Be Inspired Today

The Acceptance Guidebook by Todd Schaefer

2011-05-24T05:50:00.000-07:00

My good friend Todd Schaefer is preparing to release his new book over the summer.

The Acceptance Guidebook walks us through the shift from a journey of unconscious living into a life of awareness. Todd offers complex spiritual ideas that are simple to read and understand, making them easy to apply to our lives. His gentle teachings, personal observations and stories have created a book that carries the intentions of a true teacher.

Enjoy the 'Teaser Trailer' for the most anticipated event in the world of spiritual contemporary writing - a six year long countenance of a "real-life" man's journey in one legendary spiritual book. It's coming!

Blessings,

Julieanne

To find out more visit The Acceptance Guidebook Site

Subscribers can access the trailer by visiting the blog post.

Initiation - It's All About You!

2011-04-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

When we decide to venture out of our comfort zones we can often find ourselves faced with challenges and unexpected obstacles. Anything that takes us into the unknown or somewhere we haven’t been before can be considered an initiation. It is a call to move past the fear of the unknown and to conquer and release that fear.

By understanding the process of initiation we can begin to understand any obstacles or tests and accept them as a part of the growth process.

The first steps are the most difficult. We find that we have a curiosity about whether or not our ideal situation can exist. Along the way you may find yourself asking the questions about what does and does not truly exist. It is a part of the life process.

There are a few steps that when brought into our awareness can easily be recognised and embraced. There is a Sufi idea that speaks about the fact that there is always water to be found it just depends on how far you are prepared to dig – sometimes it is a short distance and sometimes it is a long way away.

When we embark on a new path we can encounter blocks that may seem to prevent us from reaching the water but with sufficient knowledge we can break through and keep digging.

Our lives are full of initiations. Just learning to walk is an initiation into the walking world. We stumble and crawl – we have others hold our hands as we start to stand – and we are celebrated as we pass through this rite of passage.

This process can be the same when we choose to do something new. When starting something new you may like to consider the following steps of initiation to help move past your blocks to reach your intended ideal desire.

Mentoring is the first step. For many of us our first initiator was our mother. She helped us to walk, talk and eat. It is important to find an initiator for your new venture. Find someone that has already done what you are looking to do. You will probably find that they met with obstacles as well but they will be able to share with you how they moved past them.

You will then usually be met with a series of tests. These are to see if you have set the foundations for your desired goal. They may also be presented to you to cause a necessary shift in your belief system or ideas about how you can achieve what you want. It is up to you to decide whether you are able to pass these tests or recognise if you are heading down a path that is not bringing you closer to where you think you might like to be.

Then get ready to receive, reflect and assimilate. It will be time to receive knowledge, reflect on that knowledge and decide how you are going to assimilate that knowledge into your life.

You will then be called to use your imagination. How does this ideal situation make you feel? How does your spirit respond to being in this situation? What would be the ideal situation for you to be happy? This process is a part of everything we decide to do – because ultimately we are looking for a joyful existence.

You will then need to find your inner wisdom. You will learn to trust yourself and the decisions you think are the wisest for your path. All decisions should be made with a balanced mind. For many people this is achieved through spiritual practices whether it is prayer, meditation or relaxation. It is very difficult to make clear decisions when we are under a lot of stress.

You will then pass through the next step which is to act from your highest self. This will be achieved through the self confidence and balance you have built whilst passing through previous steps in your initiation. You will be called to be an example of what can be achieved through understanding the initiation process.

You will then begin to rise above what you previously thought were the highest ideals for you. You will realise that there is a law of the universe – that connection with Divinity is possible. This may mean that you will embark on a new path to find a higher ideal or begin a new venture that begins the initiation process again.

And finally you will be called on to inspire. Through your example of being able to teach and show what is possible you will inspire others to move on their own highest path. You will be an example of what can be achieved by moving through the initiation process.

By understanding these steps that can be applied to anything we decide to do, it is my hope that any obstacles or tests may feel a little less daunting and a little more acceptable to you... and that you are able to find the courage to initiate something that moves you onto your highest path.

Many Blessings,

Julieanne

Blog Blast from the Past - Discussing Tolle - Enhancing our Identities

2011-03-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

'There may also be things in our lives that we value because of their beauty or inherent quality. We need to honor the world of things, not despise it.’
Eckhart Tolle

In ‘A New Earth’, Eckhart Tolle begins to describe ‘things’ as being ‘identity enhancers’. He takes us through the advertising industry and their dependency on the short lived pleasure we gain from consuming. They rely on it, so you will keep searching for another lift and buy again and often.

There can however be another approach.

You can become aware of your habits as a consumer.

Tolle does not advocate giving up all ‘things’ but to approach them with the intention of honouring. If we are creating an identity for ourselves through these ‘things’ then we know we are allowing the ego to play its game.

On a practical level this attitude can completely change your spending habits. You can begin to ask yourself questions before you head to the cashier. Before you go for ‘retail therapy’ stop for a moment and consider what it is you are trying to achieve.

It is just awareness to begin with, but will become habit if you allow it.

We all know that overspending is a sign of deeper problems and if you have the courage to pause and address it, the feeling will be far more rewarding and longer lasting than the quick buzz gained from spending.

The bottom line is that when we are surrounding ourselves with too many things; the ego is allowed to remove you from focusing on your inner self. And we all know that this is the only place that you can ever truly find real joy.

So if you are heading out gift hunting this season, you might like to approach it with the attitude of honouring your precious friendships and relationships instead of dreading the experience, and who knows... you might find the perfect ‘thing’.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Willingness

2011-02-21T09:48:00.000-08:00

As we settle into a new year some of our goals have remained and some have fallen to the wayside. We can often set ourselves up to fail – however those of us that are aware know that there is no such thing as failure.

Something that makes the difference between our goals that are achieved and those that are not is most definitely our willingness to take the next steps to making them happen.

Our goals must be things we want above everything else. We will have to make changes and so often we tell ourselves we are willing but on our deepest levels we are not.
We create illusions of failure. Why should we feel bad about not achieving something that we really didn’t want in the first place?

There are many reasons and most of them are to do with protecting our identity and roles that we have created for ourselves. Sometimes we refuse to accept the fact that we are actually content with where we are.

Our goals are achieved as fast as we are willing to accept and take the next step towards them. If we are not willing to take the next steps it is only because it is something that is not that important to us.

The guilt often comes from wondering what others think and how our identity and role would be affected.

If we were willing to accept a peaceful state as being the focus of our goals we would relieve ourselves of the pressure of needing to strive. We have so many things in this world that are able – if we choose – to keep us in a state of survival could one small shift in our thinking bring us to a path that is fulfilling and abundant?

Our minds filter through so many millions of pieces of information. We have decided what information is important to us. If we have been in the habit of travelling from A to B for so long and we now decide to travel from A to C our brains have to start filtering and accepting information that will now get us to point C.

How do we do this? We create new pathways with our willingness to become aware and conscious of the guidance that is around us - and our willingness to follow it.

Through listening to our intuition and becoming aware of synchronicities around us we can quickly jump onto and cruise through a new path. It just takes some willingness to jump on the path to start with.

If you are wondering where to start your journey to a more peaceful and fulfilling existence start with your willingness to take the next step and begin to see what is really being offered to you.

The video below shares some ideas on goals from Abraham-Hicks.

Many Blessings,

Julieanne

Have a Blessed 2011!

2010-12-15T09:50:00.000-08:00

Thank you for another great year at Be Inspired Today!

I have loved sharing and getting to know you all. Thank you for all you do to keep this community going!

Much Love and Many Blessings for a fantastic 2011!

Julieanne xx

It's All About You - Relationships

2010-10-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

Our relationships can be one of the best indicators of where we are spiritually and also where we can remove blocks.

All relationships offer us the opportunity to grow, forgive and experience a situation differently, if we choose to.

Our relationships are our mirrors.

At first this may be hard to understand, but just by choosing to accept that this could be a possibility can cause an amazing shift in perception.

There needs to be an understanding of connection that can only come from experiencing connection in our relationships.

Think of someone that you feel you have had conflict with. Ask yourself – ‘What is it that has bugged me about them?’ – Better still – write it down. Then replace their name in the statement with ‘I’ so that the statement becomes about you. Notice anything?

Spiritual guidance is always gentle, so do not be harsh on yourself. Become aware when you are blaming someone for something and see what happens when you turn it into a statement about you.

Your conflicted relationships will quickly become your greatest allies.

Many Blessings,

Julieanne

It's All About You!

2010-09-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

Take into consideration all that could ever happen to you - all that you desire to happen to you. Could you write a list? How long would that list be?

We spend so much of our time consumed by thoughts of lack and scarcity; we can often forget to realize that we are actually content with all we have.

People tend to take on the world of consumerism as a world that enables them to find an identity. The more you can consume the more glamorous identity you can find.

We are continually being told that this will make us happier, prettier, slimmer, and more desirable but what they don't advertise is the fact that all they can offer you, you already have, and it won't cost you a penny.

By reaching this understanding you can then begin to play in the world of form and illusion rather than desperately trying to grab onto and hold onto these illusions.

So how do we do that?

Well... It's all about you!

Many Blessings,

Featured Author - Laurie J. Brenner - Changing Planes

2010-08-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

'Changing Planes' by Laurie J. Brenner

If you love goosebumps and tears then this is the novella for you!

Follow Madison Reeves as she departs on a much needed holiday but after passing through lights resembling the Aurora Borealis, she finds herself and the other First Class passengers arriving at an airport terminal that is not the Bahamas... it is not even of this world.

What is Madison running from? What lessons does she need to learn?

All is revealed on this not to be missed ‘Celestine Adventure’ as Madison encounters loved ones from the past... and loved ones from an unfamiliar future. And as for her fellow passengers... will they welcome the mirrored aspects of themselves or deny they have any choices to make?

This is the perfect adventure to curl up with a hot chocolate this season, and make sure to cancel your plans as I guarantee this is a book you won’t want to put down.

This gorgeous novella still remains my favourite metaphysical fiction. You can contact Laurie and find out how to get your copy through her page in the Be Inspired Today Forum: Laurie's page or through her website www.changingplanes.net

Laurie J. Brenner is also the author of ‘The Little Book of Becoming’. You can visit Laurie’s website at Laurie Brenner Website
or her Blog at Laurie Brenner Blog

Subscribers please visit the blog to watch Laurie's new promotional video.

Don Miguel Ruiz - 'The Four Agreements'

2010-08-11T08:16:00.001-07:00

We are currently discussing 'The Four Agreements' in a group in the forum. Everyone is welcome to join us by following this link

Please enjoy this biography and video discussing the author and inspirational book.

Many Blessings,

Julieanne

Don Miguel Ruiz was born into a family of healers and raised in rural Mexico by a curandera (healer) mother and nagual (shaman) grandfather. His family anticipated he would follow in their footsteps however he chose to attend medical school and become a surgeon.

He began teaching in the States alongside his mother in small groups. As he continued to teach he realized that he preferred to share his lineage through the oral tradition rather than the healing tradition.

As his students grew in numbers and his guidance with them he created 'The Four Agreements' after watching his students struggling to quiet their minds. He created practical tools that can result in consistent and long term personal transformation.

The tools shared by don Miguel are based on common sense and shared with such simplicity, that the universal message underlying his teaching is recognized by many.

In the tradition of the Toltec, a Nagual guides an individual to personal freedom. Combining new insights with old wisdom, don Miguel has dedicated his life to sharing the ancient Toltec wisdom by translating it into practical concepts that promote transformation through truth and common sense.

After surviving a near fatal heart attack in 2002 he has been unable to make many public appearances.

When he knew that he could not return to public touring, don Miguel turned to his son, don Jose Luis, and witnessed the passage of a young man into the new Nagual in the Eagle-Knight lineage; don Jose.

Sources: www.miguelruiz.com

Subscribers please visit blog to watch video

Don't Make Assumptions

2010-07-14T04:43:00.000-07:00

This is one of ‘The Four Agreements’ as given to us by Don Miguel Ruiz. Based on Ancient Toltec Wisdom he offers us a simple way to personal freedom through the use of these agreements.

‘Don’t Make Assumptions’ gives us an easier way to consider situations in our lives. How much easier would our lives be if we chose to adhere to this agreement? The stories that we can create when we don’t know what the truth is can cause so much torment and unnecessary pressure.

The subconscious mind cannot differentiate between what is real and what is just a thought, so we can even find ourselves physically feeling the effects of the stories we are creating.

Think back to a time when perhaps someone was late to meet you. Can you remember the stories that went through your head?

If we are not conscious of our thoughts, they may have arrived to a hostile situation which had been created from our wild fantasies of all the reasons they may have been late. And then even if they tell us ‘Sorry, there was an accident on the freeway’ we can still take it upon ourselves to be the victim whilst conjuring up the energy to be mad at them for something that was all in our mind.

Making assumptions about situations or things that we don’t know the truth about is a useless exercise. The reason it can feel so distressing is because you are bouncing around frantically searching for the truth. However if you just let the ego go and accept that right now you don’t know, the relief will be instant... and it will save you from the stories.

When we learn to surrender to all that is, we can relieve ourselves of our own stories and learn to relax. It brings us back into the present moment which is the only place that truth can truly exist.

If you would like to find out more about Don Miguel Ruiz you can visit his website at Don Miguel Ruiz

Many Blessings,

Julieanne

Be Inspired Today Has A New Store!

2010-06-24T08:37:00.001-07:00

Be Inspired Today has a new fun store. It includes clothing, gifts and accessories for men, women, children and even your pets!

I hope you will pop by and check it out.

Just some of the products include -

Mens, Womens and Childrens clothing

Tote & Messenger Bags that you can choose design for!

Caps that you can choose design and colour!

Accessories & Giftware

Hope to see you there! Follow this link! Be Inspired Today Store

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Guest Post - Spiritual Detox

2010-06-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this with you as I think it asks some great questions and offers some very useful affirmations. This was shared by Martin Boland at the 'Miracles in the Midlands' study group in Birmingham, UK with Rev. Cheryl Ford. Together they lead this ACIM based study group every Thursday night. If you would like to find out more please find the details at the end of this post.

Many Blessings,

Julieanne

Detoxing the Mind

My Mind Holds only the thoughts I think with God

The 1st Detox
Morning:

Our thoughts are the only thing we can lay upon this day...

2nd Detox

The Door to Heaven

Heaven? What is it?

Willingness Mind Work in Action
Desire to accept LOVE
Faith Connecting to the Mind of Heaven

A State of Mind without guilt

If guilt is hell what is it's opposite?

The mental detox will undo the feelings of fear, guilt, anger and attack...
The first prerequisite of detox is to accept their must be a better way. The better way (only way) involves mind work - taking action to release the pure mind.

Detox - "to remove poison from the mind" to poison means to impair, corrupt, defile, embitter...

ACIM talks of the corruption of the altar - the altar begins a point of inner connection between the mind of love and you.

Our job is to unprogramme the mind - miracles are everyones right but purification is necessary first.

We make pure by purging (purifying the mind).

How do we build up a detox programme?

Consider the idea of taking a shower or bathing the mind with spiritual ideas. Which is what we are doing in meditation, and it is what we are doing by immersing our minds in the practice of ACIM, to cleanse us of impure (ego) thoughts.

Jesus said "the poor are always with you" because poverty is part of the ego thought system.

Upon awakening remind Self: who are you?

If we consider this a fresh new day or moment (a clean slate). Use an affirmation such as:

"love opens my eyes that I might see the wonders of life that are the truth"

"joy is when I allow myself to appreciate"

Remind the Self of who you are...

"I am a centre of love consciousness"

Ask Yourself what kind of day you want?

" moments of holiness (holy instant) set in grace extending before me...

Lunch-time Detox

(remember detoxing of fear, guilt, anger and attack thoughts)...

If you are not prepared to detox - you will carry them through the day.
Are you willing to give them up?

e.g my first thought when a woman cut me up early this morning was X, but I reminded myself of my intention: pristine moments of holiness (beauty) set in grace extending before me... and decided to bless her instead. (remember we only have two options - loving behaviour or a call for love).

"I am willing to let go of everything negative about this moment"

"I breathe in love and extend it effortlessly - I am the consciousness of love"

remember the work is being done by love.

Evening Detox:

The day is now complete:

"I don't wish to carry any fear, guilt or anger into tomorrow so I release all my mistakes the the mind of love to be dissolved so I can start afresh tomorrow"

Love is calling to us saying: "give me everything troubling you and I will dissolve it."

I celebrate my successes today and I appreciate the gifts of the day and I give thanks for the help I received and give thanks for The Mind of Love.

To Detox is to sleep on the positive such that nothing is unresolved.

During the day be alert to repeating patterns of thought:

"There is never enough time"
"I am not good enough"
"I can't"
"What are they thinking of me?"
"I shouldn't do that"
"I don't deserve that"

More people die of old fear than old age.

We need to shift our thoughts of good and evil. Evil is only the denial of good. Evil / Live backwards - we are seeing it backwards.

Dark is only the absence of light:

THERE IS ONLY 1 POWER; 1 MIND AND IT IS GOOD.
e.g electricity can be used to warm the home or it can be used to electrocute.

"The Mind of Love dissolves the illness of evil from my consciousness."

It may be useful to avoid certain places, things or people.
Surround yourself with positive thinking, forces, actions.

"I believe in the love and justice of the Mind - no one can break the law of love."that I may learn the gift of miracles that love have given me"

Make up Affirmations

I love all that is good.
I believe in the Mind of Love as the only reality.
I tune into harmony.
Health is the only real state (sickness is not a real state).
I open my eyes, ears, mind and heart that I may learn to use the gift of miracles that have been given me.
I enjoy as much as I want to enjoy.
There is no limit to the happy thoughts I can think right now.
I understand the nature of the power of the mind of love and I ask it to work for me now.
As you believe so you receive.
Whenever you give give with faith and joy.

Mae West said: "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful"

Remember The Mind of Love does the work - hand over the willingness to it.

Remember you have the power of decision (choice) in any moment to believe toxic or healing thoughts.

Therefore use faith in light / heaven / better way or faith in nothingness / darkness / fear.

You are unlimited in truth; all thought has power.

Today can be the best day of your life.

Martin's Boland's life coaching company 'Recreate Success' allows him to help people to take full control of their lives, and achieve the success that they want. To find out more about Martin's life coaching services visit Recreate Success Life Coaching

Rev. Cheryl Ford is an ordained Minister. She offers many one on one courses and counselling services including Ministerial Training. To find out more about Rev. Cheryl or Miracles in the Midlands please visit Rev. Cheryl Ford

Finding The Now

2010-05-20T03:56:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share this article I wrote for my friend Cindy at www.naturallyuniversal.ning.com. As we come to the end of ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle a practical exercise for bringing ourselves back into the Now seemed quite appropriate.

I hope you are able to find some time to do this exercise. The effect it can have on your health, mind, body and spirit is hidden behind its simplicity.

Enjoy!

There is a Zen Buddhism concept called the ‘beginner’s mind’. It says that for the rice bowl to be filled, it must first be empty. This concept is referring to our minds.

Our minds are constantly filled with thoughts during our normal daily routines. An overflow of thoughts can cause us to start living on autopilot or unconsciously. We become so tied up in the things we need to do that without practice it can become very difficult to quieten our minds.

Jean Paul Sartre is famously known for his ideas about ‘the other’. He explained how for instance, we could be on our own in a room, happy just being ourselves, but when someone -‘the other’- enters the room we immediately take on an identity for that person. It may be that we are their mother, husband, sister or boss, but whatever it is, it has taken us out of the moment that we can truly be ourselves.

In a world where we are expected to remain in control of everything and retain so many identities, how can we start to relinquish this need and come to a place of surrendering to our true selves?

One idea that is very gentle yet extremely powerful is practising timelessness. We forget how easily we have become slaves to our watches, keeping us in a routine that doesn’t often allow much time for ourselves. By releasing ourselves from time constraints we can quickly come into alignment with our body, mind and spirit.

Preparing for a timeless day is as simple as putting a few things out of the way and getting ready to be with you. By following a few simple steps you will be on your way to a day that requires only that you are there.

Make a date:

The first step is to choose a day to become timeless. This is important so that you prepare yourself to be undisturbed. Make sure that anyone that may disturb you knows that for this one day you are relaxing.

Supplies:

Make sure that you have everything you need for that day so that you don’t need to go out into the public for anything.

Stop time:

The night before your timeless day, turn off all clocks. Put your watches away. Turn your mobile phones off. Make sure your computer stays turned off for the day. Turn your microwave timer off, and definitely turn any alarms off. Anything that tells you the time needs to be put away, switched off or avoided.

Don’t worry about planning the actual timeless day. The most benefit comes from going with the flow and listening to your mind, body and spirit. It is about allowing yourself to function at your natural pace.

When your timeless day does arrive, make sure you wake up whenever your body naturally wakes. For the rest of the day eat when you feel hungry, sleep if you want a nap – do whatever it is that you feel like doing.

It is a simple idea but so rejuvenating. After trying a timeless day just once, it won’t take much convincing to put time aside for another day.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Thank You!

2010-03-24T05:35:00.000-07:00

I wanted to thank my good friend Todd at SSG Team Blog for this award. We have worked together on some great projects in the time we have known each other and is an important part of my spiritual journey.

I hope you might find the time to drop by his blog and share his insights and wisdom.

Many Thanks & Many Blessings,

Julieanne

Acceptance and Surrender

2010-03-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

‘Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life.’

Eckhart Tolle

Choose to experience the present moment no matter how you are feeling about it. Acceptance is one of the first steps needed to be taken in order for healing of any conflict you may feel.

Acceptance is the removal of any judgment you may have about a situation. Whether you consider it a positive or negative experience is of no importance when you are choosing to surrender. To choose to relinquish judgment allows healing energy to move freely through you without resistance and you will see this reflected through your future experiences.

Choosing to make decisions in a state of surrender will always bring more positive outcomes than if you were to react out of anger or frustration for instance.
Stepping back for a moment allows you to act proactively rather than reactively.
From a state of surrender you are able to see a situation differently and therefore make decisions that are more in alignment with your true self as you have chosen to listen to your inner guidance in that moment.

When we feel we are in conflict it is usually because we are trying to protect something. By remembering that what is real cannot be destroyed and does not need protecting you may find it easier to enter a state of surrender. This is something to remember when you are in conflict with others. Ask yourself if there is something they may be trying to protect or is there something you are trying to protect. It is a perfect place to start looking for a resolution.

Tolle explains;

‘It is the consciousness at this moment that is the main determinant of what kind of future you will experience, so to surrender is the most important thing you can do to bring about positive change.’

All creation of future experience starts in the present moment and you get to decide right now how you will experience your life in the future.

Please enjoy Tolle reading more about acceptance and surrender from his book ‘Stillness Speaks’.

Part One

Part Two

Subscribers please visit blog to watch videos.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Present Patterns

2010-01-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

‘So do not use the pain-body to give you an identity. Use it for enlightenment instead. Transmute it into consciousness.’

Eckhart Tolle

So often we become unconscious in our relationships and miss opportunities to bring consciousness into them. We become trapped in the cycle of shifting responsibility, blame and guilt.

Whenever we find ourselves within conflict in our relationships we can so easily pause and remember this cycle.

RESPONSIBILITY – BLAME – GUILT

When we bring this to mind and choose to be really honest with ourselves by asking ourselves what is it that we are not claiming responsibility for we can instantly bring consciousness into the situation.

In the first instance we may find ourselves saying ‘But they did this to me’ or ‘they said they would do this and didn’t’ but by choosing to become present you will find that there is something that you are not taking responsibility for.

You may not see it at first; you may not want to as the power of the ego can be temporarily quite satisfying.

Every conflict in relationships is bringing to the surface something that can be addressed and in turn strengthen and grow your relationships. By choosing to focus on what you are ‘doing’ rather than what is being ‘done’ to you, you instantly remove any room for victimisation.

You become proactive rather than reactive.

Whenever you start to blame someone you are in relationship with for something, this is a sign that there is something you have not taken responsibility for and are trying to shift that responsibility onto the other person. You then blame them in an effort to relinquish yourself from any responsibility... or you play the victim.

If they are also in this cycle of unconsciousness they will then try to defend themselves and shift responsibility back to you. It is a no win situation. The issue needs to be addressed and as Tolle write ‘Transmuted into consciousness.’

You are then creating guilt, which is where you are able to hide the fact that you shifted responsibility successfully... or so you think.

This is really a very simple approach to take with your relationships.

Awareness is the first step!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

The Honey Being

2009-12-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

'The word honey isn’t honey. You can study and talk about honey for as long as you like, but you won’t really know it until you taste it.’

Eckhart Tolle

This is a fundamental truth of spiritual experience. We can memorise, intellectualise, theorise and profess understandings of spiritual experience but until we have actually had a spiritual experience how can we know what it is?

This is why we focus on the present moment as there is no other place to experience anything. You can’t experience anything in the future... it will be experienced in the Now and the same for the past.

If we are truly searching for the experience of presence all we need do is stop... be still. Choose to become aware of what we are doing and are surrounded by.

Tolle writes in an earlier chapter about accepting whatever is happening now. If you are for instance feeling lazy, then immerse yourself completely into the laziness. Feel it, experience it. When we choose to accept what is we remove any opportunity for guilt or blame and take responsibility for ourselves.

When we are not feeling guilty or blaming others for what is or what is not we can then begin to look at why we are experiencing the world with the perception we have of it.

For some of us we are happy with our perception of the world around us - for others, not so much. If you find yourself in the ‘not so much’ category choose to be still and accept.

One way that is sure to bring you out of the present moment is denial... so choose not to deny what is happening around you. When you choose not to deny a circumstance you give yourself something to work with; something to work with in the present moment -which, of course, is the only place that anything can be worked on.

Choose the experience! Choose to feel your circumstance! Choose to feel life! And choose to do it now... because it is the only ‘time’ you can.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Eckhart Tolle discusses 'The Power of Now' on Oprah Soul Series

2009-11-12T06:09:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

I thought I would share this great interview I came across from Oprah's Soul Series. Eckhart Tolle discusses 'The Power of Now' and the situation that brought him to the moment where he began questioning the understanding he had of himself. He also discusses the ideas behind his call to start living in the present moment.

You can find out more from Oprah's Soul Series and listen to other speakers by visiting www.oprah.com

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Subscribers please visit blog to watch videos.

Life vs Life Situation

2009-11-03T07:20:00.000-08:00

‘To be free of time is to be free of the psychological need of past for your identity and future for fulfilment.’

Eckhart Tolle

Tolle begins now to speak about finding the ‘life’ underneath the ‘life situation’. This is one way we can recognise when we are reacting to a situation rather than approaching it as an observer of the world of form. He quotes from ‘A Course in Miracles’ that ‘nothing real can be threatened’.

We have heard the statement before that the past no longer exists and the future does not exist yet so the only ‘time’ that is real is the present moment. To understand this allows us the opportunity to become free from illusions. The illusions being that we consider the past and the future to be real.

This is something that takes practice and may only be a fleeting feeling at first but with practice it will become more and more automatic.

In the present moment we are in touch with our true self. When we are in touch with our true self we are able to follow the inner guidance that is given and have faith that our true self is able to see the bigger picture. Some situations we may find ourselves trying to control again but if we choose to release them and not label them as good or bad we free ourselves to experience love past that point and enable ourselves to move closer to our true nature.

Some situations we may not recognise as being ‘not that important’ to our true self. This is where trust comes to the forefront. We can, over time, learn to trust ourselves and our intuition again when we choose not to attach it to stories from the past or project fear of possibilities for the future.

When Tolle is speaking about finding the life beneath the ‘life situation’ this is what he is referring to. Surrender... Surrender to your true self. Trust that you know.

When we no longer fear the past or the future we are able to choose to observe from a position of love. We are able to be and feel the presence of love.

Then we are able to feel the joy of being. We are no longer working on a schedule but are moving to heal ourselves and our illusions of fragmentation and separation. We can relax knowing that we choose to bring love to every situation. We choose to bring life to every situation. Then we can stand back and know that we have found the life underneath the ‘life situation’ and know that we cannot be harmed or hurt when we stand in love. This is when we can really feel life... as the only ‘time’ there is ever life in the true sense is Now!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson

2009-09-15T05:32:00.001-07:00

I shared this recently in the Be Inspired Today Forum and thought I would share it here as well.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

This quote was taken from 'A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles' by Marianne Williamson

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Practising Presence

2009-09-08T05:51:00.000-07:00

‘Nothing ever happened in the past; it happened in the Now. Nothing will ever happen in the future; it will happen in the Now.’

Eckhart Tolle
‘The Power of Now; pg41’

This chapter is great for gaining clarity about what the present moment truly is.

When you start to practice looking around at your every day surroundings, and observing your activities from the point of the present moment, everything changes. Life comes to life! Life brightens; it becomes what it is in its essence.

We can also easily apply this practice to our relationships. When we choose to look at our relationships from the point of the present moment something beautiful happens. We see our loved ones, or anyone for that matter, in a new light. They are no longer attached to the identities we give them. They are no longer causing us feelings that were in the past. We are no longer concerned with what they could do for us or be for us in the future.

You allow them and see them to be their True Self.

This is the power of forgiveness and the true meaning of it. Forgiveness is being able to see past what we think a person is and treat anything we may consider that happened as though it never happened. We have all said at some point ‘Well... I forgive, but I won’t forget’, however this unconscious statement takes the power of forgiveness away from us. True forgiveness is being able to see our relationships in a new state at all times.

This does not mean that we need to stay in ‘unhealthy’ relationships but we can use these relationships to grow and learn about ourselves. In the case of remaining in relationships that we may consider unhealthy, we can really take the opportunity to understand why we stay there and to what benefit is it to us.

One exercise you might like to practice forgiving is to say out loud ‘I forgive______ for _____ and I forgive myself for ______.’ Forgive yourself for exactly the same thing as you are forgiving the person for. It will seem strange at first but it will cause a very powerful shift in perception. It is a really simple way to see things in an honest light. We might not like what we find out about ourselves but we will extend love to our relationships and to ourselves by discovering new ideas about ourselves.

As we continue through ‘The Power of Now’ there will be moments and opportunities to really feel the power of life in the present moment. Practice makes perfect – and in the present moment we are exactly that – perfect!

If you have been listening to Tolle read ‘The Power of Now’ then please enjoy Part 6

Subscribers please visit blog to watch video

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Eternal and New

2009-07-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

‘The secret of life is to ‘die before you die’ – and find that there is no death.’

Eckhart Tolle

I recently spoke to someone who is suffering from a terminal illness. She had asked why should she bother to study or save money or work towards building a better future for herself, in fact why should she do anything when she was not going to be here much longer?

I asked her ‘Why would anybody bother?’

Life is not about death. We will all pass – it is inevitable. Not knowing how long we have to experience this life is what keeps us going. There is a quiet sense of immortality that resides in us, although our focus on it is in different places.

Life is found in living, not in the expectation of inevitable death. If we all focussed on the fact that we would die at a certain age, how would it change our perspective on life and the way we live it?

When Tolle is speaking about death in the above quote he is initially speaking about the death of the ego. The ego distracts us from our true self and the present moment. When we are able to disidentify with the ego we are left with our true self – our eternal nature – and we come to realise that in truth there is no death of what is real – there cannot be, and anything that is not of our true self is not real.

This idea brings with it questions about perception, illusions and most significantly the illusion of separation. Past and future will maintain the illusion of separation from our true self which is why it is beneficial to consider the power that can be found in the present moment.

Whatever is eternal cannot die. So with the death of the illusion of death, and in this instance time, all that remains is the realisation that there is no death. Our true and real self is eternal in nature. Our essence is eternal in nature. Our source is eternal in nature. We are not real in the past, we are not yet in the future the only time we are our true self is in the powerful present moment which is eternal in nature also. It is always the present moment.

So when you think about Tolle’s quote above, the easiest way to understand his idea is to live for today – truly live for today, squeeze as much out of it as possible... and even more powerfully, remember to live for the Now!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Eckhart Tolle Reads 'The Power of Now'

2009-07-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

If you still haven't had a chance to listen to Eckhart Tolle reading 'The Power of Now' it is a great way to find stillness and nurture your spirit. Please enjoy parts 4 & 5. If you would like to start at the beginning follow this link which will take you to Part 1. From there you can gain access to the following parts.

Part 4

Part 5

Subscribers please visit blog to watch videos

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

The Pain Perception

2009-07-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

‘The pain that you create now is always some form of nonacceptance, some form of unconscious resistance to what is.’

Eckhart Tolle

When we try to manipulate what is into something that suits us we can truly begin to see our creative abilities and our freedom to create.

We always work to change our perception of a situation so that it aligns with our current sense of being. When we are able to understand this we can see that it is just as easy to perceive a situation in a way that is more aligned with our true selves.

At that moment we have a choice. Will we choose separateness and denial or will we choose wholeness and truth?

The person that decides the perception is you and can only ever be you.

When we choose to force our perceptions onto another person this becomes judgement. When we are judging another person we are in essence trying to control another’s perception which is a clear indicator of insecurity and denial of truth. As I have written before ‘The truth does not need to be defended’, therefore, you can relax.

The focus then shifts to the choice about your perceptions. The fear of judgement becomes a sign of insecurity and denial of truth. Be bold!

Show the world your true self. Don’t be afraid of the future or be caught in the emotion of the past. Let it go and you will see the emotional pain you hold so close is a choice to hold onto an illusory perception.

Sometimes we may feel that this is inappropriate or that we should give a situation its ‘dues’ as those around us expect us to behave in a certain manner. Become aware that our emotions are our choice in every situation.

With one simple choice we can move our energy. We can stand in truth and the only truth is in the Now. It is the only place to be in our natural state, which is a state of love.

How will you choose to experience your perceptions?

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Eckhart Tolle reads the 'Power of Now'

2009-07-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy Parts 2 & 3 of Eckhart Tolle reading 'The Power of Now'. If you would like to start at the beginning follow this link which will take you to Part 1. From there you can gain access to the following parts.

Part 2

Part 3

Subscribers please visit blog to watch videos.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

SSG Talk Show - 'A Course in Miracles' Episode #15

2009-07-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy the latest synopsis I have written for my friends at Soul Solutions Healing Group. If you haven't had a chance to tune in yet check out the widget on the left side bar or follow the links below. It is a great way to nurture your spirit!

Hello everyone!

We would like to share that Episode #15 of the SSG Talk Show is now available for listening/download. You may access the show for free on the SSG Team Blog, via iTunes, as well as at our show's Blogtalkradio address.

Todd and Ronnie discussed Lesson #41 after introducing the new Community Responder program and the latest post on ‘Be Inspired Today’ by Julieanne Paige.

The new Community Responder Program allows the Spiritual Q&A’s sent to SSG to be responded to by the community as well as the SSG team. Guidelines can be found at www.soulsolutionshealing.com, where you can find out how to be a community responder. It is a great way to express your spiritual practice and service. Responding not only helps the person with the question but it also helps the responder as it allows us to consider why and how we think about situations. It is an opportunity to get in touch with our core being and energies and to tap into who we are at a deeper level.

Todd shared and discussed the post ‘Presence’ which can be read here, from Be Inspired Today.

Presence:

The real truth is in the Now, not in the future or the past. When we discuss spirituality it is an experience to be understood rather than something that can be intellectually discussed. If you are in the mind when you are having a spiritual experience you will be busy trying to label or justify the experience rather than feeling the experience.

Tolle speaks about emotion being the body’s reaction to the mind. Abraham-Hicks describes emotions as key point indicators for what you want to experience. When we are in a joyful state, we are in alignment. If we are not in a joyful state we can always become aware and choose to return to that joyful state.

Following joy is very important but there are also times that we must past limitations. We have to find a way to step outside of that limitation or comfort zone to disperse fears either by addressing them or going straight through them.

ACIM says that even if you renounce something in the face of fear you have changed it. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel it at the time but you have automatically changed it. You don’t have to reach an ultimate state of peace to have made a difference to the fear.

It’s not always about ‘feel goods’. You can focus on the joy, experience the joy, and walk away from the fear but if you have specific things you want to do, fears to face or healing, then these things have to be resolved, which is different to adding another ‘feel good’.

God is fully in the here and the Now and cannot be anywhere else. Fears are always based on the past, the future, what was, what will be, or what you think will be. Fears come from things that we have experienced in the past or think will happen in the future.

Presence will cause you act in peace and love. Fear cannot exist in the present moment. Ego can only exist in the past or future. Spirituality and fragmentation cannot coexist. God is not fragmented in any way so the present moment cannot be fragmented. God is whole, complete and eternal. Fear cannot exist in the present because the present is whole and fear is fragmented.

Become aware of the ego.

Lesson #42 ‘God goes with me wherever I go.’

This statement gives a sense of activity. A different way of putting this quote could be ‘No matter where I go, God is with me’. It doesn’t matter where we are, or what we are doing. It is telling us where all the power is.

If God is in everything how can God be against anything. The spirit of holiness is within and around us all the time and we think so often that we are separate from God. The power of God is within us if we are willing to look inward for it. It is accessible to everybody. Just practicing that can change the experience of your self.

Sometimes our belief systems can prevent us from considering or just being in a new way. A belief is what you have temporarily until you have the knowing of truth. We do always have God with us and we express this when we express love and joy.

Simplifying spirituality is important and even vital. What matters most is people creating spirituality that is comfortable and allows the space for empowerment. God is not hard and we don’t have to make it hard.

We can express Godliness in anything we do. We just have to ask ‘What type of experience do we want to have with ourselves?’ Open up to a broader experience of ourselves.

You cannot think your way to spirituality. Keeping it simple goes beyond thinking. Sometimes rituals can keep us caught up in the mental part of spirituality.

God is everywhere. When you fully experience any other thing or person, it will feel like it is an amplified experience of you.

The experience of what it feels like to have a spiritual experience is to find a place of comfort and protection and a feeling of returning home. We can call on these experiences when we are in a place of fear. Move right back into experiencing more of God and less of the illusion.

Marianne Williamson said ‘If you’re not thinking of God you are not thinking at all. It is an illusion.’ To some it is not a priority and it depends on where our priorities are but it can become a natural thing.

Any discomfort we may feel is because we are basing the ‘right now feeling' on the experience of the past or what may be in the future. When we see someone we know, we see what they have been in the past or what they could be in the future. Fear, a lot of the time is bouncing back from what was and what could be and is not centered in the present.

We are never alone and are always surrounded by love. God goes with us wherever we go. When we experience God there is never a feeling of separation or loss.

Currently in the world, spiritually speaking, the old structures are breaking down and the new ones are emerging. When we choose to take responsibility for our experience we eliminate the external factors that hold us back from experiencing our power.

Tolle speaks about recession as being a period of negative growth. The new will rebuild with less illusion. The recession is giving us an opportunity to come face to face with the false reality we have created.

Be your highest spiritual self. There is no such thing as an idle or aimless thought. When you experience other people you can really connect and make an intimate connection and guide people through experiences. A lot of times this can happen instinctively because God is built into us. We can feel when people are open to things and what works and what doesn’t. If we are tuned into God within, it doesn’t matter where we are or who we are with. Spiritual connectivity is based on resonance not distance. Tapping into God changes everything instantly. Anything that consciousness touches, benefits.

Presence

2009-06-30T05:31:00.000-07:00

We keep hearing it. Live in the Now. Forget the past. The future is not determined. But what does it really mean and what are the benefits of denying the illusion of reality that is the past and the future?

We know that the past no longer exists and the future is not in existence yet, but why do we insist on holding on and creating our story? What would happen if we changed the story? What would happen if we released control? Ironically it is sometimes scary for us to surrender ourselves to love.

Eckhart Tolle speaks simply about these ideas but you cannot be told. You can only be guided. It is for you to find.

Abraham-Hicks stated that "You are so close to the reality that you are creating, that you sometimes can't see the bigger picture." Or put another way ‘You can’t see the forest for the trees.’

It comes back to you. Do you have the courage to surrender? Do you have the courage to surrender your identities that you have worked so hard for? Can you forgive? And most importantly can you forgive yourself? Can you begin to see the past rather than continually reliving it?

Consider where you were last year at this time. Are you in the same position? Have you lived your life in the past year to arrive back at the same point? If this is the case then you have missed the call to be a better and more aligned You.

What happens when we place flowers in a vase? They eventually wilt and die and we go in search of new flowers to place in the vase. However if flowers are planted in the right circumstances they will continue to bloom year after year. You are the soil. You can choose to supply yourself with the necessary focus for growth.

So often when we reach a place that we think is satisfactory for us, we become stagnant and just like the flowers in the vase we are beautiful for a while but not for long.

Choosing to take time to be in the present moment is how we get the nutrients needed for the flower to continually bloom. We have to love ourselves enough to take the time to be with ourselves.

It is a denying of the illusion of reality. The illusion being that the past and future should be a part of our present experience.

When you choose to take time for yourself there is an inevitable peace to be found. A beautiful joy... a calming serenity. You are free...

Do you have the courage to be in a state of love?

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Emotions- You Can Choose!

2009-06-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

‘An emotion usually represents an amplified and energized thought pattern, and because of its often overpowering energetic charge, it is not easy initially to stay present enough to be able to watch it. It wants to take you over, and it usually succeeds – unless there is enough presence in you.’

Eckhart Tolle

We choose.

We choose to allow our emotions to control us or we observe and use them as a guidance system.

Anger, one of our most volatile emotions is simply showing us that we are in the grasp of the ego and are justifying our inability to forgive. There has to be some outcome or recognition first before our anger begins to subside. When we are in the result of the emotion of anger we usually do not care what the outcome is so long as there is some acknowledgement in some way that we are right and someone else has done something wrong.

If we choose to return to the present moment we can recognise the emotion rather than be controlled by it. Sometimes even good emotions can be addictive and we can throw ourselves off balance, for instance in the case of someone that constantly looks for the next adrenaline rush.

There can be a healthy balance and when you step back and observe the emotion you can begin to ask why you feel a certain way or why you are attracting this emotion.

When we are overwhelmed with emotion we can often begin to react in an unconscious manner, for instance, losing our temper or acting on impulse demonstrating compulsive behaviour.

Our emotions are our guidance system. Are we moving in a direction that brings us closer and in alignment with our higher joy? Or are we reacting in a way that is somehow preserving a thought or aspect of the ego.

When we are able to step back into the present moment we can choose to realign or to continue in alignment with joy.

This does not always mean just doing whatever makes you happy because if this is your choice, without consideration for surrounding people, you can also induce feelings of guilt or greed for instance.

The trick is to deny the ego that temporary moment of satisfaction. Stand back and disidentify. Choose the direction that is healing, forgiving and balanced. Step into the present where you are nothing more than that moment and the answer will come to you.

Surrender.

When we are feeling negative emotions we can often find that more and more negative thoughts and ideas start to flood into our minds, constantly feeding the ego. I want to share with you what can happen when you choose to flood your mind with love and appreciation in the same speed that we can so easily find ourselves bringing negative thoughts and ideas into our experience.

The following video shares the wisdom of Abraham in a ‘Rampage of Appreciation'.

Subscribers please visit blog to watch video

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

SSG Talk Show - 'A Course in Miracles' Episode #12

2009-06-06T04:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share the second synopsis I have written for my friends at Soul Solutions Healing Group. The team are in their 12th week of their radio show and are currently discussing the Workbook Lessons from 'A Course In Miracles'. Their listeners are growing every week and the show is great for a lighthearted and informative discussion.You can follow the links to access the show or use the Blogtalk Radio badge on this blog.

Hello everyone!

We would like to share that Episode #12 of the SSG Talk Show is now available for listening/download. You may access the show for free on the SSG Team Blog, via iTunes, as well as at our show's Blogtalkradio address.

This week, Todd and Ronnie discussed Lesson #36 following a discussion about commitment and surrender. The show aired for 1.5 hours.

Todd and Ronnie began the show by celebrating 3 months airing of SSG Talk Show. This led to discussing the power of commitment and surrender.

It is important that we act in a way that serves God, ourselves and others in a way that is joyful. If we act in a way that brings us joy it will also bring joy to others. When we are committed spiritually, we notice that we maintain more of a centred feeling instead of being pulled out of alignment and seeing that our commitment soon becomes an obligation. Surrender to joy and tap into the inner self.It is a spiritual renewing through truthful self expression.

Commitment is surrender in a spiritual sense. Commitment is measured by our willingness to surrender. We should embrace, accept and welcome commitment and surrender wholeheartedly. This is why it feels refreshing and brings a sense of strengthening pathways, ties and connections.

If we surrender to God, we will always move in the right direction which will remove any guilt we feel as we return to our spiritual center and are no longer separated from God. Through acceptance of a situation we remove any resistance and allow action that is in alignment with our true self. This surrendered action allows an entirely new expression to come through and brings new joyful experience. Surrender your agenda, become flexible and embrace the challenges life presents us with.

Take daily routine and activities and consciously choose to use them as an exercise in surrender. Immerse ourselves emotionally and consciously to these activities. If we surrender we will find our joy. When we are focussed on higher joy being out of reach, we will never find what is within our grasp. If we are reacting negatively, choose a different reaction and let it go. By doing this we create access to our higher joy right now, in the present moment. The only higher joy we can have is what we have right now. This moment is the only moment we can experience our higher joy.

Continued practice of surrender and allowing ourselves to be led somewhere inside allows our experience to become something different. Our agendas are not always the most efficient use of our time. Often surrender can be the most effective way to use time. With surrender a new priority list will arise and one that is more effective for spiritual growth. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide our agendas as to when things have to be done. Surrender our agendas and welcome the present moment. We offer better service and receive deeper insight by fully investing ourselves into what is happening right in front of us. Choosing to focus on one thing at a time relieves any feeling of being overwhelmed. If anything is worth addressing, it is worth giving your attention to it for that moment.

The only pressure we have is the pressure we place on ourselves. When we feel negative we can remind ourselves that this is not our joy and consciously place ourselves back into alignment of our higher joy.

Spiritual mentors, friends or anybody that we go to for balance, roundness or support benefits us most when they are centered. How is it that they make us feel better? It is the presence they hold for us. We respond to calm and centeredness if we are off balance. Through someone just listening to us their presence can transmute to us and this helps to bring us back to the present moment.

Focus opens doors to express God’s love. When someone opens to us we feel the love of God, creation and all energy. Focus is an expression of love.

Future and past are false realities and the present is the only real reality. When we focus on the future or the past this is the faculty of ego. We have very little influence over the past or the future because our power is in the Now. Completion of our agendas is not important. What is important is the focus and the movement into the present moment as we are doing whatever we are focussed on. One of the highest forms of service is to remain in the present moment in front of someone.

We are spiritual and become more present because of our spirituality. Our presence is an effect of our spirituality.

Lesson #36 ‘My holiness envelops everything I see.’

When working with focus and presence we are coming more from spirit than ego. Ego wants us to be scattered. Holiness starts with presence. Everything within is the cause and what is outside is the effect. If something does not exist within us we would not be able to perceive it outside of us.

Perception is the bridge between the spiritual and the physical. Our holiness created what is around us and there is no part of us that is not within our surroundings as our surroundings are an effect of what is within us.

There is no time in spirit and because there is no time there is no distance. As we are one, our perception is more than our perception of how near or far something is - it is us, right now. Our holiness envelops close things as well as distant things. It envelops what is in you and what is in others. Your holiness envelops all that is in the universe. You hold all that is within you in the same instance that another person can hold all that is within them. This is the unity of all things, simply because I Am.

Being sinless is not so much a matter of forgetting, it is simply a matter of loving ourselves. It does not matter what we did in the past or what we may do in the future because past and future are false realities. What is important is finding a place where we love ourselves right now, in the present moment. Being sinless means seeing and feeling yourself with love.

Forgiveness happens right now. Loving ourselves for what has occurred happens right now. Many people react from experience instead of the present moment. When you see the Now, there are no triggers of the past or concerns for the future. Being focussed in the present is allowing the flow of love which is joy and expression of God’s love.

Sinless or not? You can not be a little sinful. If we have not forgiven ourselves or we see ourselves as sinful to any degree right now, we perceive ourselves as having sin.

Perception:

Anything that we see outside of ourselves we see through ourselves first. So anything we think we see we are seeing the light shining through us. If we think of ourselves as being a prism we are seeing the light through ourselves first and transmuting it out. In order to see anything at all we need to see it within first. Images and perceptions have to come through us first. If we are the prism and if light must shine through us then we are the creator of all color, and if everything must come through us then we are the creator of all we see and all we experience because we are creating the color. Perception is what happens in us that allows us to be able to see the color.

By changing within we can change the filter we place over our projections. What we are going through on the inside characterizes those images and projections. Sometimes we focus more on the projection rather than the projector itself.

'The Power of Now' read by Eckhart Tolle Pt1

2009-06-04T04:35:00.000-07:00

Eckhart Tolle reads 'The Power of Now'. You can follow on by clicking on the YouTube icon on the video which will take you to the following parts.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Subscribers please visit blog to watch video.

Introduction to 'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle

2009-06-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

‘You are here to enable the divine purpose of the universe to unfold. That is how important you are!’

Eckhart Tolle

Tolle begins this prequel to ‘A New Earth’ with an insight into how his suffering brought about his acceptance of there being another way to live. He brings an excitement to suffering that can only be embraced with hindsight. Without an understanding of the necessity of suffering as a path to enlightenment, in the moment of the suffering there will be pain. However when you are able to accept suffering as being neither good nor bad your perception on your world and what you can do in it dramatically shifts.

This book is obviously not one to be rushed. Take the time to be focussed on the act of reading as a conscious decision to bring you into the present. Tolle offers ways that we can begin to become conscious of our surroundings and come into the ‘Now’ by using our routine duties as an opportunity to become present. By allowing ourselves to consider all senses during an activity we can bring a beautiful sense of peace and experience.

This brings us to the idea of ‘watching the thinker’. When you are able to create space between yourself and the experience, there is a shift in perception. When you are truly able to observe yourself doing your hair, or washing the dishes for instance it becomes a completely different experience.

This is Tolle’s simple message. Slow down. Become conscious. Become awre of the sights, sounds and smells that surround you. Release yourself from the constant talking in your mind. By doing this you will still think, but it will become constructive thinking.

The place to start is by recognizing that you are thinking. You can become conscious of your thoughts by pausing for a minute and listening to what you are thinking about. Incessant thinking will always bring you out of the present and cause you to be thinking of the past or the future. Sometimes our thoughts and stories have become automatic and this is a great exercise to put yourself in a position to question them.

This is a gentle introduction to ‘The Power of Now’ and a great place to begin.

Slow and conscious wins the race!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

A Reflection on 'A New Earth'

2009-05-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

Tolle has given us beautiful insight and direction in finding what it is that we are here for and how we can begin to reflect this understanding through our conscious awareness of it.

Right now humanity is experiencing a major shift and collapse of the egoic world. Corporations and banking systems are collapsing, credit is unavailable, the car industry is folding and the world is united in fear, anger and loss. (That’s if you watch the news)

However, with acceptance of this and the understanding of the necessity for this to happen we can still find joy.

How do we do this? How, with all the pain and anguish that is being felt at the moment can we be expected to feel joyful or peaceful? And is it disrespectful or ignorant not to share the grief that is being felt at the moment?

Some may say yes.

Others know that this is a beautiful opportunity for new growth as a planet and a collective consciousness.

We are watching the inevitable expansion of consciousness. We, as humanity are learning. Nothing that is built on a foundation without love or the ability to benefit all concerned will long endure. Our outer world is beginning to reflect our inner world.

We are finding that our outer world will reflect our inner world when we choose to make the inner world a priority. The joy and peace that we are all searching for cannot come from the world, it will flow from our inner world and move toward growing and expanding consciousness. This is the only true purpose; the purpose of the present moment. The present moment is your purpose, because all things flow from it. And as more of us come together with the understanding and desire to create a world built on the foundation of love and compassion, the weaker the egoic world will become. It is a beautiful time to realise that we are beginning to understand the same things and have risen to the challenge to create a better future for us and for the generations to come.

The easiest way, for us today, to begin to become conscious is to slow down, become aware of our surroundings, our feelings, our reactions. When our inner world becomes our priority we will begin to see the world in a new light. We will accept that we are living in a cycle of life that is continuous and transformative. This is the only life that will bring you the satisfaction you are looking for. The acceptance of everything in it and the ability to see love in everything is the beginning of awakening.

This may be hard to swallow at first, but with practice this will become your default vision. You will become the observer. An observer of form.

And most beautifully - you will understand that we are one.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Our Next Book! 'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle

2009-05-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

The poll is completed and our next book is 'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle. We will begin reading 'The Power of Now' from the 1st June.

'A New Earth' was so enlightening and I am looking forward to discussions with you about our new book.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

SSG Talk Show - A Course In Miracles Workbook Lessons 30 & 31

2009-05-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

I wrote this review for my friends at Soul Solutions Healing Group and thought I would share it with you. The team are in their 9th week of their radio show and are currently discussing the Workbook Lessons from 'A Course In Miracles'. Their listeners are growing every week and the show is great for a lighthearted and informative discussion.You can follow the links to access the show or use the Blogtalk Radio badge on this blog.

Hello everyone!

We would like to share that Episode #9 of the SSG Talk Show is now available for listening/download. You may access the show for free on the SSG Team Blog, via iTunes, as well as at our show's Blogtalkradio address.

This week, Todd and Ronnie discussed Lessons 30 & 31 following the subjects that arose while surrendering to spirit. The show aired for 1.5 hours with approximately one hour discussing ‘Lesson 30’ and the remaining half an hour discussing ‘Lesson 31’.

Lesson #30 ‘God is in everything I see because God is in my mind’

Lesson 30 expands on previous lessons and continues to build upon them. It speaks about a new kind of projection of perception. If we merely perceive the world with our eyes, we become more susceptible to the laws of this world because this world is an effect of our perception of it. We don’t need physical eyes for internal vision which is the only true reality. If we are seeing from a God perspective, we are seeing God’s vision through the eyes of love and we are seeing as God would have us see the world. The more love and compassion that is expressed, the more of God’s vision is seen. If God is in us and we are choosing to acknowledge Him it is easier to see God in everything, as your world is reliant on your perception of it.

What we see in the world is an effect of our perception of it. When we continually react to the world, then we have forgotten that we have created the world as we see it. This brings with it the thought that if I am the creator of my world, through my perception, then I am the source of my world. If I am the source of my world then God is in everything I see because God is in my mind. It is the ego that creates the false reality, and remembering this helps to keep us spiritually centred. The more we become aware of this, the more natural this perception becomes to us.

When we listen to someone’s perspective, we gain an idea of how they perceive the world and also how they perceive themselves. How we view the world is how we view ourselves inside. With this in mind we can truly understand how we view God. How we view ourselves is the only way to truly see as the rest is an effect of that view.

Todd spoke about 2 levels of living. One level is just seeing and reacting to circumstances and situations and the other level is choosing your perception. We can’t separate how we see God from how we see ourselves.

When asking the question ‘Why does God do this?’ or ’Why does God allow this to happen?’ we find that the real question is ‘Why do I have this perception?’ Many people use God as a scapegoat, but we have created our image of God. When people ask these questions about God they are so revealing, as these statements always say I am not ready to take responsibility and would rather start blaming things or situations on God. Once we start to take responsibility, we start opening doors for new learning.

We can lock ourselves into a perception because we would rather not give an explanation that is not blaming God. When issues of morality come up interesting things come out of people. In essence we can hear someone saying that what God did is not right. We each have our own perspective. We are sometimes so caught up in the stress and disappointments we create for ourselves that we are not aware that there is another perspective, and ACIM is about untying these perspectives. We have the option to decide how we will let any situation affect us. We are a product of our reactions. Our reactions become our experiences.

Where does real vision come from? It is the vision inside of us that determines our success.

Ego stimulates fear so that it can impose some sort of limitation and keep us choosing that thought. The actual thought is meaningless but it is an invitation from the ego to choose where we will place the energy of that thought. In the moment the ego knows your vulnerabilities choose to deny the ego. The reason those thoughts arise is because the ego knows that when we are weak a fear can be placed in the mind. When we are standing in our power we see that these thoughts are not legitimate or real. Fleeting thoughts may cross our mind and we can choose to make them into something or choose to go into another direction and deny the ego power. The ego needs fear to strengthen itself. The ego is our fear, separation, competition, anger and anytime we give that concept our energy we are feeding our ego. We have consciousness, and our consciousness can be used for many things. Victimization consumes our consciousness. If we free up our consciousness and get centred and surrender to the Holy Spirit we will change our programming and the ego will be pushed away. We will reconnect with spirit and become grounded again.

When we are able to get to the point of being able to see everything with God in it, we will have extraordinary vision, which is what this lesson is starting to introduce us to.

Lesson#31 ‘I am not the victim of the world I see’

When we detach and step back from a situation we free ourselves from the ego so that we are not being victimized by the ego.

This lesson ties in with living in expectation, desire and a need to control. The more we feel we are a victim, the more stress and disappointment we create for ourselves. How much of our lives do we spend in expectation? If there has been a disappointment and we choose to monitor our reaction to it, we will recognize when we are living in expectation. When we react negatively to a situation, it shows us that we have fears and expectations, which may include fear of the world seeing that we are not in control in our false reality. Anytime there is a setback it shows us that we are living in a state of expectation, which is a form of control. Living in acceptance gives us the freedom to live with our higher consciousness.

Expectation and disappointment are closely related. Think about times when we are in situations that upset us. We play the victim role when we move out of our spiritual center. Anger may appear to feel more powerful because we are exerting force, which can be looked upon as a show of strength but it is really a show of fear.

Respond to life with compassion. If we can, it releases so many fears and allows us to become conscious of our choices and surrender for a better version of God’s vision. See with love; react with love instead of reacting out of fear. When ego responds, the first thing it blocks is compassion and compassion is one of the highest expressions of God. The ego needs us to choose the ego. This is why detachment and centering are so important to spiritual success. Being able to step back is how we become aware that we do have choices.

Eckhart Tolle - 'Responsibility'

2009-05-08T01:43:00.000-07:00

After reading 'A New Earth' and understanding the concept of living in the present moment, I thought it would be interesting to hear Tolle speak about the role responsibility plays.

There can often be excuses for not being able to take the time to focus on your true self as there are time commitments and responsibilities to work and family... but there is a way.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

'A New Earth' by Eckhart Tolle

2009-05-05T06:31:00.001-07:00

‘If you find this book incomprehensible or meaningless, it has not yet happened to you. If something within you responds to it, however, if you somehow recognize the truth in it, it means the process of awakening has begun.’

Eckhart Tolle - ‘A New Earth’

We are coming nearer to the end of ‘A New Earth’. It is my hope that this book has been able to trigger an awareness of how you function in this world and the choices that are available to you. Over the next few weeks we will decide what we would like to read next, and I will create a poll so that we can vote for our next book.

The truth of Tolle’s concepts cannot be told to someone. Everyone needs to discover this awakening on their own and in their own time. The only way to share this idea is through guidance and direction backed with the hope that it will click into place for the seeker.

I hope that by sharing this book I have been able to share some ideas that have changed my life and my perception of it. When it does click into place, it is so exciting that you will want to share it with everyone. I have however found that by shouting it from the mountain tops does not work. When it is the right time, the awakening will begin. So do not be disappointed if others are not ready to share your insights, instead hope that one day they will, and lead by example.

Remember to take time to focus on the present moment. We are here to experience a world that stimulates our five senses. Enjoy it! And enjoy it from the perspective of your true self, the observer.

When you are wondering what your purpose is, focus on what you are doing at that moment and make that your purpose. It is incredibly empowering to free yourself from the past and the future for a time.

Make time to be with yourself. Understand yourself. Let go and enjoy the ride! Everything is as it is, and when you think it is not as it should be, then accept the challenge and allow your spirit to grow. In all conflicts there is a calling to become a stronger and more loving you.

Remember, there are 2 ways to act – in love or in fear. It is really that simple. And when you consciously choose to practice working from a place of love, you will soon enjoy the peace that is to be found in Tolle’s description of ‘A New Earth’.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Guest Writer - Todd Schaefer

2009-04-24T04:34:00.000-07:00

This is the second part of an article written by Todd. You can read Part I first by clicking here

Spiritual Surrender Part II - by Todd Schaefer

I Control My Life

I discover more each day about how surrender works in my life. With this awareness, I’ve noticed how much I attempt to control my life. When things have looked uncertain and felt fearful, my tendency has been to attempt to control. I’ve done it without even realizing it. When I have felt out of control within myself, I have tried to control another person’s behavior, which was my ego feeling the most threatened. Some of my ego’s games are its insistence on doing things its way, its intellectual dominance games, or its just plain whining.

As I’ve begun to realize how controlling things has not made my life work, I began to make correlations among what I was controlling, how much I was controlling it, and how controlling it created discord as a result. Learning to become aware of these minute control mechanisms is staggering to realize. When I became disgusted enough with my controlling behaviors and their resulting stagnancy, I made a more serious choice to surrender.

Control vs. Surrender

Control is the opposite of surrender. But to what degree are we aware of the controlling behaviors that we do? The best choice I can recommend is to continually “check in,” asking the Holy Spirit for guidance. Stating, “I surrender this or that” can be very helpful to create the right kind of atmosphere for learning, and it leads to better results. Letting go of agendas and the need for attention or approval are two examples of how we can become cognizant of what it is we are attempting to dissolve.

I’ve observed how some things in my life have developed and other things have not. The things that were not developing which I wanted to develop, I realized that I had fear about them. I had become so sick of the same patterns recycling that I couldn’t stand it any longer, but a solution never seemed to come. Development never seemed to blossom regarding certain things. Then I began to recognize that I was telling myself that I was always “developing so much” that I realized…I wasn’t?

I chose to surrender deeply, because I felt I had no other choice. No other choice led me anywhere. I said, “God/Holy Spirit, I do not know the answer. I’ve surrendered before, but I didn’t do it fully or it didn’t seem to last. I have no clue how to get through this. Please guide me through it. I want to mature. I want to give up fear.” The words I used were not important, but the desire and the choice that I had made was important.

Weeks later, as I remained committed to my vow to practice surrender and not fall back into old patterns, I began noticing myself making little discoveries. These “blips” began slowly coming through onto my radar screen of consciousness. There was a flicker of the awareness to address something differently. Or a new thought that never before occurred about how to address something better came into my awareness. I noticed all kinds of previously unidentifiable defense mechanisms which seemed perfectly normal before (or that I deemed “a part of who I am”), but I began to recognize that they were blockages.

I felt compelled to act on those opportunities before the dim candle was doused by my mental momentum. You see, I saw differently the temptation to validate myself through dealing with x,y,z in my old ways arising in me. So often, my ego wants to validate myself through whatever I address. It wants to make itself stronger through anything I do, if I am unaware of its influence. This holds true for my dislikes and my likes. To ego, it is better that we “know” exactly how we stand on an issue so that we don’t get caught in the uncomfortable situation of “not knowing what we think” in a world that demands that we do.

I Know Nothing

Surrender is the choice that I gave my mind which allowed me the possibility to reach a new level. It still occurs, and it occurs slowly. New light continues to come into my aperture. Ever hear of the phrase, “I know nothing?” It took me a while to learn what it meant. It means to empty yourself of what you think you know, and allow the Holy Spirit/God/Inner Self to teach you. It means to empty yourself of your agenda, and to allow the Holy Spirit/God to teach you His agenda. This means not only learning how to listen to the God voice within us, but also learning how to recognize and deny the ego voice.

We seem to put emphasis on developing the undistinguished inner voice and all of the white magic surrounding it, but what about stopping the ego’s voice as it uses the very thing it has taught us to prize to continually let itself into the back door of our minds?

It seems to be our nature as humans to discover the “valuable” part of us, but then once we are happy with what we’ve discovered, we allow our ego to slowly close our aperture once again. What I mean is, when we have found what we liked about us, we run the risk of allowing ego to praise us for what we have discovered. Ego tells us “we now know.” Then, we no longer have room to receive anything more – because the ego-mind has convinced us that we think we now know. In a certain manner of speaking, “knowing more” by ourselves alone is what creates this separation from God.

Ever meet a “know-it-all?” I’ve taken on that role before, but I was unaware of the separation it caused between my Inner Self and my physical self. Why does it seem so lonely at the top? Because when we “know it all,” we close our aperture. We literally let in less light. We close our minds and our hearts to some degree. We’ve become complacent with what we know, and although valuable and validated by the world, being a know-it-all isolates us if we know it by ourselves alone. Should the cost of becoming an expert be so steep?

The Surrendered Expert

I’ve discovered that when spiritual desire is the primary part of self-discovery, the type of expert that a person becomes is what I would call a “surrendered expert.” A surrendered expert (or teacher) is someone who is not attached to the results of serving you. A surrendered expert is someone who points you to love, not to him or her. A surrendered expert is someone who, even though they may have expertise in a given field, is still open to others’ perspectives.

When we attain expertise at a given thing and we eventually seem to use no faculties of mind concentration in order to achieve it, when our experience melds with our gifts and we trust our talents - we are surrendered. When we surrender, we allow the Inner Self to spiritually blend with the waking consciousness without the interference of the ego-mind. Surrender is what allows us to feel peaceful instead of wanting, appreciative instead of jealous, content instead of anxious, compassionate instead of suspicious, and detached instead of expecting. Curiously, ego can masquerade these comparisons as being similar on the surface, giving the illusion of growth, but not the reality of it.

Surrendered Trust

When we choose to step back spirit steps forward. We could call it “surrendered trust.” In surrendered trust, peace begins to replace our discontent. In surrendered trust, we don’t magnify problems in order to seek unconscious resolution because of our upset. In surrendered trust, we don’t cover up our discouragement and feeling of lack with affirmative platitudes as we try to manifest something. Manifesting occurs without effort when we surrender. In surrendered trust, we also give without expecting anything in return.

Surrendered Giving

What is real giving, by the way? Is it expecting something in return? No. Is it succumbing to social conditioning and the resulting guilt of not giving? No. Surrendered giving is giving because we are at peace and we feel peaceful by giving. Surrendered giving is sharing because we have something to share, not take. When we give something for psychological gratification or social (guilt) conditioning, we are taking, not giving. It is a game of the ego-mind. I would even go as far to say that if we are not giving peace, we’re not giving anything at all.

Surrendered Expression

Surrender accesses our natural communications with our Inner Self. (We’ve been speaking a great deal about the Inner Self, Surrender and A Course in Miracles on our SSG Talk Shows.) When we speak or express from the heart, for example, we are creating a surrendered expression. We are in a state of surrender. Notice how you feel good when you speak from your heart. That’s real communication from your Inner Self! Surrendered expression can occur through talking, painting, dancing, basket weaving, Olympic Ice Curling - you name it! If our heart is in it, it’s a surrendered expression.

Un-Surrendered Living: Spiritual Development vs. Ego Development

Ever have times when you could not stop thinking? I cannot emphasize enough the following sentence: We think to avoid experiencing and feeling. We put more importance on thinking than feeling. We tend to forward our development in ways that we feel we can bring through our identity. Then, we have to figure out how to present that identity to others so that they know we’re fulfilling that role we say that we are doing. We go to great lengths to put our identity out to the world without truly putting our Inner Self out there. That’s the surrendered difference.

The Surrendered Difference

We know very little about life beyond pretensions and conditioning. We don’t know what it’s like to live 24/7 in surrender. If we surrender, we think that we’ll be attacked if we put ourselves out there. (Newsflash: “Nobody cares!!” I’ve told myself that exclamation hundreds of times to trick me into taking another step that stretched my comfort zone. It works great!) We still think it’s better to think instead of experience, to speak instead of be silent and to go faster instead of slower. We are so busy proving ourselves to each other, and we are also so busy proving ourselves to ourselves that we rarely remember that there is anything deeper than the mind. But there is.

The Irony of Surrender: Manifesting Change

The nature of surrender is unmistakably ironic. The ironic thing about surrender that many of us are still in the process of learning is that if we want change, we need to surrender the change, not try to control the thing we want changed. Why does the change we want not change when we try to manifest change so much? It’s usually because we are blocking the change, attached to the change, or the change isn’t what our Inner Self desires (which often conflicts with what the ego wants). Here’s the other half of it. When we surrender the need for controlling the change, the resistance we feel leaves us.

“I feel the resistance leaving me as I surrender. That’s weird. I thought I needed that object/thing?” you say. The irony is not that we wanted change but we did not get it. The irony is that the very foundation with which we do the wanting is not real.

“Why can’t I manifest?” underneath the truth magnifying glass is translated as, “I don’t trust God or myself.” When we do trust, we don’t count the days on the calendar. Time has nothing to do with our salvation.

The good thing is, it’s the ego that doesn’t trust, not the real you. Isn’t it interesting how the wanting for more reveals the truth within our illusions? We say we’re not “getting what we asked for,” but we are indeed receiving it! We are creating and receiving the opportunity to gain the awareness of why our life isn’t working the way we think it should so that we can have what God wants for us. We just need to recognize and trust Him and ourselves. (“Should” is an ego word, by the way, because it implies “agenda.”)

When we have truthfully surrendered, change will happen if we’ve asked for it. If it’s not the change we expected, surrender will ensure our peace, regardless. When we have truthfully surrendered, the change we tried to control is no longer in our mind. If we have surrendered, we have found peace…we have given our minds to God.

Real Solutions: Surrendering Our Minds

A solution of the mind arrives at the level of the mind. The mind may appear to dissolve a problem, but it merely prolongs the problem. The problem is the un-surrendered mind. When we believe we are creating a solution, we are merely negotiating internally as to what we will accept or not accept. We take inventory of our value systems, fears and we explore contingencies. Our unhappiness does not come from our life situations. It comes from trying to create a solution in the mind. Surrender is what gets us out of the mind and into the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Salvation and solution do not exist at the level of the mind. We cannot think our way out of our problems. Thinking may facilitate our acceptance, but it doesn’t create solution. A real solution heals the mind and returns it to God through surrendering to the Holy Spirit. A real solution creates peace. A surrendered mind is at peace, not compromised.

Daily Intentions

As often as I can remember, I make daily intentions for myself to give up my control over everything, especially anything that gives me concern. If something is meant to happen, it will happen more quickly through the Holy Spirit working through me than through my unconscious fearful interference - controlling it. If action is required, it will be surrendered action, not fear-based action.

I make no decisions by myself. I listen in silence for instructions. I focus all my attention on what is happening now. I experience my life with ease. I step back and I allow You, Holy Spirit/Holy Father to lead the way. I allow You to teach me love and compassion for myself and for others. Dear God, remind me…check in, check in, check in.

©2009 Todd Schaefer

Todd is the founder of the Soul Solutions Healing Group, which features a team offering widely, varied spiritual writings from many different voices serving as a profound teaching and learning instrument for a wide variety of audiences. You can find out more about Todd and the team at SSG by visiting their website and blog.

Visit: Soul Solutions Healing Group Website

Visit: SSG Team Blog

Aligning Purposes

2009-04-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

‘As soon as you rise above mere survival, the question of meaning and purpose becomes of paramount importance in your life.’

Eckhart Tolle

There are times when you may find yourself disenchanted with life. Maybe you are tired of your job, or find yourself on auto-pilot as you scurry around aimlessly trying to make ends meet. Survival mode takes over and consumes every part of your life.

As this happens, more and more negative ideas and thoughts start to pile on top of each other, you find that you can’t think straight or even stretch yourself to a smile, until eventually something inside you says ‘You have to stop.’ Listen to that ‘inside something’.

When you feel like this, you are out of alignment. Your inner and outer purposes are not matching up. You may feel that if only you had this, or if you only had that, then you would feel happy again.

This doesn’t have to be a problem.

In the first instance it is only a problem because you have labelled it to be a problem. Secondly, you have to get honest with yourself. Ask yourself ‘Why?’

There are always times when life seems to be on the up and up and it is only a question of balance that demands a little down time.

One thing to remember is that everything you do is a choice. You actually choose to stay in a place that is not in alignment with your true self. Upon hearing this statement, you may already be hearing the excuses. The truth of the matter is that the ‘down’ situation you find yourself in, somehow works for you.

Now you get to choose. Are going to make it different? Maybe it calls for enough honesty to admit to yourself that you have an addiction to something. An addiction is only an unconscious action. When you become aware of that and aware of the thoughts that come to defend that action, then and only then, can you begin to heal.

Once you find yourself focussed on your inner purpose, you will inevitably start to see that your outer purpose is starting to align with your true self.

If you find you are in survival mode, make a choice to do one thing that works on your inner purpose. Become aware of your surroundings and reactions to situations through breathing consciously and creating a space between you and the situation.

Take the pressure off yourself. You don’t have to do it all in one day. In fact you don’t have to do anything at all. It has, is and will always be... your choice!

Time to accept your freedom!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Book Review - 'Lessons from the Source' by Jack Armstrong

2009-04-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

‘You are one with the entire universe—its substance, its intelligence, its activity. This means that at your essence is the very essence of the universe. This is who and what you are, and this is true for every human being. You are an expression of my divinity, where all is in order.’

Jack Armstrong

Jack presents us with a beautifully simplistic and thought provoking guide to navigating your spiritual journey. He has been transcribing messages from an unknown inner source through the medium of inner dictation for over three decades, and the teachings in ‘Lessons from the Source’ were received over a three month period in 1995.

These lessons have remained tucked away safely in a drawer, until recently deciding that it was time to share these insights.

Through surrender and recognition of the importance of the message, Jack has been able to share these lessons through writing with focus on many of those great spiritual questions we all have.

Throughout this book, there is a strong focus on accessing your good and beginning to understand the goodness that is your divine birthright.

Jack shares a message that is absolutely captivating, as he takes you through a journey that speaks personally to the reader, who I am sure, will often find themselves pausing to reflect on the lessons that may be applied to their lives.

Covering topics such as patience, blessings and goodness in situations, the teachings Jack received during his journey of inner dictation are proof of the wisdom that is to be found in surrendered stillness. And the resonating warmth of the message Jack shares, helps guide you to the place that will return you to your natural state of inner peace.

Jack Armstrong is an explorer on the spiritual path whose life's journey has included stops as a nonprofit executive, Peace Corps volunteer, congressional candidate, small business owner, voiceover artist and hospice volunteer. He lives in Portland, Oregon, and strives to practice the lessons he shares in this book.

To find out more about Jack, read excerpts for 'Lessons from the Source', and to buy the book visit: Lessons from the Source or check out the video below of a brief interview with Jack discussing his book and how the messages came to him.

VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH JACK ARMSTRONG

Learning About Each Other - Raja Yoga Meditation

2009-04-10T06:14:00.000-07:00

I thought it might be interesting to start a blog section where we are able to learn about, and from, each other. This post comes courtesy of Rosemary Turberville who is sharing an interview with Didi Sudesh, a senior member of the Brahma World Spirituality University. You can find out more about Raja Yoga meditation by following the links below. If you would like to share something about your belief system, please feel free to contact me.

Julieanne

For over 50 years Didi Sudesh has been an outstanding lecturer, teacher and broadcaster on meditation and spirituality. She has been invited to address international conferences, co-ordinate workshops and run seminars in over 80 countries.

She has the unique ability of crossing cultural differences, serving as a bridge between East and West. Born in North India in 1942, her ambition since early childhood has been to follow a spiritual path and serve humanity. Her teaching abilities were evident from childhood, when unique circumstances made her headmistress of a girl’s school at the age of 16. She is the European Director of the Brahma Kumaris, based in Germany.

What does it mean to cope?

Around the world people are trying to cope with the challenge of insecurity whether it is their job, homes, relationships, food shortages, redundancy, crime, and more.

Q 1:- The world seems to be in a state of chaos – financial, political, environmental and social - how can we make sense of what’s going on around us?

Didi: You are right. I liken the situation to the idea of a seed that has grown into a tree but is now turning into a jungle. People are often afraid in a jungle and feel swamped by the situations they now find themselves in. These days, honest values are disappearing in every arena of the world.

In politics, few policies are followed with a true heart. Environmental pollution is the consequence of our inner pollution. All kinds of internal upheavals arise from reacting with anger and violence, etc. Someone may not be expressing violence in a physical way, but they might get upset and react with jealousy, hatred and revenge. This creates tension in the atmosphere. When minds are full of tension and negativity, communication between people is spoilt. Negative feelings create vibrations which spread into our environment. Today, our relationships often share little or no love, respect or acceptance. Wealth is also energy and when it is influenced by greed and possessiveness, it creates selfishness. This in turn gives way to corruption and blocks the flow in financial interactions resulting in suffering such as in the fear of loss.

Q 2 :- More often than not, we cannot choose the situation in which we find ourselves. So, what can we do when we find ourselves in the midst of upheaval?

Didi: Because things are happening so fast, without any warning, we need to have inner stability and self respect. To maintain our inner peace and clarity of mind it is necessary to be the ‘detached observer’. Allowing mental upheavals to influence us means our power to discern and decide gets clouded. Instead of thinking of solutions we concentrate on the problem. When we are confused it is even more important to connect ourselves with our inner qualities, inner peace and spiritual strength. It is like imagining light when it is dark or cool air when the weather is hot. A spiritual state is like being naturally connected with the values and powers of the original self, such as wisdom, peace, clarity, truth, love, stability and happiness. These inner virtues generate protective vibrations around me, which spread and influence situations and my environment as well.

Q 3 :- A friend said to me recently: “I’ve got so many people depending on me for support – how can I help them when I am struggling myself? What sort of advice would you give to her?”

Didi: The most important support I can give is to help people become aware of their own inner potential. It is said “God helps those who help themselves”. When I am dependent on others it creates ties and demands that can eventually cause tension in any relationship. The Brahma Kumaris have a motto: “Give good wishes and have pure feelings for all.” I can always help others if I have the inner qualities of true love, good wishes and respect. They will feel the vibrations of these feelings even when they don’t realise where they are coming from and the subtle connection helps. It is important never to feel guilty about not being able to help someone physically. Life is like a tree - it passes through different seasons. In winter time, there is no fruit, there are no leaves, but from the seed the tree will still bear leaves and fruit in the following season. The good wishes that people receive may actually help them to become independent in time. Later they may value what they received at a time of need.

Question 4:- When you have faced difficult times in your own life, what has helped you most – and perhaps also, what have you learned from the experience?

Didi: I have faith that each challenge comes as a lesson, to show me that I have hidden, unused values and these are opportunities to express them. With meditation and practice of Raja Yoga I become aware that life is valuable - like a diamond. A diamond becomes a diamond when it is able to take pressure. That pressure reminds me to maintain self-respect. This world is a field of action like a stage. The diamond life is like a life of a hero. A hero has to face many challenges and has the opportunity to express what he has learned through his skills, abilities and potential and yet remain a detached observer and perform his role as an actor on the stage.

Nothing ever remains the same – situations and life constantly change. Sometimes we feel unsuccessful in our efforts in life but, looking back, we can always learn from difficult situations and put those lessons into practice in the future to bring success. I have faith that the future is bright.

Another aspect Raja Yoga teaches is to connect with the true self. Maintaining the awareness that I am a soul, a living energy, an eternal being of light, I can develop a relationship with the Supreme Soul. Whenever any difficulty comes, I then have the feeling that I am under His canopy of protection. Life is a constant examination and I need to learn more and more to be qualified, to pass the examination with honour. So then difficulties are not felt as difficulties. In this way, we can easily come through anything.

Find out more For International Page

For those in the UK follow the links below.

Raja Yoga Meditation as practiced by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University is a perfect tool to bring about change in our awareness and attitude. Come and experience for yourself the benefits of meditation by visiting www.bkwsu.org/uk or telephoning 020 8727 3350 for more details and information on courses and programmes.

TWO special programmes with Didi Sudesh The Heart of the Matter [in English] Thursday 23rd April 2009 and Inner Powers for Effective Living [in Hindi] on Tuesday 28th April- for information please visit our website: www.bkwsu.org/uk/whatson

© Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (UK) Registered Charity 269971

Right Action

2009-04-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

‘The ego asks, How can I make this situation fulfill my needs or how can I get to some other situation that will fulfill my needs?’

Tolle

Whenever we are looking for solutions, it is important to remember to pause, remove yourself and the needs of the ego and the solution will come to you.

You can apply this idea to every decision you make, once you realise that it is possible to work from the present state of I Am.

So what can you do to start working in ‘right action’? To find this place of peace there are a few questions you can ask of yourself.

Am I looking for a solution that is in some way preserving an idea or situation that is not beneficial to all concerned?

How am I going to feel if I react in this way?

Is there something I can learn about myself from this situation?

Am I prepared to deny the ego?

One of the simplest ways to find solutions is to consider if everyone involved in the situation is going to benefit from your solution. As you come to the understanding that we are all here to learn something, that will become your focus instead of reacting from a place of fear or fear of loss. When you make the decision to benefit all concerned, the rewards are guaranteed to be much greater than when you are working from an angle of self-preservation.

Our emotions are a great guidance system, and if something is not sitting well with you then it is out of alignment with your true self and you can begin to work on repairing the situation by injecting a dose of presence and unconditional love. It is important not to judge a situation but to look at it as an experience that is happening and an opportunity for growth and/or forgiveness.

There is always something to learn if you are truly honest with yourself. You are an expression of your most dominant thoughts. And when a situation presents itself in your life, the wisest thing you can do is to consider it as a mirror, as it has been presented to you for a reason. And the beautiful thing is that if you miss the mark the first time, it will appear again so you will never lose your opportunity to learn. From this perspective you can understand the rewards that can come from taking a moment to be quiet and consider what is the right action, for you and the people around you.

When you accept that you can not lose when reacting in this way, you have accepted that you are on a beautiful journey and one that far surpasses anything that you could hope to preserve.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Guest Writer - Laura Erdman-Luntz

2009-04-06T04:57:00.000-07:00

Monday Morning Musings: Seeing The Miracles

Muse Upon This:

“What we see depends mainly on what we look for.” --John Lubbock

Stop. Read the quote again. Do you see how it applies in your life? Are you currently focused on the 8% unemployment or the 92% employment? Are you looking for the 17 things your mate does well or the 1 thing that drives you crazy? Are you appreciating the love your kids send you? Or noticing the mess they left behind...again. Are you looking for the 98% of drivers who are polite? Or the one who cuts you off? Are you looking for kindness in the world...everywhere?

Today, let your meter be on the positive. What is going well for you? Albert Einstein said it best with: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Are you ready to look for the miracles? Take a breath and choose to see the miracles...

Please share with us where you will be focusing and what you see!

Monday Morning feel good moment

Here is an "awww..." moment if I ever saw one! Enjoy!

Laura is a part of a group of vibrant women whose purpose is to inspire others to live their lives with enthusiasm, energy and style. You can find out more about Laura and the other Muses by following the links below.

Laura Erdman-Luntz
Yoga Educator and Life Coach

Laura@muselan.com
Www.MuseLaura.com
Www.Muselan.com
Www.AwakenToJoyProgram.com

Eckhart Tolle - The End of Suffering

2009-04-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

Eckhart Tolle speaks about how to find yourself in a position to really be able to surrender to your true self, and how suffering can be your most important teacher.

'This, Too, Will Pass'

2009-03-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

In chapter 8 of 'A New Earth', Tolle shares an ancient Sufi story with us. It is the story of a king who was tired of finding himself in extreme states of happiness or sadness and was looking to find a way to bring balance, serenity and wisdom into his life.

He sought the counsel of a wise man who was reputed to be enlightened and asked for his help, offering any price the wise man wished.

The wise man answered by stating that he could help but the price would be so great that his entire kingdom would not be sufficient payment, therefore it would be a gift as long as he honoured it.

A few weeks later the wise man returned to the king and presented him with a beautiful box decorated with jade. The king opened it and found a simple gold ring with the inscription, ‘This, too, will pass.’

The king asked, ‘What is the meaning of this?’ to which the wise man replied,

‘Wear this ring always. Whatever happens, before you call it good or bad, touch this ring and read the inscription. That way, you will always be at peace.’

‘This, too, will pass’, is a reminder that in any situation we are able to find an inner peace if we accept that a situation will not last forever. It allows us to consider a situation as being an opportunity for growth on our spiritual path.

There is so much angst and stress that can arise when we encounter a situation, label it as bad and instantly begin to feel like it will never end.

It is an opportunity to create space between you and the situation and become aware of why the situation has been presented to you. What can you learn from the situation? Has it inadvertently protected you from another situation? Is it an opportunity to face a fear, or an opportunity for forgiveness?

Conflicts are always presented to you as a way to move forward in your spiritual path. Some people like to think that if you have no problems you are not on the right path as you are not growing.

Life is an exercise in growth and learning and if you can learn to read between the lines you will always see that there is something beneficial there for you.

Make the decision to change your perspective and consider ‘bad’ situations as a sign that you are moving closer and more in alignment with your true self. And when you are working in alignment with your true self, peace with the world around you is guaranteed no matter what the situation.

Next time you feel that rising stress in your chest, take a moment to remember that ‘This, too, will pass’ and watch your perception instantly shift!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Guest Writer - Todd Schaefer

2009-03-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

Spiritual Surrender - by Todd Schaefer

We may think that ‘surrender’ and ‘giving up’ mean the same thing. But when we consider these two terms from a spiritual perspective, they are quite different.

‘Giving up’ is just what it sounds like – giving up, or quitting. However, ‘surrender’ (spiritual surrender) is letting go and accepting what is happening in our lives right now.

Spiritual surrender is a doorway to an entirely different type of living. Surrender means gracefully accepting and going with the flow of our lives. Some may think that surrendering means that we must sacrifice, or that we must accept that we can’t have what we want. This is entirely untrue. We can still choose what we want to have in our lives. The difference with surrender, however, is that after we’ve made our desired choice, we allow it to arrive to us in faith at exactly the right time, place and fashion which serve our highest and best good.

Surrender is not a concept that our ego favors because it requires patience and trust. At first, we begin surrendering only a few of our choices to the Universe. After some practice and developed trust, we may decide to surrender some bigger things – like the directions of our careers and our relationships. When we become very spiritually attuned to surrendering, we allow it to become our natural state of being, guiding all aspects of our lives. This means that every moment we live we walk in a state of surrender, trusting that everything which occurs – from the mundane to the extraordinary – is in divine right order.

Is it possible to accept that without our pushing and struggling, life will naturally and gently move us forward? The ego would not have us believe this, but letting go more often instead of attempting to control every aspect of our lives will actually promote deeper acceptance of ourselves, our friends and families, and our life situations.

We worry so much, don’t we? Under the surface of any given day, there are countless things on our minds, most of which never arrive to the surface of our consciousness, but rather, arrive to us as an underlying feeling of angst or mild emotional discomfort. We may not always know what it is, but we can feel when it’s there.

When we put our attention in this moment, without worrying about the next thing which may happen, we are creating ‘presence.’ When we choose to remain present despite thoughts that lead us out of the present moment, we are consciously surrendering to the moment, or spiritually surrendering. ‘Surrender’ and ‘presence’ are very closely related. Surrendering creates presence - and presence leads us into wanting to surrender more.

Our conscious focus on what is right in front of us is always the best thing for our growth. It may not be glamorous, but there’s always a reason for the condition of the present moment. As we practice following that thread of the present moment, we find that we begin to feel better, and our lives flow more naturally into the next moment. It can be quite easy to fall victim to the belief that something else, or someone else, or somewhere else is better for us. We tend to project ourselves into those moments, which unfortunately, we have no control over now.

Placing ourselves where we are not – whether projecting into the future and past or creating cosmetic substitutions for ourselves - we almost always lead ourselves to disillusion and dissatisfaction. Our projection of ourselves into somewhere or something that we are naturally not, causes (energetic) misalignment.

We are no strangers to the types of neuroses of the mind and ailments of the body which can develop when we subject ourselves to any misalignment for extended periods of time. The process is always the same – energetic misalignment first, manifested misalignment second. Whether mild or severe, these misalignments eventually have a wear and tear effect on our feelings. For example, when focusing on the past or future for too long instead of the present, we tend feel somewhat desensitized or empty in our feelings. Things that used to feel full and fresh to us begin to fade. The more non-present we become, the more prone we are to seek outer stimuli to compensate for this lack of presence and feeling.

Our spirit knows, and tells us when we are out of alignment in our feelings. It’s built in – we can’t screw this up. When we’re out of alignment, we don’t feel good. When we are in alignment, we do feel good. When we don’t have the answers, our feelings still guide us correctly and appropriately. A deep, built-in technology in us always knows the appropriate direction to lead us – but we must surrender in order to access it fully.

There is infinite intelligence in our feelings, intelligence that transcends the boundaries of time and space. This intelligence will always be superior to the mind in functionality, efficiency and effectiveness. Feelings are products of the soul and spirit - emotions are products of the mind. Feelings are based on our inherent, deep inner truth; emotions are literally “disturbances.” Silencing the mind can assist us in reaching our feelings which sometimes reside beneath the surface of our consciousness, depending on our alignment. And surrender, of course, is the first step in silencing the mind.

Surrender is an easy concept to understand but difficult to live. Studying and living surrender quickly brings to awareness what we are dealing with – trusting versus controlling, believing versus manipulating, having faith versus having problems.

You will notice as we observe the mind that we teach it how to have problems, and spend the rest of our lives mentally overcoming them. Surrendering, however, will transcend the programming of the mind by literally creating an energetic accordance between what is truthfully you and what is just another product of the mind. In other words, we can’t expect to create a real solution at the level of the mind, when the mind created the problem. Our surrendering, our going higher, our accessing of a higher energy and consciousness is what creates a solution. This will be truthful for any problem’s solution: In order to have a “real” solution, we must come from an energy that is higher than the problem. Ergo, if we want real change, we must access a part of us that is bigger than the mind. Surrendering and silencing the mind will promote the awareness that we are more than our mind, and we are not bound by its limitation and control over our consciousness.

Surrender is for everyone. The technology that surrender puts us into touch with is built into us all, and our expanding consciousness is the result – awareness. Awareness is the reason, the birthright of everyone: the young and the old, the unreligious and the religious, the uneducated and the educated. Surrender is a natural state for anyone to achieve and maintain.

The nature of life itself begins to transform as the ego-mind’s dominance over the spirit recedes. Feelings become clearer, truth becomes more evident, regular guidance seems more accessible; miracles seem less miraculous and more ordinary; and a deeper love and trust in ourselves is the natural result of this ever-growing connection that we nurture as we evolve through surrender and being present.

Be courageous. Surrender to what is. Accept the flow. Silence your mind. Raise your awareness. Evolve your consciousness. Fall more in love with yourself. Follow your joy and guidance – all in that order, if you wish. Observe the connection between the ego-mind’s inability to surrender control compared to the freedom available beyond its self-imposed limitation. Life wants to give you everything that you will allow yourself to receive. With the natural relinquishment of fear through surrender, trust becomes easy, and love naturally rushes in to meet you as you go higher with Source.

Read Part II of this article

©2008 by Todd Schaefer

Todd is the founder of the Soul Solutions Healing Group, which features a team offering widely, varied spiritual writings from many different voices serving as a profound teaching and learning instrument for a wide variety of audiences. You can find out more about Todd and the team at SSG by visiting their website and blog.

Visit: Soul Solutions Healing Group Website

Visit: SSG Team Blog

Getting to Know Yourself

2009-03-17T05:49:00.000-07:00

‘Knowing yourself is to be rooted in Being, instead of lost in your mind.’

Eckhart Tolle

Tolle begins to explain to us how we can differentiate between who we are and who we think we are.

There are many things that we may like to attach to ourselves as being important, however when a challenge of those beliefs arises your true nature will always reveal itself.

There is a difference between these two ‘truths’, and to be able to find happiness and peace your true nature is where you should start discovering what it is that will make you happy.

You can continue to chase the dreams of ‘things’ that you think will make you happy but without taking the time to ‘Know Yourself’ your chase will be an endless circle of unfulfilling accomplishments.

It is widely accepted across the spiritual and scientific board that ‘Thoughts become things’; however these thoughts must be backed by the emotion that comes from belief and faith. You can continue to deny yourself of the truth and chase something that is not going to bring you happiness once you achieve it, or you can choose to look within.

This does mean surrender. Surrender to the present moment, surrender to the experience you are having and acceptance of the experience without labelling it as being good or bad.

In a world where we are constantly told to control our finances, control our homes, control our children, control our thoughts, control our jobs, control our tempers, surrender may seem to be a foreign idea. But when experiences are coming to you that you are not asking for, under closer examination and the choice to be truly honest with yourself you will see why they have arrived. It is either because you do really want this experience and the desire is planted firmly in your subconscious or it is an opportunity to learn or forgive.

As you decide to experience the moment you will gain clarity about the reason it has appeared. It may appear as an opportunity to break through a block that is preventing you from getting where you would like to be, or a manifestation of something you have believed in and attracted.

This is why it is so important to ‘Know Yourself’, so that you can begin to understand what is going on around you and use the experience to heighten your awareness of your true self.

Every experience is an opportunity for growth and forgiveness; forgiveness of the people around you, and most importantly forgiveness of yourself, and to become aware of this will ensure a constant mending and repairing of the collective consciousness.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Guest Writer - Leslie Smith B.Msc

2009-03-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

Cosmic Jokes/Cosmic Truths by Leslie Smith B.Msc

You may find no rhyme or reason to what is written below, and then again, maybe you will. It is not written in a linear fashion. It may jump around to and fro. Maybe you will find something in this that speaks to you, and maybe you won't. Enjoy the journey, my friends!)

The cosmic joke is that you were born sinful. There are some religions in this world that believe that when you are born, you are automatically sinful. Does this ring as truth to you? Or, do you believe it because it’s what you’ve been taught? The cosmic truth is that you were born completely innocent. You chose to come here before you entered the wind of birth. You are not a physical body experiencing in a physical world. You are a Spiritual Being who temporarily inhabits the particular body you have chosen to experience with, in this physical world.

The cosmic joke is that we think we can find all of the answers in the outside world. We pick up all the self-help books that we can find, we read all of the spiritual literature out there, and yet, we still have that feeling that something is missing. Of course, books and such are great guides, and can help us when needed, however, when searching for Spiritual Truths, those things can’t always be found in books or through another person. That is because each person has their own experiences of Truth, and Jane’s experience and Joe’s experience will not be the same as your experience. The cosmic truth is that all spiritual knowledge is floating freely for all to grasp, for all to reach, yet we sit idly by and watch it pass before us. All knowledge you yourself are privy to. If you want to know something, there are ways in which you can access this knowledge on your own. The simplest way is asking for the knowledge to be given to you. Ask and you shall receive. For those of you who are Bible readers, this simple truth can be found in the in the Book of Matthew, Chapter 7, Verse 7. This is what it says: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

The cosmic joke is that you are not worthy of anything. How often, as you grew up, did you get compared to others as far as grades went, regarding the clothes you wore, the way you looked, the friends you had, or the house you lived in? This could have created low self-worth, or low self-esteem. Still today, as an adult, these comparisons still take place, whether from the mouths of others, from television, from magazines, or most likely, the own comparisons that you make upon your own self. The cosmic truth is that you are worthy of everything. There is nothing that compares to you. You are already perfect, no matter what you look like, no matter how smart you are, no matter what kind of job you hold, no matter what kinds of ‘things’ you have acquired throughout your life.

The cosmic joke is that our minds must conform to whatever society says. The cosmic truth is that we must release our minds, free them from the eternal prisons that we have created for them. Once we free our minds, we will be able to see those things which once seemed invisible. We will see with our Spiritual Vision all of those answers that we have been seeking.

The cosmic joke is that in order to have a meaningful life, you must grow up, get married and have a family. You must have someone to love and to love you back. This teaching causes pain in so many young people and adults alike. They constantly search and search for this perfect love. That perfect love cannot be found outside of you. The cosmic truth is that the only love that matters is the love you have for your Self. If you cannot love your Self, then you are unable to fully understand what love is. If you cannot love your Self, then no one will be able to love you because you will be looking for something in someone that does not even exist. You will not be able to love another human being because you don’t know what true love is. Love is more than an emotion, more than a word.

The cosmic joke is that God is a person, that we must fear him, that we must do right by him or else! The cosmic truth is that God is not a person. He (and I use this term loosely for ease of description purposes only) does not inhabit a physical body. God is Love. Love is Energy. God is pure and infinite energy. God does not possess human emotions such as fear, jealousy, guilt, or anger. God does not wish to punish his child. You are his child. You are him, and He is yYou. You are the only one that seemingly punishes yourself.

The cosmic joke is that we must have a belief in something. The cosmic truth is that we must release all of our beliefs. Instead of believing in something, we already have an inner knowing of what Truth is. Many people call this intuition. How often do we listen to that voice of intuition, that gut feeling? When we choose to believe in something, we are creating yet another fancy box to put our minds into. There is a vast difference between belief and certain knowing. We must accept it and know it instead. When we release our minds, we will experience what we are in its entirety. When we only have belief, we have trapped ourselves into an idea of limitedness. We are not small. We are indeed quite grand.

The cosmic joke is that your success is dependent upon how much money you have in the bank. We think that we must forever climb the corporate ladder in order to be successful. We think that those who are seemingly powerful are those who have money. The cosmic truth is that it does not matter what role you have in the social work place. It does not matter how much money you have or do not have. It does not matter if you are an employer or an employee, or if your husband or respectively, your wife, is the president, vice president, or receptionist, etc. of any company. Success has nothing to do with money. Success is a matter of the heart.

The cosmic joke is that you are the victim of your past. There may have been people who you think wronged you, and you have not forgiven them, and you may not plan on forgiving them. The cosmic truth is that you are not a victim, but unto yourself. The truth is that no other person can make you feel anything that you don’t want to feel. The truth is that no one can take your own power away from you. The truth is that forgiveness is the medicine you have been looking for to help heal yourself. You are responsible.

The cosmic joke is that there are individuals running around this planet, and a select few we call ‘guru’ or ‘master’. The cosmic truth is that we are not here to bow to anyone’s feet, or to kiss anyone’s hands. There is only ONE guru, ONE master, and that is YOU. You are all there is. You hold all of the knowledge.

The cosmic joke is that you only live on Earth, and you are separate from everyone else. The Cosmic truth is that each and every person and thing that you see are all reflections of yourself, parts of your own creation. When you judge another person, you are indeed placing judgment upon yourself. When you laugh at another person, you are indeed laughing at yourself. When you love another person you are indeed loving yourself. When you give to someone else, you are indeed giving to yourself. The cosmic truth is that only part of your vibration resides on earth, and your other energy signatures are existing simultaneously within all dimensions, and in all galaxies and all universes experiencing and creating. The cosmic truth is that you are within everything, living within every individual that you see, within every plant, within every animal, within every object, and within the unseen. The cosmic truth is that you are Consciousness. You are the whole she-bang.

The cosmic joke is that you have to look outside of yourself to find God. Because of this cosmic joke, you have been on an endless journey of seeking something that you’ll never find. The cosmic truth is that God has always been within you, as you have always been within God. You’ve never been separated from God, Source, Spirit, Mother, Father, Goddess, Infinite Being, whatever name you wish to call Consciousness. The cosmic truth is that God is not something to be found. God IS. The Cosmic truth is that you have just fallen asleep for a while. It’s been no time at all, outside of this physical world since you fell asleep. Outside of the physical, there is no such thing as time. God had a thought and that thought created everything which you are seeing now. Within this thought, there was also another thought of being separate for a little bit. God (you), wanted to experience things physically, and so he (you) thought about it. That thought is what you are living out right now. But that thought was only a thought! God (you) has all of these seemingly separate individual lives, all experiencing different things, which was what God (you) wanted to do. In reality, you are where you began, never apart from God (you). All parts of the Whole are together, right now. If you woke up fully, at this very moment, you would see that you never went anywhere at all!

The cosmic joke is that death is something to be afraid of. We spend so much time worrying about death, that it seems like we’re actually wasting our lives instead of living them. Look at all the danger signs on the roads, on medicine, on everything that we eat or do. Look at all the safety rules. If you have kids, I’m sure you always tell them, “Be careful…(fill in the blank)” The cosmic truth is that death is not to be feared. To all things physical, there is a beginning and an ending. Yes, you should take care of your physical body, for it is an honor to inhabit one. However, death is only a transition. When we leave this physical life, our Being is free again, free to flow wherever it wishes to flow, still quite alive, and absolutely beautiful.

The cosmic joke is that everything you deem as your reality is really happening. If you’ve ever read A Course in Miracles, the first thing you will read is this profound statement: ‘Nothing real can be threatened, nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God’. Wow. Try to wrap your mind around that one! The Cosmic truth is that everything you deem as your reality is an illusion. You are simply asleep right now.

The cosmic joke is that as you sit here, you read the words upon this page as if I were writing them. Yet, the cosmic truth is that you have written these words yourself, and you are also reading them. How can that be? You are speaking to yourself. For I and you are One.

In the Light,
Leslie
Copyright 2008 Leslie D Smith All Rights Reserved

Leslie is an author of spiritual and metaphysical titles, a freelance and e-book writer and has contributed to several online publications. Additionally, she is a philosopher, visionary and is also working on her Doctorate in Metaphysics.

Visit Leslie's Blog!

A Message For You

2009-03-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

If starting seems too far away, then stillness is where to start.

Beginnings are endless and endings timeless. As we embark on a new journey, the journey can only be experienced in the moment that it is happening. This is why stillness is the place to start, as all of nature reveals its true nature in the stillness of ‘I Am’.

Take any creature or living organism and study how it remains in the moment that is now. It does not live in the past or the future but attends to its needs as they arise.

This is how to live.

In the presence of your true self, which is the self in the present moment.

How do you feel?

The freedom of a bird is yours when you are able to lift yourself to a new beginning. The height and the soar of the bird will pale in comparison to the envelopment of love you will feel when you choose to recognize you.

How long will it take?

When will you start?

In the stillness you will start, in the ending you will be. It is you at all times.

It is time to start remembering...

Blessings

Julieanne

Your Pain Body is very Seductive!

2009-03-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to share a short video with you. Tolle discusses the pain-body and the industries that are built to accomodate them!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Subscribers please visit blog to access video

Guest Writer - Todd Schaefer

2009-03-04T05:51:00.000-08:00

The Right Kind of Prayer - by Todd Schaefer

I had a revelation yesterday when I was mowing the lawn in the fun summer sun. I observed how some things which I’ve prayed for in the past have quickly manifested, while others, not so quickly. I noticed how when I began praying for the right things, I was given them. So what is praying for the right things?

Would it be practical to pray for a new car to manifest out of thin air when our desire is transportation to the next block? Would it make more sense to simply pray for transportation? Or walk?

Here’s another example. Let’s say we believe we need a new job because things aren’t going well at our current job. So we pray and pray for a new job, yet a new job doesn’t show up when we prayed for it to show up. Instead of praying for a new job when we feel insecure, why don’t we pray for faith instead? Praying for the types of things that God can give us now - like virtues - is always easier for us to receive than praying for some future thing which we have little control over right now.

Praying for the future

Although it’s great to focus on the end result when we pray, we must be careful not to project our receiving the end result at a future time.

Why does that matter?

It matters because the creative power that we have as humans lies in the present. Since our creative power is the power that we have now, our constant projection of ourselves into the future will not only make us feel less vibrant and present, it will also perfectly manifest that way. In other words, we will perfectly create ourselves as having something we’ve prayed for in a future point in time in each present moment we experience.

This means that every moment we expend trying to control some future moment will create the reality in the present moment of us repetitively experiencing “wanting to receive such and such in a future moment.” For example, “I know I’ll get married in the future,” might become an unfortunate mantra that exists well into our 80’s if we don’t practice praying for it in the present.

Receive it Now

If we want to receive it now, then we must receive it now. Pray to receive healing now. Pray to receive abundance now. As we ask for it, we must allow the feeling of it to arrive in our bodies. Don’t effort it - just feel. The goal is feeling it, and enjoying it. This is not a mental exercise that you can succeed or fail at. Setting intentions over an over is not an effective course of action to receive because it’s based on mistrust and lack. That would be like starting to build a sandcastle but destroying it and starting over before making any progress because we’re afraid it might rain. Instead, let’s make one intention. Then, let’s spend all of the rest of our time and energy feeling the reality of ourselves having what we asked for and receiving it.

The same goes for prayer. Let’s not pray for something that God cannot easily provide us with now. We can pray for anything, but what will be granted to us quickly and efficiently by God, our Angels, and our Higher Selves will usually be what serves our highest good, that which is in most alignment with us, and what we are allowing ourselves to receive.

Universally Supported

I sometimes get this vision of some of my angels sitting together playing poker. Some are smoking cigars with visors on, raising antes, sitting in wooden chairs with their wings draped over the backs of them, and of course - always listening. They always wait vigilantly with full attention, tuned into our requests; waiting to support us; waiting for us to pray with the right requests. Often, they can sit and relax because many of our requests are based in lack and victimhood, which they can’t do much to support us except to nudge us into asking the right questions and moving into the right directions.

When we do ask the right questions, when we are in alignment with our inner truth and Universal Law, those angels jump out of their chairs. Poker chips fly everywhere onto tables and floors, chairs are knocked over in haste, the cigar smokers choke and cough unexpectedly, and all of the aces of spades up their sleeves are left behind as the angels' priorities suddenly change. The poker room is empty. Instantly, they've rushed down to support our choices, prayers and requests in all ways possible.

Effective Prayer

As our consciousness growth continues, our prayers naturally become more effective. Some of the best prayers request that our blessings go towards the focal point for the highest good possible. This is a very spiritual prayer because it supports the best good, instead of what ‘we think’ is best. These additional blessings could help to make something good happen, prevent something unnecessary from happening, add a little bit more of what is needed somewhere, and so forth. A prayer asking 'to be guided in prayer,' for example, or 'to be of service to God and others' is a prayer that will always be supported. A masterful prayer requires incredible trust, acceptance of ‘What Is,’ and belief that what is happening is divine, and set up for our growth.

Whenever we are in alignment with Universal Law, in alignment with ourselves, asking out of compassion and trust instead of ego or lack, we will generally feel (or even see) immediate results. For example, instead of praying for a new job, let’s pray for faith in our ability to recognize that our request has been heard – and then receive it. Instead of praying that our obnoxious neighbor moves away, let’s pray for tolerance – and then receive it. Instead of praying that we don’t have to get up on stage and speak in front of others, let’s pray for courage that we get through it okay – and then receive it.

The spiritual confidence that arrives with utilizing our courage is the kind of self-actualization which can’t be unlearned. It’s a testimony of Self-Recognition. This is not recognition of our mind’s view of our human self, but recognition of our Spiritual Essence. Such faithful living is naturally rewarded with fewer fears, more joyous presence, confidence, compassion, generosity and time to spare for others. Through our prayer, what once was a frantic mental effort to keep track of all aspects of our lives becomes the simple focus of one aspect in our lives – Spiritual Surrender.

Life happens with perfection. We practice mastership when we allow life to serve us. Sometimes, we believe life to be a burden or a complaint. When we’re not in victim mode, however, we tend to flow with life more gracefully and even positively. When we have total trust and spiritual surrender, we eagerly anticipate each moment as an opportunity to recognize God in any situation. And unto each person’s belief, it shall be done.

c2008 Todd Schaefer

Todd is the founder of the Soul Solutions Healing Group, which features a team offering widely, varied spiritual writings from many different voices serving as a profound teaching and learning instrument for a wide variety of audiences. You can find out more about Todd and the team at SSG by visiting their website and blog.

Visit: Soul Solutions Healing Group Website

Visit: SSG Team Blog

Breaking Free from the Pain-Body

2009-03-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

‘The beginning of freedom from the pain-body lies first of all in the realization that you have a pain body. Then, more important, in your ability to stay present enough, alert enough, to notice the pain-body in yourself as a heavy influx of negative emotion when it becomes active.’

Eckhart Tolle

Taking the time to recognize when we are reacting unconsciously or being triggered by our pain bodies is the first step toward breaking free from it.

Tolle explains that when we react from the pain body we are reacting unconsciously. We are taken over by the power of the pain body and feeding it the energy that it thrives on.

Take an instance for example when you are in a heated argument and say something terrible and a few hours later you find yourself asking ‘Why did I say that?’, ‘I didn’t mean that’, ‘That is not what I really think.’ It can be quite complex trying to figure out where this attitude comes from. We can even find ourselves thinking ‘That was completely out of character.’

Tolle agrees that when we react from the pain-body we are outside of ourselves. We are acting unconsciously.

So should we be responsible for our actions when we act this way? If we are truly outside of ourselves and unaware of what we are doing, how can we take responsibility for something we have no control over?

By living consciously, and by becoming aware of the triggers that activate your pain-body, you can become aware of when you are starting to behave unconsciously and instead choose to disidentify with your pain-body.

Tolle goes on to explain that unhappiness can only be unhappiness when attached to emotion and an unhappy story. By choosing to remain conscious and in the present moment the situation cannot attach itself to a past situation or story and begin to activate your pain-body.

This is where you can take responsibility for your reactions from your pain-body.

Start to live consciously...

Allow yourself to feel the moment that you are in, instead of labelling it as bad or defending it and attaching it to your unhappy story. It is only a good or bad feeling, because you have labelled it to be that way. As soon as you start to resist the feeling, the pain-body activates. By allowing, you will feel the shift back into conscious living. Maybe this is what people mean when they say ‘Suffering brings enlightenment.’

Tolle puts it beautifully when he states;

‘The next step in human evolution is not inevitable, but for the first time in the history of our planet, it can be a conscious choice. Who is making that choice? You are. And who are you? Consciousness that has become conscious of itself.’

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Visit our new Forum!

Book Review - 'Money and Manifesting' by Dyan Garris

2009-02-17T08:17:00.000-08:00

There can be times when we really focus on our intentions and desires, place a lot of attention on positive thinking and concentrate on manifesting, only to find that we are still not getting the results we are expecting.

In ‘Money and Manifesting’, Dyan offers a beautiful and refreshing approach to manifesting that allows you to begin working from within. This is a different approach than you may have encountered before as many of us are misinformed about the basic premises of the Law of Attraction and after a lot of effort, resign ourselves to the thought that it just doesn’t work.

This is the first time I have read a book in this format and was genuinely impressed with its ability to refresh and enlighten me. The results were instant as I read through the exercises and was pleasantly surprised at the power of this approach.

Dyan manages to alternately engage both hemispheres of our brains to help clear the core problems we may be facing when it comes to manifesting.

Each chapter offers insightful advice, whether it is through her beautiful chakra clearing exercises or the modern day parables that encourage a new vision for you and your future.

Working from the premise that money is energy, it is the perfect accompaniment to ‘A New Earth’ by Eckhart Tolle. We are offered a different and powerful perspective on what it is that we are truly trying to manifest and how to have the courage to listen to the signs that show us the direction to follow.

If you are looking for an introduction to the instant power that can be achieved from clearing your chakras and shifting your perspective on money then this book is definitely for you!

For many years Dyan has worked as a counsellor encouraging clients to live their best life. She is clairvoyant, clairaudient and clairsentient. ‘Money and Manifesting’ is an Amazon bestseller and a finalist in the USA National Best Books of 2008 awards. To find out more about Dyan you can visit
Voice of the Angels

Click here to purchase your copy now!

Guest Writer - Leslie Smith

2009-02-06T04:45:00.000-08:00

'The Art of Allowing' - Leslie Smith

Depending on how you look at life, at one time or another you have encountered a problem of some sort. Sometimes these problems seem small, and sometimes these problems seem huge. It really all depends on your own perception of things.

An issue arises. The issue could have been simple, but we chose to delve deeper. Note that I said we chose to delve deeper. We chose to pick it apart, we chose to scrutinize it, we chose to judge it, and then what happened? We made a mountain out of a mole hill. Some problems actually get to be really hairy BECAUSE we’ve thought about them too much; we’ve made them materialize into something real.

We don’t have to get stuck in these problems. We don’t have to always trudge uphill through them; we don’t have to sink into them as if we’re suddenly standing in quick sand. We can allow ourselves to LEAP over them.

I’ve had what you could call ‘rough times’ in areas of my life, in the past. Note that I said, in the past. The thing about the past is that it’s all gone now, it’s all over. The past will absolutely not repeat itself because I have learned my lessons from there. If I didn’t learn the lessons I was supposed to learn, then I’m sure the past would creep back in. But I’ve moved on. I can look and say, ‘hey, I made it past that’. And so, whenever a problem seemingly tries to arise in my day to day life, I say, "wait a minute, this doesn’t have to be a problem...after all, I’ve gotten past all the others. I can just LEAP over this one because after a while, it won’t be there anymore." I can just allow whatever the perceived problem is to be and to flow in and right back out. However, if I resist against this flow, if I push back, if I fight it, the perceived problem/issue will stay there, stuck in an endless loop.

Try to be in the flow, and allow it to be there. Be in it, feel it as it moves through and on out.

The act of allowing is an art. We have set ourselves up to struggle against things that come into our life, but that can all be changed now.

To practice the art of allowing is an act of creatorship.

Blessings,

Leslie

Leslie is an author of spiritual and metaphysical titles, a freelance and e-book writer and has contributed to several online publications. Additionally, she is a philosopher, visionary and is also working on her Doctorate in Metaphysics.

Visit Leslie's Blog!

Copyright 2008 Leslie D Smith All Rights Reserved

The Pain Body

2009-02-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

‘Although the body is very intelligent, it cannot tell the difference between an actual situation and thought.’

Eckhart Tolle

Many of us, if not all of us, have engaged in conversations or exchanges of emotions that feed our hungry pain bodies.

Tolle refers to the pain body as an almost separate entity to our true selves. It feeds on negative emotions and thoughts and is something we share and some of us more than others.

Think back to a conversation, maybe you had with a friend over coffee or the like and there was an exchange of complaints and sharing of bad situations between you both. You may remember anticipating your turn to complain or fervently racking your brain for something else to add the consuming conversation.

It is true that sometimes it does feel good for a while to let off some steam; however there can be a different approach that foregoes the instant gratification by choosing not to elevate the pain body to a necessary status.

By becoming aware when you are collecting energy for your pain body, you can choose to react differently. When you come across a person looking to feed their pain body, you can choose just to listen instead of feeding them by returning your own painful story or by entering into the drama of their story. Also by not reacting emotionally to the conversation the person will subconsciously begin to calm down as the pain body realizes it is not going to find the energy it is looking for with you.

We can also see the collective pain body evidenced through nations and races. Generations can carry the pain body of ancestors for instance with the Jewish community, Native Americans or African Americans. It can also be recognized in the differences between countries with a long history of war or conflict compared to relatively new countries that do not carry such a painful past.

We know that many gamblers are consumed by their pain bodies, and are often addicted to the losing and the teetering on the edge of devastation rather than what most people would presumably think... winning.

There are also times that you may find yourself addicted to unhappiness. You will usually blame it on external situations or people but once you recognize it for what it is, you soon realize it is you, just not the true you.

It is truly life changing when you can become aware of your pain body in your reactions and interactions. And how can you begin to heal your toxic relationships?

It is really as simple as awareness.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Brand New Be Inspired Today Forum!

2009-01-28T05:38:00.000-08:00

I hope you will join us as we begin this new forum for Be Inspired Today. I say us because this is a great platform to really become a part of an active community and it is the members that build it to be this way.

There are many interactive features to the forum where you can meet, upload videos and photos to share, a live chat box and you can even add your own blog posts to the forums blog. It is a great way to get yourself known, and to meet other likeminded people from all across the globe.

I look forward to seeing you there and building an inspired community together!

Go to Be Inspired Today Forum

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Book Review - 'The Little Book of Becoming' by Laurie J. Brenner

2009-01-26T09:40:00.000-08:00

‘Practice using nicer words—especially when you’re talking about someone else.
You’re really talking about yourself. When you point the finger out there, there’s always three pointing back at you. And as many masters have said—there’s really only one of us here.

Think about it.’

Laurie J. Brenner

With all the Law of Attraction books out there, it is a breath of fresh air to find one that is written by someone who has truly achieved their dream life through visualization, action and faith.

Laurie makes no promises of millions of dollars or yachts to sail through the Caribbean, just a real and down to earth collection of tools and exercises she and her husband have used to manifest their dreams including their home on the Western Slope of the Sierra Nevada in California.

Laurie offers exercises that allow you to define your current situation and begin to unblock past behavioural patterns that are causing resistance to the manifestations of your desires. Using meditative visualization, amongst other techniques, Laurie has built a life and home that can only be described as a poetic dream.

You will find a treasure trove of enlightening ideas and easy to read theories that encourage us to embrace life, reconnect with Source and enhance our perception from the position of an observer.

This is the perfect book to get real about the Law of Attraction as Laurie explains and introduces the laws that govern it.

To find out more and get your copy! Click Here
To visit Laurie's Blog! Click Here

Guest Writer - Nathan Anderson

2009-01-23T05:31:00.000-08:00

Passion and Your Life's Purpose - Nathan Anderson

What exactly is your passion, how do you discover it, and how do you live your life through it?

Your passion is that which results from proper alignment of your inner and outer purposes. On a basic level, your inner and outer purposes can be defined as follows. Your inner purpose is to convey to a particular audience a message that contributes to the greater good of the universe. Your outer purpose is the modality of conveyance, how you will communicate the message to the audience for which it is intended. Depending on your specific purposes, your audience could be your self, your immediate family, a group of peers, a community organization, a country, or even the world. When you identify your inner and outer purposes, then you can truly discover your passion. When you put your inner and outer purposes into action, then you can realize your passion; you can live life through your passion.

Many people are unable to accurately identify their true passion because they search for it outside of themselves. When searching, they may identify passions in others and try to take those passions on as their own, only to realize that they remain unfulfilled. Just because a certain person has achieved success, or fulfillment, through his passion does not mean that you will achieve success or fulfillment if you assume his passion as your own. Your passion cannot be assumed from someone outside of yourself.

Your inner and outer purposes are not exactly the same as someone else’s. In other words, your message to convey and modality of conveyance are unique to you and, consequently, your passion is unique as well. Passion can only be manifested from within. You may look to others for guidance and support when looking for your passion, but you will ultimately find it within yourself. If you have not identified it yet, know that it is within you and that you can identify it by allowing it to emerge through the clouds of thought and external distractions.

Copyright 2008

Nathan Anderson
Soul Solutions Healing Group

Finding Balance

2009-01-21T07:31:00.000-08:00

‘Whenever you feel superior or inferior to anyone, that’s the ego in you.’

Eckhart Tolle

Tolle presents us with a very simple statement to help us recognize when we are not working with our true self.

To be put another way;

There are 3 different ways to react to a situation; aggressively, assertively and submissively.

Aggressive reactions defend the ego. Submissive reactions deny the true self, and assertive reactions allow you to work from the true self.

An assertive reaction doesn’t take the situation personally. It allows the space for meeting an amicable resolution. A solution that resonates well with you and with the party involved.

On an energy level, the aggressor is trying to take energy from you, the submissive response gives energy away and an assertive response allows an exchange of energy.

When you are able to recognize the ego you will easily be able to identify when someone is working from their ego. Awareness prepares you.

If you find yourself reacting aggressively or submissively to a situation stand with your feet firmly on the ground, clasp your hands one on top of the other and place them in front of your solar plexus. It is amazing how balancing this simple trick is. It allows you to respond with truth and assertiveness. It also denies reaction to the ego of the other party.

When you see someone as superior or inferior it can only be a reaction from the ego as the true self only sees the truth, which is ourselves stripped of any identity or labels.

I was asked recently ‘Why is it so important to stop working with the ego?’ One answer is that by becoming aware of the ego we can truly know ourselves. We can truly begin to figure out what it is that we want. Many of us spend time working through our pasts and analysing why we react to certain situations in a particular way, and this can be seen as stripping away the layers of the ego. The ego doesn’t want you to live in the present moment. The ego wants you to focus on things that are basically... illusions.

Our past is only a collection of pictures, thoughts and feelings. It actually no longer exists except when we choose to bring it into the present moment and relive it. In the moment that we are focussing on something that no longer exists we lose the present moment which can never be relived again and instantly becomes the past.

John Lennon said ‘Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.’

The whole idea of recognizing the ego is an effort to bring us into the present moment which is the only time that you exist... and the only place to find real joy. By recognizing the ego, you can begin to exist in truth and choose your life.

We have all heard it before... ‘Work from Within’... and this is how you do it!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Violinist in the Metro

2009-01-18T05:59:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

I came across this post whilst visiting Anne at A Better Woman and thought I would share it with you.

Enjoy!

Julieanne

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world…

He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

Read the article from The Washington Post

Who's Right?

2009-01-13T06:03:00.000-08:00

‘Sometimes the ‘fault’ you perceive in another isn’t even there. It is a total misinterpretation, a projection by a mind conditioned to see enemies and to make itself right or superior.’

Eckhart Tolle

As we continue through chapter 3 Tolle gives us simple definitions that enable us to recognize when we are reacting to the ego in ourselves or to the ego of others. Sometimes we unconsciously choose to engage in a battle of the egos, but we can easily become aware of this choice.

I imagine we have all had times when we take it upon ourselves to judge another person and insist they are wrong and we are right. This is the working of the ego. There are many spiritual teachers that will endorse the idea that what we see is also in us.

This may be a confusing concept at first as there will be a denial that we could possibly be anything like the person we are judging, but inevitably it is a fact. The feeling that the other person has that they are right is as strong as the feeling that you have that you are right. This causes resistance between the 2 people or ideas and the ego steps in to ensure that it proves itself right as it seeks its momentary sense of satisfaction.

The truth is that the truth doesn’t need to be defended. If you are truly in the present state of ‘I Am’ this is easily realized. The truth doesn’t need to be proven to be right, because it is already the truth.

There are many problems that arise when people become insistent on proving themselves to be right. You may even consider this paragraph to be contradictory in claiming to know what the truth needs, however if you choose not to react from your egoic self you will not feel compelled to push your ideas into the conversation and discredit these statements, but rather hear what I am saying and choose to have an exchange of ideas rather than an argument about who does and doesn’t have the better idea.

In choosing to react from our true self instead of our egoic self we can open up a dialogue and start to truly learn from each other. There will be no prejudice about who is right and wrong but a fundamental understanding of the process that each of us use to bring ourselves to a place of peace or communion with our higher selves.
As we decide to deflate our own egos there becomes a space for connection with each other, and the collective consciousness. We choose to bypass the ego and reconnect, denying the illusion of separateness.

When you come across this situation again, listen to what is causing the resistance. Are you defending something? Become aware... that’s all it takes, and the world around you will begin to change as you continue to recognize egoic reactions.

That’s when the fun really begins!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Eckhart and Oprah

2009-01-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

I know many of you would have heard of and even participated in Eckhart's live webcasts with Oprah. I had heard of it but had not had a look at them until recently. I really feel it would be a shame for those of you who have not heard of these webcasts to miss out.

Each chapter discussion is about an hour and a half long and was interactive with an audience of millions. You can still watch all the discussions, download workbooks and exercises and interact with a community that discusses the principles of 'A New Earth'. And you can do all this for free!

So if you haven't had an opportunity to check it out and want to understand 'A New Earth' as discussed by its author then follow the link below to get you on your way!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Click here to go to the Eckhart and Oprah webcasts

Book Review - 'Inner Sanctuary' by Leslie Smith B.Msc

2009-01-07T08:09:00.000-08:00

Enjoy the gentle spirit voice of Leslie Smith in this insightful journey through metaphysical ideas.

Leslie will fill your day with enlightening explanations and exercises to help you begin to find your ‘Inner Sanctuary’.

Bringing a modern take on ancient ideas, you will enjoy Leslie’s ability to speak with you on a personal level whilst sharing her own spiritual journey.

Leslie shares Tao Te Ching verses, chakra exercises, parenting advice and beautifully channelled messages and poetry, making this book the perfect meditative choice for anyone seeking to quiet their mind.

A beautiful inspired spirit is your guide through this soft and thought provoking journey.

Follow the links below to get your copy now or to visit Leslie’s website.

Leslie is an author of spiritual and metaphysical titles, a freelance and e-book writer and has contributed to several online publications. Additionally, she is a philosopher, visionary and is also working on her Doctorate in Metaphysics.

Visit Leslie's Website for a free preview!
or visit Leslie's Blog!

Or click on widget to get your copy now!

If you are an author and would like your book reviewed on Be Inspired Today I would love to hear from you.

Awards!

2009-01-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Leslie at Inner Sanctuary and to Lea at Ocean of Perspectives for this beautiful award! Both of you are truly inspiring and and am very grateful for your friendship!Thank you and I will pass this award on to some inspirational people I have connected with in the blogosphere!

Also thank you so much to Temple at Cookies mean God Loves You!. You always guarantee me a good girly giggle!

For this award I have to tell you 10 random things about me, so here goes!

1. I am an Australian but I live in the UK. We came for the weather...
2. My favourite colour is blue.
3. I will do anything for gummy bears or cadbury creme eggs.
4. I don't believe in diets... it has the word die in it...
5. I cannot drive stick shift... I've tried and it is very evident, so I only drive automatic cars although I don't drive much here. I have a great deal going... he drives... I tell him where to go :)
6. I love to watch The Dog Whisperer, even though I don't have a dog.
7. I am one of those freaks that have to have their bread matching. Quite distressing when they are not...
8. My favourite singer is Bjork and has been since I was in my early teens.
9. My favourite perfume is Forever and Ever by Christian Dior.
10. and... Betty Boop is all over my house. One day I may grow up but grown ups are sooooo boring!

And also thank you again to Lea at Ocean of Perspectives fot this award. It has been a fantastic year and I look forward to keeping in touch with you all in 2009!

I hope you will take a minute to visit some of my friends. Follow the links below.

Lisa at Empowering Minds
Helen at The Inspired Self
Ruth at Heal Thyself Wellnes
Treasured Thoughts
Kenny at Smart Goals
Laurie at Notes Upon the WildWind
Yolanda at The Stuff Life's Made Of
Patrice Karst
Maitri at Maitri's Heart
Laurie at The Looking Glass

Thanks for a great 2008 and here's to an even better 2009.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Chapter 3 - The Core of Ego

2009-01-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

First I would like to say Happy New Year to you all. This time of year is always great for starting anew, washing away the old and looking forward to the possibilities of the new year.

As we continue reading with Tolle we are now presented with the opportunity to understand what is really at the core of our egos and how the ego works to strengthen itself.

He explains to us that the egoic mind works purely with thoughts, memories and experience. The spiritual mind only knows the present moment to be true existence. It doesn’t recognize any other moment as being truth.

From this simple analogy we can begin to become aware of our reactions to situations and interactions and easily identify whether we are working with the ego or our true selves.

We can also consider the possible contradictions in Descarte’s famous statement;

‘I think – therefore I am.’

If we are in the process of thinking, we cannot be in the present state of I AM.
So, if you find yourself reacting negatively to a situation because it has caused you to remember something, or to recall an experience, you can recognize this as the ego. The spiritual mind, or a reaction from the true self, would know that this situation is not of your true self, as connection to thought is not truth, and will only ever forgive the moment or situation that is separating you from the present moment or the state of I AM... our true selves.

If you are able to recognize this and truly forgive the situation you will feel a release, and it is a physical release as well as mental. You will have been able to weaken the ego and strengthen your true self.

Tolle explains further the ego’s love of complaining and resentment. If you choose to complain or hold resentment the ego celebrates and strengthens.

It is very simple to begin to weaken the ego. All you have to do is become aware. As you become aware and recognize when you are reacting in accordance with the will of the ego you will simply be able to make a different choice. As you continue to practice awareness you will discover that you are actually being presented with an opportunity for forgiveness, and in turn an opportunity to strengthen your true self.

Could it be your New Year’s Resolution?

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Thank you!

2008-12-27T11:55:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Carnation for this beautiful award! I am certainly celebrating meeting and making so many friends this year, so I think this is a great opportunity for me to introduce you to some of mine.
I am passing this on to some of my favourite people in the blosphere. I hope you'll pop by to visit them!

Lydia at Serenity
Suzi at Bring Peace Not Pain
Cooldeep at Essence of Life
The Team at SSG
Andy & Mel at The Blackbus

Thank you again and I'm looking forward to a great 2009 and meeting many more great people!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-23T07:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays and all the best for 2009!

It has been great to meet so many inspired people this year and I am looking forward to a great 2009 with you.

Thank you all for your kind words, emails and comments. I feel very blessed to have met you!

As we enter 2009 I am looking forward to watching Be Inspired Today continue to grow and include guest writers, book reviews and the launch of the new Be Inspired Today website.

Have a great season everyone and I’ll meet you back here as we start Chapter 3 of ‘A New Earth’. If you haven’t got your copy yet there is still plenty of time to catch up.

See you then!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Guest Writer - Kyra Clark

2008-12-19T02:26:00.000-08:00

God Loves Me, No Matter What
by Kyra Clark

I started crying harder than I have in months last night. I have always loved a good long cry. It’s a wonderful form of release for me. I would cry until I couldn’t cry anymore and the tears would dry up before my sobs would end. I would heave it out, letting go of all my false pretense and “Oh I’m okay” attitudes. I haven’t been able to have one of these 'all out gut wrenchers' in forever. All I could do was just bury it deep down to the point where I believed that if I released it all, I would explode into a million pieces. The reason for this constant suppression of grief was the loss of a job. But it wasn’t just the job loss that hurt. I lost my friends, parts of my identity and the use of now worthless information clouding my mind with figures, reports and self importance. The pain of this has been building for over 4 months.

I wasn’t actually dealing with any of the grief, I was just coating it all over with sickening sweet sugar. Until I couldn’t sugar coat any longer, my feelings quickly turned from “I can do it”, to “I can’t do anything." My ego turned against me and I was suddenly choosing self loathing and fear to my once overly confident attitudes. But this was a process. It was a continual choosing of fear instead of love. I didn’t know any of this, of course. I was far too close to the pain of it all. I was becoming more and more numb to the point of having no money, no prospects and no hope.

"Self forgiveness," people told me. That would be the key. I believed in that, however, I didn’t know how to get there. I tried different techniques that worked for me in the past: meditation, visualization and energetic releases. Nothing seemed to work. Having also developed a pretty nasty sinus issue, I couldn’t breathe, my ears popped when I swallowed and I just felt miserable for two weeks. My patience wearing thin, feeling horrible, and afraid of becoming dependent on anyone for anything, I was scared to death. I hit a wall. Finally, a beautiful and horrific wall that was all mine. I typed on my computer, “I have less than nothing.” It all hit me at once. I was ashamed, hurt, and fearful. I no longer believed in myself, and I didn’t feel beautiful, kind or lovable. I started to cry. My fiancé stood there as I sat on the couch with my heart wrenched open for him to see. He didn’t try to comfort or fix me, he didn’t try to touch me or say it will all be okay. He just stood there. There were some points during my rant when I felt like I was the only one in the room, but he was still there. He wouldn’t leave me.

As I continued through my process of self discovery I fully allowed my experience to engulf me, to take me deeper and farther into whatever emotion came. I was finally allowing my feelings to come forward, and all the fear, pain and regret that I felt were forced to the surface to be released. My fiancé held the key for me in those moments. His stillness, complete acceptance and love mirrored to me what God would do in this situation. I was soon calm and lying on the couch, him sitting close to me tenderly rubbing my arm or leg sweetly saying over and over, “God loves you, no matter what you do.” I realized that I wasn’t really looking to forgive myself, I was looking to know that I am still - no matter what - loved by God. I had shut myself off from that love and companionship while choosing fear and guilt. The more my love spoke the words “God loves you, no matter what you do,” I would feel intense pain in my chest and throat. He would say it again. The pain would begin again over and over until finally the pain and the tears stopped. I asked him to explain why the thought of God loving me would be so painful. He said that it was forcing the hurt to the surface to be wicked away and after a little while there wouldn’t be any pain left, only truth.

Today, my life was very different. I still suffered from the symptoms of the sinus issue, but I felt a little bit better. Still finding my sea legs of having a monumental release I looked at a day that had potential promise. I had set up an interview with a gentleman that was looking for a volunteer to be his Program Director. This would mean no pay, but I didn’t mind. I had to have something to take my mind off of my pain. He liked me and I gave him lots of new ideas to help his organization. My confidence was up, so I stopped by my old office to see some friends. My old boss said that business was booming and would like me to come back? The pay is inconsistent and the work is repetitious which is why I left in the first place, but it was in fact, money. I was willing to receive that which the universe was providing and the environment is extremely healthy. I also called another company I applied to, leaving a message returning their call. Then it happened - the brass ring - something I had been waiting on for months. I was called back for an interview for the company I really wanted to work for. My life shifted within hours of having this release and realizing that no matter what, God loves me. It became clear then. If I was loved by God, then I had no choice but to love myself, and in loving myself, I forgave myself, at the deepest level possible.

c2008 Kyra Clark
Soul Solutions Healing Group

Yielding for Clarity

2008-12-15T10:06:00.000-08:00

‘Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness.’
Eckhart Tolle

As we continue through Chapter 2 of ‘A New Earth’ we are presented with the above powerful statement. When we find ourselves in unsatisfactory situations, with an understanding of this statement, we can choose to welcome it as an opportunity for growth.

When a ‘bad situation’ arises we can choose either to resist or to yield to the situation.

We know when we are resisting this opportunity for growth as we can feel it. It is an unsettling in the chest or confusion in the mind that denies us the opportunity to examine the situation without trying to defend our identity in some way.

As we are aware, clear and efficient solutions cannot be found in a state of panic or emotional upheaval. There must be an element of yielding to the situation that allows us to deal with the situation appropriately.

Yielding does not mean accepting a situation, but what it does mean is that you are accepting the experience that you are having in the present moment and in turn this choice assures you that the decision you will make is in alignment with the desired evolution of your consciousness or inner self.

These opportunities for growth cannot be recognized whilst focusing on the preservation of identity.

It is necessary to stop and resolve the situation from the viewpoint of the ‘inner self’.

Many spiritual teachers advise us that a situation is only good or bad because we have chosen to label it this way. If we choose to take a bad situation and relate it to the opportunity for growth, would this not now be a good situation?

Next time you are presented with a situation, in which you are unsure how to react, choose to deny your identities for a moment and listen for clarity. Maybe this is why we close our eyes when we are thinking in depth... We are really just asking for a moment to BE.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Inspired Book Review

2008-12-13T07:40:00.000-08:00

'Changing Planes' by Laurie J. Brenner

If you love goosebumps and tears then this is the novella for you!

Follow Madison Reeves as she departs on a much needed holiday but after passing through lights resembling the Aurora Borealis, she finds herself and the other First Class passengers arriving at an airport terminal that is not the Bahamas... it is not even of this world.

What is Madison running from? What lessons does she need to learn?

All is revealed on this not to be missed ‘Celestine Adventure’ as Madison encounters loved ones from the past... and loved ones from an unfamiliar future. And as for her fellow passengers... will they welcome the mirrored aspects of themselves or deny they have any choices to make?

This is the perfect adventure to curl up with a hot chocolate this season, and make sure to cancel your plans as I guarantee this is a book you won’t want to put down.

Laurie J. Brenner is the author of ‘Changing Planes’ and also of ‘The Little Book of Becoming’. You can visit Laurie’s website at Laurie Brenner Website
or her Blog at Laurie Brenner Blog

Purchase your copy by following the link below!

If you are an author and would like your book reviewed on Be Inspired Today I would love to hear from you!

What is Meditation?

2008-12-11T04:48:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

I thought you might enjoy this video of Tolle discussing meditation. Whatever way you choose to meditate, it can be a great tool for returning to and connecting with your true self.

Taking the time to be present with your true self is very beneficial when choosing to become aware of the world of the ego.

I hope you enjoy it.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Guest Writer - Todd Schaefer

2008-12-09T02:41:00.000-08:00

Autopilot, Self-Worth and Being Myself - by Todd Schaefer

Family Weekend

I had a nice weekend with my family this weekend. My fiancé and I went to visit my mom who lives about 45 minutes away. My brother and his family are staying with my mom because they are in the middle of building a house. We had a grand old time, playing some Rock Band and laughing in each other’s company.

As it started to get late, my mom and my fiancé were still talking so I decided to read a little bit. I began dosing off, so my mom offered us to sleep over. It was a comfortable sleep on that futon. When we woke up and continued our visitation, a peace began to fall over me that made me want to stay longer the next day.

I noticed that the interactions had changed. They felt fresher, clearer. See, I had already enjoyed my family a lot the night before. But when morning came, I observed myself interacting with my sister-in-law, in particular, in a new way. The change wasn’t anything you could point at, and it wasn’t a different amount of openness with each other.

What was it?

Autopilot

It was interaction without running the ‘autopilot’ program. Ever notice that? We get together with family on holidays and the same conversations seem to come right up? “How’s your job?” “It’s been cold, hasn’t it?” Small talk, etc. There’s nothing wrong with it. But it’s a psychological program that we all run. We have programs for lots of things. I’ve had issue with one side of my extended family for years for behaving with such pretense, never really appealing to me because I’ve always valued human interaction at much deeper levels. But then again, it was my own autopilot that decided I would not reach out for those deeper levels of engagement with them. My family is very good-natured. As I decided that I was willing to give more, I noticed that my perceptions became more accurate. I wasn’t settling for autopilot anymore, and thus, I came to accept them and myself much more.

Let’s go back to my immediate family. More ideas began arriving to me (as ideas often do) as I observed the changing quality of our time spent together. My brother’s family, my sister, my mom and I are already close. But we bonded even more closely yesterday because we spent some time beyond what we were accustomed. This magic has happened many times in my life, but it's not easily predictable. It’s a good idea to change the scenery or the activities with people we spend time with every so often so that we don’t fall into traditional roles, experiences and autopilot which often keeps things stagnant.

Shortchanging Ourselves

I also observed how often our expressions are on autopilot, and how curious it is that while we write about brilliant things, they often reveal very little about ourselves.

Why is that?

One of my speculations is that it’s because we want to prove to ourselves that we are “strong” or that we “know” something. We seem to be a little more comfortable after we affirm to ourselves that we know something. Another thought is that we may feel that in order to produce something valuable, we must produce something profound or intellectual.

Could it be that we have a natural pretense with ourselves? Look around you. Everyone has an identity (at least one) that we are upholding; something about ourselves that we project onto the world. It could even be “Hey, look at me, I’m spiritual.” Is that a true representation of the level of self acceptance that we have for ourselves? That we must produce to be of value? That we must build up our ego to develop self-esteem/self-worth?

Self Worth

An interesting definition of self-worth came to me this weekend while talking to a friend. It went something like, “self worth is how much it is worth to you to be yourself.” In that definition, self worth had nothing to do with how well or how much or how deeply you can do something. It simply meant, “how much are you willing to put yourself through before you decide to just be you?” “Is it worth not being you?” When we don’t have any self worth, we don’t believe that being ourselves is enough, or worth it. That doesn’t only mean to feel unworthy, and thus, do nothing. It also means that we could be spending a lot of our time trying to be something else (sometimes doing a great job of it) instead of just being ourselves. That’s a self worth issue, too, only buried and harder to recognize.

Practicing Mastership Through Self Acceptance

I structured this article just as I did to ensure that the reader would not easily run on autopilot, as well as so I, the writer, wouldn’t either. That isn’t the path that is important today. When I asked myself to focus on the most important thing today, I began receiving these insights. I began to realize what it was that masters do.

When we practice our mastership, we aren’t afraid to be ourselves. Boy, that is the hardest thing for people to do, isn’t it? When we practice mastership, we don’t defend. When we practice mastership, we aren’t afraid to respond to others, or to admit when we’re afraid, or that we have fears. We're just being ourselves, without hiding ourselves.

Over the years, throughout different phases, I’ve watched myself put on a new belief system, or collection of thoughts which I now recognize as substitutions for just being me. It's human nature to identify ourselves with things or ideas in order to know the difference between us and everything else. With friends, family, and people we know won’t attack us, we can be ourselves without putting up our walls. But when something “important” is on the line - career, public perception – we sometimes clam up so fast we don’t know what hit us. Whatever we’re attached to owns us.

Some of the fears I have had have been the fear of making mistakes, or not being seen for who I really am. I’ve watched as I’ve surrendered most of those fears over time. Letting go of those programs yields high rewards. It was just last week or two when I spoke to someone who thought they had a major problem in their relationship, not being sure if it could go on and work out, when we discovered together that that person was merely in intimate contact with a part of themselves that needed the healing.

The End of Our Rope

Often times when we think we’re at the end of our rope, we’re actually at the beginning of real growth. We’re not at the end of a relationship when we have a big fight, we are at the beginning of making it a more conscious relationship. That which hurts us the most we only see as the 'end' because it has always been an insurmountable fear for us as an individual. If we try dealing with a fear or pain instead of running from it, we’ll discover some inner strength that we’ve never known before. You wanna be spiritual? Put yourself through those experiences. Spiritual growth isn’t about 'flying high' all the time. It’s about dealing with discomfort when it comes instead of covering it up. Regarding spiritual matters, you’d be astonished how easy it is to confuse the two. One action masquerading as "spiritual growth" can be weaponized to bury pain, and it can happen at any level of "success." On a similar note, quoting Wayne Dyer, "you can’t give anything away if you don’t have it."

Our psychology is such that we avoid pain. That’s what we do. It’s fine, no big deal. We can go for the feel goods, and that works out fine, too. We can choose to feel good as long as we want, but if there’s pain under there, it’ll be waiting for us to release it. Repression is, in my opinion, one of the biggest epidemics I observe in people. We’re all so busy being mothers and fathers and ‘whatevers,’ we don’t make the time to be ourselves, and we need to tend to those needs.

Comfortable in Our Own Skin

Watch others and watch those instances in yourself when you’re not running on autopilot, when you’re not afraid to speak as yourself. And nurture those times. Those we admire most are those who are comfortable being themselves, and who accept us for who we are regardless of what we do. It is said that a teacher is someone who is expressive of love. Look for that quality first (not special abilities) if you feel the need to learn from a teacher other than yourself.

When we are not comfortable being ourselves, when we can’t write the ‘spiritual checks’ of acceptance, we analyze, we pick apart, we feel threatened, we try to prove ourselves, we hang on the words of others. We are in an insane state most of the time. Some of us merely are better at controlling it (or controlling others) than others.

I say enjoy being a crazy person.

Accept it. Accept the fact that sometimes (or perhaps, a lot of the time), we feel weird about ourselves, we focus on what we don’t want, we build a bigger ego, we feel discomfort. A business mentor once told me long ago in speaking of financial situations wearing on people, “Most people live lives of silent desperation.” It’s even truer for spirituality. How we really feel about ourselves is usually buried a few layers below “autopilot” as well as buried a few layers below our projection of ourselves to the world.

Ever think about what it would be like to be successful for being you?

Being Ourselves

People always benefit more when we simply speak from the heart rather than perform aerial acrobatics that ‘those who require big acrobatic acts’ need. Good luck peddling that drama. Instead, I’ll say that it is easier being you, and attracting people like you. If we play to the world, we play to the illusion. But if we play to our own song, we help the world by default. I always strive to be the best version of myself. The more that I go back to my Inner Self and take the actions that feel good to me when I feel connected with God within, the more my life flows because I’m not peddling anything that I am not.

Here’s an interesting scenario. Observe people with a lot of success who spent a lot of time being who they are not to get there. Ever meet one of those folks? They are typically apathetic. They are stuck with the same disease that caused them to take that path to begin with. They aren’t healed. They’re just a sort of "successful" version of themselves. Something seems kinda missing though. Ever see people who are paraded around with success too early for their development? They become unstable, many times. Now, meet someone who has honored their own personal path by practicing being who they are, not holding pretense, not running on autopilot, being true to themselves, making a decision about themselves each step of the way with deliberate intent. Meet them and see how they enjoy every moment life gives them, including the moment where they meet you. Their path was chosen out of honoring the self, choosing what they want, over and over again.

I think what has led to my success in growing spiritually the most has been spending most of my time connecting with my Inner Self, and honoring that and being honest with it. When I deviate, I begin to struggle. Hey, sometimes we don’t know when we deviate. That’s fine. We just redirect ourselves when we notice that. Recognizing how I deviated in some small way may take months. But I always get back on the path. Every path taken is important, even if it appears to be a detour.

What is the moral of the ramblings? I guess it’s up to you to decide what you get out of it. I hope you enjoyed it, no less. It’s been great for me. Until next time!

Todd is the founder of the Soul Solutions Healing Group, which features a team offering widely, varied spiritual writings from many different voices serving as a profound teaching and learning instrument for a wide variety of audiences. You can find out more about Todd and the team at SSG by visiting their website and blog.

Visit: Soul Solutions Healing Group Website

Visit: SSG Team Blog

Enhancing our Identities

2008-12-05T07:31:00.000-08:00

Being Present in Relationships

2008-12-01T05:50:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

I hope you enjoy this video from Eckhart Tolle. He discusses the power of interacting with people that we share a past with and the shift that can happen when we decide to meet them in the present moment.

Sometimes it can be difficult when we share painful pasts with a person but it can be liberating when you choose to meet free of past experiences.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Remember...

2008-11-24T05:52:00.000-08:00

In Bali there is a tradition that babies are not placed on the floor for 6 months because they are still with God. They are not yet identifying themselves with this world. They are just present.

Tolle explains that as we begin to grow we start to identify ourselves with the sounds that make up our name. We then begin to find identity through our toys and experiences. As we become adults those toys and experiences just become bigger.
As we move through our lives we begin to forget our true selves and look to possess identities.

When these ‘things’ are removed from us we feel a great sense of loss on many occasions but if we choose to ‘remember’ who we are, the essence of our being, we would free ourselves from the fear of loss and the feeling of loss if these situations arise.

When we first meet someone we usually ask ‘So what do you do?’. And we begin to unload a pile of identities that we have created for ourselves. I work here, I studied here, I have this many children etc.

I wonder what the reaction would be if we answered ‘I endeavour to work in the ever present state of I AM.’ I imagine there would be a few strange looks, unless they understood what this meant.

We continually try to identify ourselves with things and accomplishments, however if we decided to ‘work from within’ to create our outer experience we would experience so much more than the temporal joy of ‘things’. We think that these ‘things’ will make us happy but we often find the feeling a little disappointing when we get there.

Many great philosophers have written about this and a running theme is placing importance on ‘knowing ourselves’.

It takes courage to stand for something different. Einstein once said ‘Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds’. When you choose to become aware of the egoic world (the world formed by the ego) you will meet people who think that they have it better organized than you because they have a bigger house, or a nicer car, a better job and will try to convince you that their way is the way you should be heading. This is where it takes courage to ‘know’ that you understand something greater than temporal form. Some would call it faith.

Remember...

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

The Enormous Power of Yes

2008-11-16T07:08:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

I just want to share a video with you. Eckhart Tolle speaks about the power of yes and how we can change our perception by allowing and accepting what is around us. With an understanding of this we can begin to choose to respond to situations rather than to react to situations.

Enjoy!

Julieanne

(Click on blue music pod on left to pause background music while you watch video)

The Dance of Form

2008-11-10T06:18:00.000-08:00

‘To recognize one’s own insanity is, of course, the arising of sanity, the beginning of healing and transcendence.’ Eckhart Tolle

This is a great quote to use to begin to understand your own thought processes.

When we are not feeling at ease or at peace it is usually because we are trying to defend our ego in some way.

Tolle explains in greater depth as we continue to read about how to identify a reaction that arises from defending the ego and will always cause a temporary sense of satisfaction but will leave you ‘wanting’ for more.

It is an inner feeling that can produce a visual image of desperation and self preservation. When you are able to move past this desperate attempt to defend ‘things’ that are not actually in existence your world will change beautifully and you will move into alignment with your true self.

If you are finding that the idea of your ego is not clicking with you, you might like to consider if you are reacting in a way that is working to defend something that you have used to create an identity for yourself. We are surrounded by objects, things and forms that are used to identify us but also mask our true self from the world. This is the world of the ego.

Tolle is not proclaiming that you should give up everything in this world, although some do to embark on a spiritual journey, but to perceive your world differently. I have heard him describe this as choosing to stand in the present and watch the dance of forms and identities around you. I promise you there is no more joyous way to be in this world than to perceive it like this.

When you are feeling out of alignment, stop and ask yourself what you are feeling. If it is a ‘bad’ feeling, ask yourself ‘Why is this a bad feeling?’ Keep going back asking questions until you arrive at a point that you understand that you perceive it as a bad feeling only because you or somebody else has told you that this is a bad feeling. Decide that it is not actually such a bad feeling and it is not so bad to feel this way and watch yourself deflate your own ego. Can you do it? And if you are not ready to, are you aware that you are not ready to and are choosing to defend your ego?

Upon an understanding of this you can truly begin to have fun and learn to play with form. It’s not magic... It is you... magnificent being.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Eckhart Tolle

2008-11-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

I just want to share a short video with you. As an introduction to Tolle, take a few minutes to relax and enjoy some thoughts from the author of this great book!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

(Click on blue music pod on left to pause background music while you watch this video)

'A New Earth' by Eckhart Tolle

2008-11-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

I am so excited about being able to use ‘A New Earth’ as a platform to share with you what it means to ‘awaken’.

You are presented with the opportunity to begin to really understand the world you live in and more importantly the world you choose to live in.

I personally understand what an experience like this can do to your world and although challenging at first you will never be able to look at your world in the same way.

For me, just as Tolle has written in his first few pages, it began with the recognition of beauty. My first experience with this happened to me just over 10 years ago and was so overwhelming that I tried to explain to people but felt in some instances I may have been perceived to be some kind of ranting woman.

So I will spare you.

However there is a way to begin to see this for yourself. Tolle explains it through the process of being able to appreciate a flower without naming it a flower. It is a very strong introduction to the world of form and identity that our egos work so hard to protect.

He is speaking about being able to be in a state that is not attached to anything that defines you in this world.

He is speaking about the ability to be able to place yourself in the present state whilst removing the ‘labels’ that we attach to ourselves that define us in this world.

He is speaking about being able to be yourself, denying the identities of being for instance, someone’s mother, father, partner, brother or any other identity you may have given yourself or someone has given to you.

We often try to reach this state through meditation and prayer, gently letting our thoughts float away until we are still.

Once you are able to understand this you will perceive everything and everyone around you differently.

I want to keep this introduction simple so as not to confuse anyone but to give you an insight into what you can expect whilst reading Tolle.

So in the meantime take some time to stop and smell the roses and see if your perception can change by not naming them roses, and you will have started your journey towards ‘awakening’.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

The Richest Man in Babylon

2008-11-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

I hope you have enjoyed some of the simple financial lessons that have been given to us in ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’.

I did want to leave you with one more easy lesson if you are faced with debt and are unsure how to handle it. It is my hope that are you not but if you are, or somebody you know is, then this is some great advice to follow.

Many financial advisors will offer the same suggestion and it is very simple, although at first glance you may consider it impossible.

1. Pay Yourself First – No matter what kind of debt you are facing remember to save 10% of your wages for your future. This will give you a greater sense of achievement as you are paying your debtors back whilst still enjoying a growing ‘nest egg’ not to mention the security of knowing that you will be better prepared if a situation like this does arise again.

2. Pay Your Debtors After You Have Paid Yourself – Commit to paying your debtors 20% of your wages. You will need to devise a plan and present it to your debtors explaining that you wish to pay a certain amount of money every month. Many credit companies will be happy to devise a plan with you as they would prefer to get be paid eventually rather than not at all.

3. Learn to Live on 70% of Your Wages – If you are in debt this is a strong commitment to make but it can be done with proper planning. Remember it is only for the time that you are choosing to deal with your debt.

By following this simple plan you will pay your debtors whilst retaining a sense of dignity as you are also saving 10% for your future.

Again I hope you are not faced with this problem but if ever you are, this is an easy and simple solution although it does take commitment.

‘The Richest Man in Babylon’ is such a great little book for starting out or getting your finances into order. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have since I found it over 10 years ago. And for those who know me and have listened to me constantly repeating ‘Pay Yourself First’... ‘Pay Yourself First’... I hope you now have a clearer understanding as to why.

Thank you everyone for your great comments and emails and I am especially looking forward to sharing our next book, ‘A New Earth’ by Eckhart Tolle with you.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

The Five Laws of Gold

2008-10-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

We are constantly looking for sound financial advice but how do you know if the advice you receive is worth listening to or if it would be better avoided?

When you are first considering investing or devising a plan, you may find yourself presented with overwhelming possibilities but there are some basic rules for your money and George S. Clason presents them simply and clearly.

Anytime you consider making a financial decision just check them against these ‘Five Laws of Gold’ as written in ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’. If something doesn’t fit within these laws then it is advice to be avoided. It is really this simple:

The Five Laws of Gold

1: Gold comes gladly and in increasing quantity to any man who will put aside 10% of all he earns to build an estate for his family and future.

-Quite simple, just save 10% and only use this money for your future and the future of your family.

2: Gold labours diligently and contentedly for the wise owner who finds it profitable employment.

-Make your money work for you and remember to guarantee your initial investment.

3: Gold clings to the protection of the cautious owner who invests it under the advice of men wise in its handling.

-Seek sound financial advice and if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Get rich quick schemes are often not following these laws and you may lose your money as quickly as you invested it. Take your time.

4: Gold slips away from the man who invests it in businesses that he is not familiar or is not approved by those skilled in its keep.

-Stick with investments that you know have results or have had results for people offering sound advice. We read about this earlier when the mistake was made by letting a brickmaker invest money to buy jewels. So make sure you are familiar or you know the person who is giving the advice is familiar with your chosen investments.

5: Gold flees the man who would force it to impossible earnings or who follows the advice of tricksters or schemers or who trusts it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in investment.

-Again, the get rich quick scheme is to be avoided. Take it easy and procure an amount of money that will place you in a position to take advantage of a sound opportunity.

Whenever you consider placing your money somewhere, check your investment against this list.

Does it adhere to the ‘Five Laws of Gold’?

It is also interesting to consider the current perceived crisis against these laws. Where do you think it went wrong?

However you can now be safe in the knowledge that you know better. And when you know better... you do better... Now it is your choice!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

How Do You Feel About Money?

2008-10-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

How does money look to you?

What are your views on money? Have you built beliefs that money fixes everything? Or maybe you believe it is the root of all evil and that all rich people are greedy.

What is your motivation for earning money and when you get there how do you think you will feel? You see... having money is not about the ‘things’ it is about the feelings you think they will give you if you have them. Now here’s the great thing... you can choose how you feel. Have you ever stepped out and said ‘I feel a million dollars’? Well this is exactly how you should feel in order to feel abundance manifest in your life.

If you are having negative feelings about money then ask yourself this, ‘If I didn’t have to work 40 hours a week to pay my mortgage, car payments, and utilities etc what could I do for humanity? If I had that extra 40 hours a week, what could I do with them?’ And start focusing on this!

There are many humanitarian millionaires that without the money they have they would not be able to continue their work. Money is a necessity in this world. But it is not what you are searching for. It is the ability to create your life so that it induces the feelings that are important to you.

And the great thing is that you have the ability to create those feelings right now! Focus on the feelings you are trying to obtain and watch the world around you change to match your vibration!

I was going to write to you about the ‘5 Laws of Gold’ however today I feel that it is more important that you understand that you are not working for money but you are working to create feelings.

If you write down the feelings you think you will feel if you had all the money you wanted you might be surprised to find that they are quite easy to be felt today... right now, where you are.

Opportunities will arise and people will come into your lives that match these feelings. If you are wondering what you are feeling... have a look around.
Figure out the feeling you are after rather than the amount of money you think will supply you with this feeling.

A different approach to money will bring different results.

Want to know more about starting to FEEL abundant? Then watch this video!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

(Click on blue music pod on left to pause background music while you watch video)

Our Next Book!

2008-10-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Just reminding you that 'A New Earth' by Eckhart Tolle received the most votes and we will start reading this from the 3rd November.

I was a little dubious about this before I read it but after finishing this book I was very grateful that it had been recommended to me.

It is beautifully written and very thought provoking.

'The Richest Man in Babylon' has been a very light read and I am really looking forward to sharing something deeper with you.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Get Your Money Working For You!

2008-10-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I hope you are enjoying the simple lessons from ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’. It is such an easy an enjoyable read which is why it was chosen before we embark on our next big book. ‘A New Earth’ by Eckhart Tolle received the most votes and we will start to read it from the 3rd of November.

It seems to fit perfectly as we have read ‘Think and Grow Rich’, which deals with the mind, ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’, which deals with finances and now we will read ‘A New Earth’, which deals with the spirit.

I really learnt some great lessons from ‘A New Earth’ and some that I already knew, so it was refereshing to know that I am not the only person that thinks in the manner that Tolle expresses. I am really looking forward to sharing it with you and hearing your thoughts on Tolle’s ideas.

Now, back to ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’.

Before we move forward to the ‘5 Laws of Gold’, we are presented with ideas as to what we should be doing with our ‘golden slaves’ and the advantages of having them work for you.

We are given a lesson in ‘procrastination’ and the effects it can have when being presented with an opportunity. We all know that procrastination is not a positive attribute and it can cause you to miss opportunities that are presented to you. This does not mean it is in your interest to be hasty when it comes to financial decisions but with the correct understanding of the laws of wealth you will be easily able to identify a good investment.

When you are starting out just remember to always protect your initial investment. If it is not guaranteed... forget it! In the beginning you must prove yourself capable and more opportunities will present themselves.

The most important thing about having a stash of ‘golden slaves’ is that when an opportunity arises, you are able to take advantage of it. Some people call this luck, or being in the right place at the right time... however the people that say this would have been presented with their own opportunities, the difference is they were not in a position to take advantage of it.

So, build your stash of ‘golden slaves’ and wait for the opportunity to present itself. The difference this time will be that you will be able to take advantage of it and get your money working for you!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Group Member's Inspired Site - 'Free Personal Development Material'

2008-10-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to tell you about a great blog that belongs to one of our member's. If you enjoy personal development, you will find plenty of free links and resources at

Free Personal Development Material

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Arkad Shares 7 Cures for a Lean Purse

2008-10-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

After a request from the King, Arkad shares his secrets with Babylon so that it may become a wealthy city, and offers these 7 cures for a lean purse.

1. For every 10 coins you place in your wallet, spend only nine: This is great advice if you are literally finding yourself with an empty purse. You can take this as a literal lesson, or on a vibrational level as we know that like attracts like, a purse with money in it will attract more money.

2. Control expenditures: Take a piece of paper and write down your necessities in 1 column and your desires in another column. Add your necessities and your desires so that they will only cost up to nine tenths of your income. The rest will come later when you are able to control the money you have now.

3. Make your money multiply: You can start by enjoying compound interest on your savings. Then when you have enough money to start investing, invest your principle, then your principle and your return so that you earn returns on your returns. Compound Interest!

4. Protect your gold: Invest only where you can be guaranteed the return of your principle. Don’t be lured by the chance to make quick money as you begin to accumulate your ‘golden slaves’.

5. Own your home: This is quite self explanatory, not only from a financial sense but also from a spiritual sense. I know at the moment there are financial problems in the world but these problems stem from particular financial indiscretions.

6. Provide for retirement and protection of family: This can be retirement funds, investments or savings but one investment that is vital for the protection of your family is life insurance.

7. Increase your ability to earn: We read about this in ‘Think and Grow Rich’ as ‘Specialized Knowledge’. Keep Learning and Keep Earning. Learn everything you can about your profession and from people who are already successful in your profession.

Understandably there will be opinions on the best ways to achieve these cures, but used as a tool to get you on your way they are extremely beneficial.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

The 3 Laws of Successfully Handling Wealth!

2008-10-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Every gold piece you save is a slave to work for you. Every copper it earns is its child that also can earn for you. If you would become wealthy, then what you save must earn, and its children must earn, that all may help to give you the abundance you crave.’

The Richest Man in Babylon

The next lessons you are introduced to are the 3 laws of successfully handling wealth. You have learnt the first most important rule which is to ‘Pay Yourself First’. Now that you are paying yourself first... what do you do next?

The above quote is a great way to understand and perceive your money differently. It is also a lot of fun! And this is what life should be about. When people think about saving and putting money away for the future it can often bring feelings that you may be missing out or lacking something. If you follow these laws, you will know this is just not the case.

It is a lot of fun to consider your savings as golden slaves and the interest or returns that you earn on your savings or investments, to be the children of your slaves. Just keep ‘Paying Yourself First’ and as you do remember these laws:

1. Live on less than you earn - Learn to live on 90% of your income.

2. Seek advice from those who are competent through their own experiences to give it – As in the story – don’t entrust a bricklayer to invest your money in jewels. If it is jewels you want, seek the advice of a jeweller. Seek out sound advice.

3. Learn to make your money work for you – We will learn more about this but if you are just starting out remember to only invest where the principle is guaranteed. In other words, only invest where you are guaranteed not to lose your initial investment.

There are suggestions made that you must first prove yourself capable of handling the money you have now before new opportunities will be given to you. Prove to yourself that you can organize what you have now and who knows what may be around the corner!

Keep your golden slaves and their children working for you!

And if you are wondering what it is that you are doing this all for then maybe the following video will give you an insight into this!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

(Click on blue music pod on left to pause background music while you watch video)

Group Member's Inspired Blog - Serenity

2008-10-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to tell you about a great blog that belongs to one of our member's. With everything from recipes to philosophy I am sure you will find 'Serenity' a very interesting read.

Go to Serenity

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Pay Yourself First!

2008-09-29T04:53:00.000-07:00

'The Richest Man in Babylon' by George S. Clason

This beautiful book begins with a conversation between 2 childhood friends, Bansir, a chariot builder, and Kobbi, a musician. They were discussing why it was that they had worked so hard, for so many years, and had become barely able to support their families.

After some deliberation they decide to seek the advice of their childhood friend, Arkad, who has become very wealthy and most importantly has been rumoured to be the richest man in Babylon.

Bansir and Kobbi seek out Arkad and ask if he would teach them how they might become wealthy. Arkad is more than happy to oblige his friends. They agree to meet... and the lessons begin.

His first statement to them is, the only reason they have failed to acquire wealth up until this point is because they have either failed to learn the laws that govern wealth, or they have learnt the laws but are not observing them.

This is the first great statement in this book, and is an opportunity to consider where you are at in regards to financial literacy. Our libraries are filled with autobiographies of people that have succeeded so even if you don’t have access to a wealthy friend, you have access to their knowledge.

Arkad came from a humble, large family and was not set to inherit, however he managed to amass a great fortune. What did he do differently? Why was it that these 3 childhood friends had had the same beginnings, but one was immensely wealthy while the other 2 remained without wealth?

Arkad begun by teaching them that when he decided he was going to be wealthy he knew that he had to first seek out the wisdom of someone who was already where he would like to be and sought the advice of Algamish, the money lender.

The first lesson that Algamish had to offer Arkad was the most important lesson in the accumulation of wealth, and is the most important to you.

‘A part of all you earn is yours to keep.’

‘A part of all you earn is yours to keep.’

Think about how you manage your money right now. Do you pay everybody else first and whatever is left, you keep? If this is the case then open an account where you can start to place 10% of all you earn and place it in this account before you pay, your hairdresser, your shoe supplier, your electric company, your supermarket, whoever it is that you pay money to – pay yourself first. For others of you who are either already doing this or have investments, you are obeying the first natural law of wealth. However you may like to ask if these investments are 10% of your income.

You may be wondering how you can do it if you are just surviving right now but this is a law that cannot be avoided and it is your choice to follow these laws or to remain where you are today. I can promise you, you will not miss this 10%. I heard someone once explain this 10% as ‘latte money’. You know that money that you spend every day that might be a dollar here or a dollar there, but at the end of the month it adds up to quite a few dollars. Consider if there is something that you consume that would be considered as ‘latte money’.

This is the first and the most important law, so decide today to –

‘Pay Yourself First’

The reasons why this is so important will be explained over the next few weeks and I look forward to sharing them with you.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

The Richest Man in Babylon

2008-09-25T06:18:00.000-07:00

Get Ready for the Natural Laws of Wealth!

Increase your finances and have some fun!

Starting on 29th September!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Thank You!

2008-09-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I hope you have enjoyed this journey through ‘Think and Grow Rich’ and
that you will take the opportunity to revisit these principles over
the next few months as your desire for deeper understanding increases.

I want to take this opportunity to let you know that this has been a
great 4 months for me. I have met so many great people and hope I have
been able to introduce you to principles that have changed the lives
of so many readers.

It has been so rewarding to be able to share a book that I have been
studying for over 10 years and look forward to you joining me as we
begin to read ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’.

Thank you for all your kind words, emails and comments and for
allowing me to share the book that changed my life so many years ago.

It is my desire that I have been able to encourage you to ‘Think and
Grow Rich’.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Photo: Napoleon Hill

A Look Back at What We Have Learnt from Napoleon Hill

2008-09-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

As we come to the final chapter of 'Think and Grow Rich' I thought you might enjoy a revisit to the wisdom of Napoleon Hill.

Thank you for all your comments and feedback. I hope you will join us as we begin to read 'The Richest Man in Babylon'.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

(Please click on blue music pod on left to pause background music while you watch video)

Chapter 15 - How to Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear

2008-09-17T04:52:00.000-07:00

‘Fears are nothing more than states of mind.’
Napoleon Hill

Fear...

We are the only animals that feel it, talk ourselves out of it and walk straight into danger. We have natural instincts that warn us of impending danger, but as we are ‘thinking beings’, we decide whether we will listen, or often to our own detriment take it upon ourselves to create new and irrational fears.

Can you imagine what would happen to the animal kingdom if they took it upon themselves to decide to create fears because of something that may have happened in the past and may never happen again?

Our fears are only fears because we have attached a story to them and it is often a story from our past or something that has been told to us in the past. Think of something that you have a fear of, and ask yourself ... Why?

I guarantee you there is a story attached to it, and you have chosen to attach it.

In this chapter Hill presents you with a self analysis test. I would recommend you put an hour aside and answer every question whether it is a fear of yours or not. When you are finished you will be presented with a complete picture of yourself and where your weaknesses may lie.

Hill tells us the 3 enemies of manifestation are INDECISION, DOUBT AND FEAR. We have discussed these in previous chapters and if you are suffering from any of these 3 enemies, you now have the information to help you move past them.

After you have been honest and analysed yourself you will be able to begin reading ‘Think and Grow Rich’ again with a new perspective and a better understanding of the instructions given in earlier chapters. Hill invites you to revisit your self analysis once a week for several months and enjoy the sense of knowing and encouraging a better you.

This book works in a continuous circle and with each reading you will be able to improve the power behind the principles of ‘Think and Grow Rich’.

It is my hope that I have been able to walk you through this journey of self discovery and I look forward to speaking with you again soon.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

The voting poll is still up and you will be able to vote once a week so keep your votes coming in! In the lead at the moment is ‘A New Earth’ by Eckhart Tolle, with ‘The Science of Getting Rich’ by Wallace Wattles and ‘Biology of Belief’ by Dr Bruce Lipton right behind it.

Photo from www.savethetigerfund.org

The Strangest Secret in the World - Earl Nightingale

2008-09-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

Listen to Earl Nightingale reveal the 'Strangest Secret in the World'. Have you been wondering what the definition of success is? You may be surprised...

(Please click on blue music pod on left to pause background music while you watch video)

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Chapter 14 - The Sixth Sense

2008-09-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

‘Through the aid of the sixth sense, you will be warned of impending dangers in time to avoid them, and notified of opportunities in time to embrace them.’ Napoleon Hill

If you are able to read this chapter, and understand the reasons for creating your own ‘Invisible Counsellors’, then you have understood ‘Think and Grow Rich’.

All principles in this book are written for you to reach a point where you are able to do this. If you are looking for a method that increases your intuitive ability, then these principles are what you are looking for.

We have read about the power of the Creative Imagination and it is this factor of manifestation that creates and allows you to recognise when an opportunity is being offered to you.

If you have not reached this chapter yet, I would advise you to read it only after you have read the preceding chapters. Your ability to differentiate between the Synthetic and Creative Imagination will allow this process to become an important part of your manifestation process. You may not have mastered it, but it is my hope that you have understood it.

We are all able to do this and utilise our sixth sense, it just takes practice, and you have been presented with practical steps to help you do this.

Hill presents us with a process that allows you to be in contact with whoever you would like to emulate or receive advice from, and at anytime.

It is my hope that you are able to embrace your own ability to impress upon the subconscious mind anything that you desire, and allow it to begin the manifestation process. It is also my hope that you are able to recognise opportunity, strengthen your desires, and begin to manifest anything that you desire... Anything! This is the way to do it!

The next chapter deals with our fears and is often the reason that manifestations are blocked or stopped from transmuting into their physical equivalent. It’s time to get honest with yourself and free yourself from the fears that hold you back from achieving all that you desire!

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

You can now vote for ‘What Should We Read Next’, and I still welcome any suggestions. I will leave the poll there for a couple of weeks and let you know.

Photo by Nick Lloyd

A Tribute to Those We Lost on 9/11

2008-09-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

(Please click on blue music pod on left to pause background music while you watch video)

Let Amy know where you were on 9/11 at http://
beautifulsideofcrazy.blogspot.com/

Group Member's Inspired Blog

2008-09-10T03:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to tell you about a great blog that belongs to one of our member's. If you are looking for empowering thoughts and advice then visit 'Empowering Minds - from Thoughts To Actions!'

Go to http://
2empoweru.blogspot.com/

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Our Next Book

2008-09-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

We only have 2 more chapters of 'Think and Grow Rich' and hope you are still enjoying Hill's principles.

The next book we will be reading is 'The Richest Man in Babylon' by George S. Clason. This is a very light read with powerful lessons in the natural laws of wealth. It should only take a couple of weeks to move through and thought it might be a welcomed breather before we move onto our next book.

Over the next few weeks I would welcome any suggestions as to what you would like to read next, which will be placed on a voting poll on our blog.

After reading chapter 13 'The Brain', in 'Think and Grow Rich' I received so much interest in this subject and have found a great site that offers brainwave meditation downloads. I have placed a link on the left of our blog which allows you to download a free 10 minute sample if you are interested in finding out more about this.

Thank you for all your comments and feedback, it is very much appreciated!

I look forward to speaking with you again soon.

Happy Manifesting!

Julieanne

Photo by Nick Lloyd