Your interpretations are everything.

This is true in nations as well.

In one culture, a certain action is considered lovely. In another culture, it may be viewed as not lovely. If you see friendliness, odds are you will respond in friendliness. If you see aloofness, odds are you will be aloof also.

What else is there to say but that you think and act based upon your impressions. True or false, right or wrong, you respond to how you see.

Now you are coming to the point where you go beyond impressions. You come to the point where you come from, not where you surmise someone else to be, but from where you are. You are not to spend your life bouncing off other people. If you must bounce, bounce off Me, beloveds. It will feel good, and you will be so gentle.

You will stand on a mountain top.

You will be the mountain. What fuss will a mountain make of grass that grows at its feet. What will the mountain mind? What will it object to? What will it not love when it stands so tall above the madding crowd?

heavenletters.org

With an Open Heart

by Nick Ralls -

I open my heart to be who I really am. 

I know that what other people think of me is none of my business and it matters only that I aspire to be my best me and to live my best life. I do not allow the energies and dramas of others to take me away from the truth, beauty and wisdom that is me.

WITH an open heart our life can be happy, fulfilled and so different. Because in this mode we can allow love to enter our lives rather than always being focused on batting off the bricks that we find day to life throws at us.

We are simply able to be in a place where literally only sticks and stones could hurt us. 

We do not have to let the agendas, dramas and melodramas of others take us away from who we really are. We can fully appreciate that what anybody else thinks about us is really none of our business because it is all about them and instead, we can be the best person we can and live the best life we can without distraction.

It is obvious that when we focus on the insults, the wind ups, the attempts to control from others, our energy level drops and we are drawn into the fray. When we understand and understand we must, that they way people react us in how we mirror aspects in them and is not really about us at all, we can feel an enormous sense of freedom.

Because we no longer have to walk on egg shells. We no longer have to be dragged down to the level of another. We can forget all notions of being defensive because so often we have nothing to defend. And we do not have to justify ourselves to another.

Our ego likes to justify, to be right, to be noticed but quite frankly when we are in touch with who we really are we just are. In this state of alignment with our higher or greater self, feeling connecting to the universe as a whole or God or the Goddess or the Source, it frankly does not matter if someone in human form is judging us.

It only matters that we express ourselves from the state of love and grace that is the nature of our alignment. 

This means that when someone tears us off a strip as some like to do we can show love and compassion towards them.

When someone challenges us or berates us we simply do not have to accept or acknowledge their churlishness. When someone insults us or separates themselves from us we know that it is all about their journey, their state of being, their fear, their lessons to be learned and cannot take us away from the truth, beauty and wisdom of ourselves.

Mother Teresa knew just what a pain in the neck human behaviour could be just how people could be ungrateful, misunderstand her intentions or be illogical and proud. But she advised: love them anyway.

Her legacy was to be regarded as one of the most loving people who has lived on the planet. And so it is with us if we dwell on this person or that who does not treat us as we would wish to be treated, if we enter battle and go down to their level then we might well be tarred with the same brush as them.

Indeed, we might well get into the same sort of behaviour as we so despise. We see nations doing this. Those who try to take on terrorists, end up guilty of the same behaviour as those who they seek to condemn. But this was not the way of Mother Teresa, she was going to love people despite their behaviour.

One would assume she would not be drawn into the dramas of others, no nasty rebuke, no tit for tat response, no entry into the battleground of raw human emotion. Just a case of loving these people who can be so out of sorts with our highest intentions and theirs, of course.

A vital part of opening our heart and staying in the room of love, is not to be swept into the energies and dramas of others, however much our ego would like us to prove ourselves right, would like to come out on top, would like to have the last word.

Instead, it is to love people who might not be singing from the same hymn sheet as us. There are plenty of people who will be. But so often we put so much energy into interacting and changing those who play the different tune that we are not able to write our own compositions and reach our own loving audience.

With an open heart, we have our own protection against the bricks thrown by others, those badly chosen words and all the screaming and kicking that people will project upon us as they battle with their demons in their own personality.

With an open heart, we can be centered on who we really are. 

We can be love.

aishahypnotherapy.co.uk

My Inner Toolbox

by Rebecca Skeele -

Because I choose to be a carrier of peace I practice the presence of peace daily.

My inner toolbox includes self-acceptance, observation, compassion, self- forgiveness and loving kindness. If I am quick to respond irritably to a phone call, I take a deep breath, step back and observe my reaction. Then I might accept that a part of me is in disturbance.

Reminding myself that everything outside is really taking place inside, I begin my investigation with compassion for myself. If my disturbance is a judgment I forgive myself for that judgment knowing that self-forgiveness opens up my heart to see with new eyes. 

If fear has crept into the background of my day, I choose loving-kindness to comfort my upset and ask for truth. When I practice liberating myself from everyday stresses, global concerns become opportunities for greater and greater mastery.

PEACE SHARING

The following list is suggested for your consideration:

1. When you read the morning paper, read with the eyes of your soul. Send light, compassion, loving-kindness or a “God bless you, Peace be still” instead of upset, worry or negativity. 

2. Place the world leaders that you have an issue with on your altar. During your daily meditation, prayers and spiritual exercises send your light/love/compassion/good thoughts to them. Begin to look for a growth opportunity to accept a disagreement rather than judging it. 

3. Visualize places of terror, war, destruction and killing filled with light. Send light frequently when listening to the radio or watching the evening news. Practice seeing through the eyes of the inner Master – with great compassion and loving for all. 

4. Closer to home, take inventory of your own place of inner war, devastation or terror. Make a commitment to weed out those limiting fears and beliefs that create destruction in your everyday relationships and career. If you choose to carry peace then use the daily practice to liberate and strengthen your mastery of your SELF…even waiting in the grocery store checkout line.

Peace-sharing, no matter how it unfolds, reveals what we have been searching for all along: our magnificence and the ability to improve our life, our neighbors and help build a peaceful world. Turning away from the headlines for a moment to reestablish our intention and calm, becomes a sacred responsibility.

As the French novelist Marcel Proust so wisely observed,

“The voyage of discovery lies not in finding new landscapes but in having new eyes.” 

These are eyes that see beyond illusions forged by a limited understanding of who we are—eyes that see beyond the dots, eyes that see as God sees.

makeitheaven.com

Heart Perception

by Yael and Doug Powell -

I Am the fulfillment of all of your longing, the longing for Love that lives deep in your heart that won’t be denied no matter how you fight it but lives on as a secret fire burning. I Am the sweet Love that washes your being, that listens and hears you in all you reveal -- spoken, unspoken or dreamed. I see all you are.

I know all you have experienced, every thought that has entered your mind, every secret desire and every aversion and I love you with a Love that will not be denied, that is as vast as the universe and as sweet as this moment, as infinite beyond the ability to describe.

I Am Love and I hold you and wrap you within Me. 

I promise you I will be with you forever and give you every good thing.

All of the ways that you have looked to be loved, I love you thus and so very much more. When you are held in this Love that is endless and cosmic, uplifting, soaring, vibrant and free, when I wrap you in comfort and hear every sorrow and reflect to you endlessly that you are perfect to Me, in every dream of Love’s greatest fulfillment I Am all to you that you can dream or imagine.

In every longing to be seen or to see, to have one who knows you and loves you completely knowing all that you are, have been or will be – this is the Love that is ever within you, that inspires you and allows you to aspire to be free.

This Love that would melt any heart and rebuild it into the glory of the cosmos, into the wholeness of God, this feeling of being completely respected and honored with the honor given to the Angels and tenderly cherished forever and ever – this feeling is alive in the center of you, in the place in your heart where we meet and are ever alive in the perfection of Love.

This is the feeling of true heart perception -- resting in a Love so grand and so strong that nothing can ever influence it, remove it or change it in any way at all.

The warmth of this Love that is vast and yet tender, totally cares and sees you completely – this is the place where your heart begins to see and the feeling of Love reveals all.

Heart perception begins with this feeling of My Love for you and your Love for Me and right now in this moment, no matter what has come before, no matter how many eons it has been buried under the debris of the illusory ideas of the mind, right now your heart opens and is free to accord the song of Love that you are as I see you in all of your magnificence and perfection.

Completely Unconditional

As each of you comes to this place of acceptance where you are ready to be the heart of the living whole of Love I Am, when you are ready to allow the heart center living so that the eye of the one heart of Love is your guide, then know that this feeling of Love is so unconditional that it knows every nuance of your life, of your soul and loves you completely.

circleoflight.net

The Why and How of Letting Go

by Sandy Stevenson -

When You Let Go Miracles Occur:

We hear the expressions...

'Go with the flow’, ‘Let go and let God’
and ‘Surrender to Spirit’. 

• What is it that we are supposed to be letting go of and to whom? 
• What does it mean and where do we start? 

Words like God and Spirit mean different things to different people. Perhaps we agree that it is a concept of creation or consciousness, a Divine flow or the natural order of things.

We probably think all our problems could be solved if we could just win the lottery.

But perhaps, what we really want from life is more along the lines of loving and caring relationships, joy, fun, happiness and harmony, where we feel we are being useful. How do we ensure that we achieve that?

First of all, you have to want to change. 

If you feel that life is a bit humdrum, a treadmill and you are getting worn out trying to control each part of it (otherwise it is bound to fall apart!) with the odd distraction that gives pleasure - are you ready to change?

By following your intuition and ‘going with the flow,’ life can change for the better.

OK. We are ready. A new life is afoot. 

Where do we start?

As the wise old sages say ‘out of stillness comes wisdom,’ so first of all we need to stop our thoughts distracting us.

I am sure we’ve all had those sleepless nights, with a never ending stream of thoughts going around in our head. We need to apply some sort of discipline to put us back in control of our own thoughts, so that we are controlling them and they are not controlling us.

Begin by finding some time in each day, even if it's just 10 minutes, that is just for you. A quiet place in the garden is ideal. A time to relax and be still, where your attention will not be dragged onto something or someone.

Sit quietly and as each thought pops into your head, quietly and firmly say no and don’t pay it any attention.

Don’t bury the thoughts but let them float up and pass by like feathers on a gentle breeze, letting them go.

Release, release, release. 

Keep doing this for at least 10 minutes each day, for however long it takes, until you have achieved a permanently quiet mind.

A silent mind, allows you to get in touch with your intuitive side. You are trying to live from your spiritual nature and not from the dictates of your mind.

DROP EXPECTATIONS

Check every now and again during the day and ask yourself ‘Am I in my head or my heart’?

That means ‘am I doing what the mind is telling me I should or must do or am I listening to my intuition and doing what interests and feels right to me?

If you find you are doing something that doesn’t interest or excite you, stop and listen again to your inner voice. In each minute, you will find there is always one thing that is more right for you to do than anything else.

IN THE FLOW

Following this feeling of rightness is called ‘being in the flow and Divine order’.

When you live your life in this way, the weight of the world is removed from your shoulders and any struggle or suffering is replaced by joy, happiness, love and excitement.

It may not be achieved in an instant but with a bit of determination and really listening to your inner voice, each moment will become a minute and then an hour and a day. Soon you will be experiencing a new life in all its magnificence and beauty.

You have ‘let go’ and now ‘miracles can happen’.


lightascension.com

An Unconditional Yes for Finding Serenity

by David Richo PhD -

There are some things in life over which we have no control, probably most things. We discover in the course of our lives that reality refuses to bow to our commands. Another force, sometimes with a sense of humor, usually comes into play with different plans.

We are forced to let go when we want so much to hold on, and to hold on when we want so much to let go. Our lives—all our lives—include unexpected twists, unwanted endings and challenges of every puzzling kind.

Reinhold Niebuhr, an American Protestant theologian, composed a prayer that has become the cornerstone of the recovery movement:

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” 

This is a profound aspiration. But what are the things we cannot change? Are they unique to each of us, or are there some things that all of us must acknowledge and accept in order to find peace in our lives?

As a psychotherapist working with clients—and in my own life—I have seen the same questions and struggles arise again and again. 

FIVE GIVENS

There are five unavoidable givens, five immutable facts that come to visit all of us many times over.

These are the core challenges that we all face:

1. Everything changes and ends.
2. Things do not always go according to plan.
3. Life is not always fair.
4. Pain is part of life.
5. People are not loving and loyal all the time.

Too often we live in denial of these facts. We behave as if somehow these givens aren’t always in effect, or not applicable to all of us. But when we oppose these five basic truths we resist reality, and life then becomes an endless series of disappointments, frustrations, and sorrows.

These five givens are not the bad news that they appear to be. In reality, our fear of and struggle against the givens are the real sources of our troubles.

Once we learn to accept and embrace these fundamental, down-to-earth facts, we come to realize that they are exactly what we need to gain courage, compassion, and wisdom—in short, to find real happiness.

A given is a fact of life over which we are powerless. 

It is something we cannot change, something built into the very nature of things. From one point of view, there are many givens.

In addition to the five disturbing givens stated above, there are also delightful givens: we experience bliss, our hopes are sometimes exceeded, we discover unique inner gifts, things have a way of working out, luck comes our way, miracles of healing happen.

There are in fact, givens in every thing we do and in every place we enter. A given of having a job is that we might advance or we might be fired—as well as any number of possibilities between. A given of a relationship is that it may last a lifetime or it may end with the next phone call.

I have found that anything that crosses swords with our entitled ego is a powerful source of transformation and inner evolution. 

The five simple facts of life defy and terrorize the mighty ego that insists on full control.

Life happens to us in its own way, no matter how much we may protest or seek to dodge it. No one is or has ever been exempt from life’s uncompromising givens. If we cannot tolerate them, we add stress to our lives by fighting a losing game. 

An Unconditional Yes

If we can say yes unconditionally, our lives open to reality and our feet land on reality and our hearts bless reality. Each of the givens or conditions of existence evokes a question about our destiny. 

• Are we here to get our way or to dance with the flow of life? 
• Are we here to make sure everything goes according to our plans or to trust the surprises and synchronicities that lead us to new vistas? 
• Are we here to make sure we get a fair deal or are we here to be upright and loving? 
• Are we here to avoid pain or to deal with it, grow from it, and learn to be compassionate through it? 
• Are we here to be loyally loved by everyone or to love with all our might?

The ancient Romans spoke of amor fati, the virtue of loving one’s fate. Some of us find it hard to handle the anxiety aroused by the conditions of our existence; we fight against our human situation. 

The method for handling the givens and gearing them to our destiny is stated most clearly by Carl Jung:

“Givens can be embraced with an unconditional yes to that which is, without subjective protests, an acceptance of the conditions of existence . . . an acceptance of my own nature as I happen to be.” 

Such a yes is a willingness to land on concrete reality without a pillow to buffer us. Such a yes makes us flexible, attuning us to a shifting world, opening us to whatever life brings. Such a yes is not a stoic surrender to the status quo but a courageous one—an alignment to reality. 

Open Sesame

Once we trust reality more than our hopes and expectations, our yes becomes an “open sesame” to spiritual surprises.

Yes is the brave ally of serenity; no is the scared accomplice of anxiety. We find help in saying yes and in facing the givens through mindfulness—that is, through fearless and patient attention of the present moment. We also gain support from nature, from psychology, from religious traditions, and from spiritual practices.

Hamlet speaks of “the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to,” a poetic definition of the givens of life. When something happens to us that echoes with the painful thud of any of the unalterable conditions of existence, we can ask, “What can I learn here? How does this serve?” We can learn to trust the givens of life as having transformative or evolutionary potential. We can trust that the laws of existence somehow help us to achieve our destiny.

When faced with one of life’s givens, we might ask: “Why did such a terrible thing happen to a good person like me? I deserve better.” The mindful version of that question is: “Yes this happened. Now what?” We will notice we are happier when we accept what we do not like about life as a given of life. Our mindful yes is an entry into this sheltering paradox.

When we make an unreserved consent to the things we cannot change, we are saying yes to ourselves, as we are, in our ever-unfolding autobiography. 

The conditions of existence are our personal experiences, not alien forces or hurdles to avoid. They are also the universal experiences of all people. Every human who ever lived faced the five major givens. This makes them part of being human, so they must be a necessary part. When we finally embrace the givens as extensions of our human selves, we say yes to them not in resignation or acquiescence. We say yes to the ingredients of our own humanity.

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN

All the givens of life are based on one underlying fact: Anything can happen to anyone. 

This is the given of givens. Most of us have a hard time really believing this applies to us. We imagine that very good luck or very bad luck is supposed to happen to other people but never to us. To believe, finally and fully, that anything can happen to us is an enormously adult accomplishment, and it grants us two wonderful gifts. 

First, we let go of our ego’s privileged view of itself as entitled to special treatment; we let go of the childlike belief that a rescuer, otherworldly or this-worldly, will come through just for us and grant us an exemption from life’s hard knocks.  

Second, believing that anything can happen to us helps us become humble and helps us feel our comradeship with our fellow humans. “Nothing human is alien from me,” the Roman poet Terence wrote in the second century b.c.e. There is something so consoling about a sense of belonging, of being in it with everyone else, no matter how difficult life may become.

The givens of life are a code to our personal evolution. 

An unconditional yes to the givens is how the code is broken or, rather, opened. In the traditional Buddhist view, birth as a human is a great boon. In the human realm there is said to be just the right mix of suffering and joy for us to awaken, to become enlightened. In other words, the givens of life help provide us with the perfect, awakening blend of experiences.

All things have a natural, irrepressible tendency to evolve, that is, to reach their full potential within the changing conditions of the environment. Therefore the hope we often feel so comforted by is not a foolish pipe dream. Hope is an authentic response to life’s inherent, irrepressible inclination toward fulfillment. 

An unconditional—yes to the givens, without debate or complaint, is all it takes.

excerpt from The Five Things We Cannot Change and the Happiness We Find by Embracing Them 

About Author: David Richo, Ph.D., M.F.T., is a psychotherapist, teacher and writer in Santa Barbara and San Francisco California who emphasizes Jungian, transpersonal, and spiritual perspectives in his work. He is the author of: The Five Things We Cannot Change (Shambhala, 2005), How To Be An Adult (Paulist, 1991), When Love Meets Fear (Paulist, 1997), Unexpected Miracles: The Gift of Synchronicity and How to Open It (Crossroad,1998) , Shadow Dance: Liberating the Power and Creativity of Your Dark Side (Shambhala, 1999) and Catholic Means Universal: Integrating Spirituality and Religion (Crossroad, 2000).

 davericho.com

Keys to Lasting Transformation

by Janette Marie Freeman -

If you're anything like I was, something in you knows that there must be more to life than the day-to-day experiences of just surviving.

There is an urge for greater expression in you, you've seen it, you've tasted it, and you've even made decisions to move towards it; until, that voice in your head convinces you that you're crazy. You've read a lot; you've tried meditating, you've tried affirmations and attending workshops, seminars and classes.

You know that your attitudes play a part in your life, and you've tried desperately to make some headway in your happiness quotient. And then it happens: it's the same relationship under a different name, the same difficult person at work, the same response that triggers the same familiar pain, and you ask, "Why did this happen to me again?"

There is a huge leap in our personal growth, evolution, and effectual freedom when we can take responsibility for our feelings and experiences in life and see them as roadmaps to self-discovery.

Our belief systems are the brick and mortar of our lives. 

When they're strong and supportive, they support life choices and actions that are also strong and supportive. When our beliefs are weak and degrading, we tend to see life through those eyes, attracting opportunities to prove ourselves weak and degraded.

Until we have a lasting change in our internal belief systems, we seldom see lasting change in our lives. Why settle for misery when you can be happy? A strong foundation of supportive beliefs can set you free to live the life of your dreams.

In order to have a lasting transformation, you must experience a change of beliefs at the subconscious level. 

Although it can be helpful to get in touch with where and when you got your early beliefs, it is more important that you now establish the new beliefs that will assist you in attracting the life you desire.

You may never determine the origin of some of your beliefs, but that doesn't stop you from establishing new beliefs. You do this by being exposed to and accepting new ideas repetitively. This does not happen with one or two affirmations; it happens when you outweigh your limiting beliefs with positive beliefs.

Millions of people are interested in personal and spiritual growth, but are exhausted by their failed efforts. Many wonder why their efforts don't seem to last. They get excited by some new idea, but after a while slip right back into old patterns. It can just seem like too much work.

They want something that is easier to do, that fits into their busy lifestyle, and is effective. They want to be encouraged and nurtured, and they need motivation to look above the negativity they see all around them.

The power of repetition is mentioned in one form or another in most self-help books, religious texts, even sports training and business manuals. They all say the same thing; "You must have a continuous influx of positive input in order to experience a lasting change in life."

"We are what we think about most," has been taught, preached and written about for thousands of years. Unconscious practices of thought have produced the troubled world we see around us.

Conscious practices of positive thought will produce the world we want to see and experience. 

Most of everyone's pains and failures in life are simply a result of unhealthy beliefs. Those can be changed, when you know how to recognize beliefs that cause pain and create beliefs that bring joy and freedom.

It is as simple as that. Positive repetition in its many forms can radically transform one's life from painful to joyful, limited to abundant, diseased to healthy, and from loneliness to love. You can change your beliefs and change your life.

You see, I really know that we are creative beings. I've experienced Universal Oneness, and know that It is in every one of us. Its gift is what It is: creative energy, pure potential, pure unadulterated possibility.

It doesn't choose for us, It cannot. It simply says, "Yes." 

Our opportunity is to reveal what beliefs are in us that the Universe is saying to us "Yes," and create some new beliefs that we would like to experience the universe saying to us "Yes." I know it's simple, though not always easy, but what else are you going to do?

Just when do you think will be a better time to change your belief systems and experience the life you were meant to live?

Never underestimate the power of repetition; it is a powerful and effective way to change your beliefs and radically change your experience. 

You can't align your thinking with positive and enlightening ideas without a conscious choice and a decision to expose yourself to those ideas repeatedly. The world around you can be very negative, fearful, and steeped in limited ideas.

The media is louder and more influential than it has ever been. Let's face it; unless one consciously chooses to repetitively imprint oneself with positive ideas, and repetitively aligns one's mind with the Universal Wisdom that is available, he or she simply ends up living in fear, doubt, and limitation.

That does not have to be YOUR reality! That does not have to be YOUR life! You can set yourself free.

Repetition is not just about repeating affirmations until you're blue in the face; it's about consistently aligning with Divine Intelligence and repeatedly engaging in the awakening process. 

This Divine Intelligence, as part of who you are, is calling you to awaken to It. In order to experience this, you must break the spell of the illusions created by your own limiting belief systems.

These beliefs have held you captive in the recesses of your limited imagination but it doesn't have to be that way. Repetition is the key to this awakening process.

You can't lose when you consistently apply the principles of repetition. A rewarding life awaits you. Why not give it a try? The only thing that limits us is ourselves, our belief systems, and our perceptions. Change them, our lives change: it's that simple.

Simplify and discover your power 

Transformation of all kinds happens as a result of decision. Right now, if you are reading these words, I know your soul is calling for a transformation. Something in you knows that life should be better than this. Something in you knows that you really were created for joy and abundance. Something in you is calling you home, home to greater peace and awakening.

My heart cries out and I want to wrap my arms around you and encourage you, and tell you that your soul's desire for greater expression, life, and abundance can be your destiny.

There is something within you that is screaming to be recognized, loved, and honored. You must listen to this voice, honor its wisdom, and allow it to guide you home to greater joy, lasting peace and happiness.

You can reconnect to this center and find peace in Its Presence.

That, so simply and powerfully put is the whole essence of the power of repetition. Do not let this simple message fool you into thinking that it is not powerful.

It is powerful when you learn to simply and repetitively take responsibility for your life, your thoughts, and your beliefs; it is the difference between an evolved and empowered person and one who continues to suffer in fear, pain and limitation.

The question I ask you now and invite you to think about more than once, is

"Which thoughts will YOU feed?"

janettemariefreeman.com

The Gift of Truth

by Jennifer Hoffman -

All of humanity is on a journey of truth, to find the truth of their inner divinity and proof of the love their ego longs for. What they are seeking is connection to the unconditional love that is present in their Source connection. But since they seek it in the world, they do not find it because each of you is on the same journey. How can you give to others what you yourself are searching for? They seek this truth through control, domination and fear. They reject in others what they cannot find in themselves. You can become engaged in a battle of wills with others or you can give them what they are looking for, through the gift of truth.

Those who challenge your honor, divinity and truth are speaking through the voice of their fear. Give them the gift of truth by honoring their path and acknowledging their pain. They see in you what they wish for themselves. Their pain prevents them from acknowledging their own divinity so they are not willing to allow you to be in yours. You can help them see a higher truth but this makes them wrong. And in their pain and anger, they are right because that is their path to healing.

The gift of truth is NOT about telling others they are wrong, on the wrong path or have wrong beliefs. It is letting them know that they are right in their beliefs and with their path. This is their healing journey and allowing them to be in the truth of their pain is your gift. While you may believe they want your truth of a vision of their highest potential, they need to be where they are. Until they can forgive themselves, your gift of forgiveness and healing is misunderstood and will be rejected.

Your gift of truth allows you to connect with others from your highest self. It is the ego that wants to convince them they are wrong, to help them heal by moving them into a higher energy so they can acknowledge your divinity. Agree with them in spirit by acknowledging the truth of their current reality. Then you are free from the healing obligations you impose on yourself and allow them to find other teachers. The new energy of this time is freedom for each of you, from karma, from healing others, from your ego's desire for recognition. The gift of truth allows you to be in the truth of your own divinity and the beauty of your path, aligned with the joy, abundance, peace and love that are part of your mastery.

urielheals.com