After Kenya's disputed election in 2007, violence erupted. A prominent Kenyan lawyer and blogger, Ory Okolloh, who was based in South Africa but had gone back to Kenya to vote and observe the election, received threats about her work and returned to South Africa. She posted online the idea of an Internet mapping tool to allow people anonymously to report violence and other misdeeds. Technology whizzes saw her post and built the Ushahidi Web platform over a long weekend. The site collected user-generated cellphone reports of riots, stranded refugees, rapes and deaths and plotted them on a map, using the locations given by informants. It collected more testimony -- which is what ushahidi means in Swahili -- with greater rapidity than any reporter or election monitor.
Continue reading ...
Original post: daily Good at charityfocus.org
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
The Magic Of Creating Your Own Reality
The Magic Of Creating Your Own Reality
By Kate Corbin
"We want you to show yourself your power. We want you to remember who you are. We want you to remember that you are the creator of your own experience." -- Abraham-Hicks
How do you feel when someone says to you, "You know, you create your own reality." If you're looking at a reality you like, you probably smile and say, "Yeah, I did that!" If you're looking at a reality you don't like, you may get upset and insist, "I did NOT create THAT! I would NEVER have created THAT!"
Well, according to the Law of Attraction, you ARE creating your own reality. In fact, you're creating your reality all day every day with your thoughts and feelings. The all-important question then becomes: Are you creating consciously or are you creating by default?
The reality you perceive is a mirror reflecting back to you a picture of what you're thinking and feeling. The good news is that, even if you don't particularly like the picture you've created so far, you can begin immediately to improve it. As you learn how to consciously create your own reality, it is no longer necessary to accept unpleasant circumstances or settle for less than the life you truly desire.
Because nothing is fixed and everything changes all the time, you can start right now creating the reality you truly desire, building your life thought by thought, as surely as a mason builds a house brick by brick. When you choose thoughts that feel good, you manifest circumstances that feel good. Therefore, consciously creating your own reality starts with directing your thoughts toward what feels good.
As you make the connection between what you're thinking and feeling and what's manifesting in your experience, you create from a place of confidence and empowerment rather than from a place of doubt and fear.
"The best way to predict the future is to create it." - Abraham Lincoln
Consciously creating your own reality is really just a matter of applying the LOA principles you already know - perhaps with a new understanding - maybe in a more purposeful way.
Here are some tips to help you design and create your life in accordance with your own desires, to help you manifest more of what you want and less of what you don't want:
* Make feeling good the most important thing.
* Notice how you feel and choose thoughts that feel better.
* Find things to appreciate.
* Be as present as possible.
* Be as happy as possible.
* Accept your inherent worthiness.
* Maintain positive expectation.
* Listen for and take inspired action toward your desire.
* Focus on what you want and why you want it, letting go of how, where, when, and who.
* Hold fast to your dream even when there's no physical evidence that it's happening.
* Change your vibration rather than trying to change your circumstances.
* Have fun and follow your bliss.
* Relax and trust that all is well and that everything is unfolding perfectly.
"We magnetize into our lives whatever we hold in our thought." - Richard Bach
As you accept that you create your world with your thoughts and feelings - and that YOU are in charge of those thoughts and feelings - you become the Master Creator of your own precious life. As you consciously apply the Magic of Creating Your Own Reality, you will soon find yourself living in a magical Universe where dreams really do come true!
Kate Corbin is a Law of Attraction Life Coach and the creator of Gold Star Coaching. Both her coaching practice and her books - Dining at the Cosmic Café: How to Be and Do and Have Whatever You Desire as well as Think and Grow Thin with the Law of Attraction - http://www.goldstarcoaching.com/ebook.html are designed to empower you to truly live the life of your dreams. To contact Coach Kate, check out her books, and subscribe to her free ezine, Magical Musings, visit http://www.goldstarcoaching.com/
By Kate Corbin
"We want you to show yourself your power. We want you to remember who you are. We want you to remember that you are the creator of your own experience." -- Abraham-Hicks
How do you feel when someone says to you, "You know, you create your own reality." If you're looking at a reality you like, you probably smile and say, "Yeah, I did that!" If you're looking at a reality you don't like, you may get upset and insist, "I did NOT create THAT! I would NEVER have created THAT!"
Well, according to the Law of Attraction, you ARE creating your own reality. In fact, you're creating your reality all day every day with your thoughts and feelings. The all-important question then becomes: Are you creating consciously or are you creating by default?
The reality you perceive is a mirror reflecting back to you a picture of what you're thinking and feeling. The good news is that, even if you don't particularly like the picture you've created so far, you can begin immediately to improve it. As you learn how to consciously create your own reality, it is no longer necessary to accept unpleasant circumstances or settle for less than the life you truly desire.
Because nothing is fixed and everything changes all the time, you can start right now creating the reality you truly desire, building your life thought by thought, as surely as a mason builds a house brick by brick. When you choose thoughts that feel good, you manifest circumstances that feel good. Therefore, consciously creating your own reality starts with directing your thoughts toward what feels good.
As you make the connection between what you're thinking and feeling and what's manifesting in your experience, you create from a place of confidence and empowerment rather than from a place of doubt and fear.
"The best way to predict the future is to create it." - Abraham Lincoln
Consciously creating your own reality is really just a matter of applying the LOA principles you already know - perhaps with a new understanding - maybe in a more purposeful way.
Here are some tips to help you design and create your life in accordance with your own desires, to help you manifest more of what you want and less of what you don't want:
* Make feeling good the most important thing.
* Notice how you feel and choose thoughts that feel better.
* Find things to appreciate.
* Be as present as possible.
* Be as happy as possible.
* Accept your inherent worthiness.
* Maintain positive expectation.
* Listen for and take inspired action toward your desire.
* Focus on what you want and why you want it, letting go of how, where, when, and who.
* Hold fast to your dream even when there's no physical evidence that it's happening.
* Change your vibration rather than trying to change your circumstances.
* Have fun and follow your bliss.
* Relax and trust that all is well and that everything is unfolding perfectly.
"We magnetize into our lives whatever we hold in our thought." - Richard Bach
As you accept that you create your world with your thoughts and feelings - and that YOU are in charge of those thoughts and feelings - you become the Master Creator of your own precious life. As you consciously apply the Magic of Creating Your Own Reality, you will soon find yourself living in a magical Universe where dreams really do come true!
Kate Corbin is a Law of Attraction Life Coach and the creator of Gold Star Coaching. Both her coaching practice and her books - Dining at the Cosmic Café: How to Be and Do and Have Whatever You Desire as well as Think and Grow Thin with the Law of Attraction - http://www.goldstarcoaching.com/ebook.html are designed to empower you to truly live the life of your dreams. To contact Coach Kate, check out her books, and subscribe to her free ezine, Magical Musings, visit http://www.goldstarcoaching.com/
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The Tall Poppy Syndrome
The Tall Poppy Syndrome
by Michael Webb Author, 50 Secrets of Blissful Relationships
In Australia there is a phrase "the tall poppy syndrome." It describes the condition when a person is uncomfortable if one flower raises its head too far above the rest. They think it looks unnatural, so what do they do - they cut it down to the level of the other flowers.
Do you have the same habit with your loved ones? Some people have the hardest time letting others take some praise. If our coworker gets a promotion we tease them about what devious things they did to get it. If our brothers and sisters brought home better report cards we discounted the difficulty of the classes they took. We find it hard to accept that some people are going to naturally rise above others. That person might even be a spouse who makes more money, has a better physique, more friends, or is better educated.
We also have this nasty habit of cutting down all the poppies around us if we are feeling particularly low about ourselves. I remember when my sister made a rude comment about my thinning hair so I launched back an equally unkind comment about her thickening waist. We could have acted more maturely and watered each other with kind comments and encouraging remarks, but ignorantly we were tearing up the flower garden so no one could enjoy its beauty.
Do you like to insult (talk trash, 'dis, cut, slice) others? Does it make you feel like your poppy has grown higher? My personal peeve is when spouses spout insults about each other in front of their friends. They think their clever but insulting remarks will make their flower look prettier but in reality your mate's flower is wrapped around yours. If you cut theirs down, yours will be butchered too. Whoever came up with the "sticks and stones" phrase wasn't very bright. Insults are verbal sticks and stones and they can tear up a field of beautiful poppies in no time.
by Michael Webb Author, 50 Secrets of Blissful Relationships
In Australia there is a phrase "the tall poppy syndrome." It describes the condition when a person is uncomfortable if one flower raises its head too far above the rest. They think it looks unnatural, so what do they do - they cut it down to the level of the other flowers.
Do you have the same habit with your loved ones? Some people have the hardest time letting others take some praise. If our coworker gets a promotion we tease them about what devious things they did to get it. If our brothers and sisters brought home better report cards we discounted the difficulty of the classes they took. We find it hard to accept that some people are going to naturally rise above others. That person might even be a spouse who makes more money, has a better physique, more friends, or is better educated.
We also have this nasty habit of cutting down all the poppies around us if we are feeling particularly low about ourselves. I remember when my sister made a rude comment about my thinning hair so I launched back an equally unkind comment about her thickening waist. We could have acted more maturely and watered each other with kind comments and encouraging remarks, but ignorantly we were tearing up the flower garden so no one could enjoy its beauty.
Do you like to insult (talk trash, 'dis, cut, slice) others? Does it make you feel like your poppy has grown higher? My personal peeve is when spouses spout insults about each other in front of their friends. They think their clever but insulting remarks will make their flower look prettier but in reality your mate's flower is wrapped around yours. If you cut theirs down, yours will be butchered too. Whoever came up with the "sticks and stones" phrase wasn't very bright. Insults are verbal sticks and stones and they can tear up a field of beautiful poppies in no time.
Trust That All is Well By Kate Corbin Platinum Quality Author
Trust That All is Well
By Kate Corbin Platinum Quality Author
"When you trust, the current will carry you to all of the circumstances and events and experiences that you've been asking for." - Abraham-Hicks
Many years ago, my best friend pointed out to me that I didn't really trust anyone or anything. Although somewhat of an exaggeration, the truth of what she said resonated deeply within me and I made a note to self: "Someday you might want to look into this trust thing."
Over the years, as I began to peek inside that box labeled TRUST, I was astonished to find that it contains nothing less than the secrets to living a magical life, the veritable keys to the kingdom. It turns out that trust is absolutely essential to living a happy, healthy life. In Law of Attraction terms, trust is another word for allowing. When we trust, we allow our natural state of Well-Being to flow into our lives. When we don't trust, we resist the Well-Being that would otherwise be ours. Good to know, huh?
In my more skeptical, pre-trust days, I believed I had to do everything on my own, often feeling separate and alone. Back then, I believed I had to "make" things happen with physical action and I exhausted myself trying to force square pegs into round holes. What a joy to learn that, when I trust, the current will carry me to all the circumstances, events and experiences I've been asking for. Learning to trust is magical.
So what are we talking about here? Trust what? Trust Source? Trust the Stream? Trust the Universal Manager? Trust your Inner Being, your gut, your emotional guidance system? Yes, it's all of this and more. For me, the best way to express it is: Trust that All is Well - even when it may not appear that way.
When I trust that all is well, I feel good, which is another way of saying I'm connected with Source, which is another way of saying I have access to my vibrational escrow. When I trust that all is well, I know that if I don't manifest the exact thing I desire at the exact moment I desire it, it's because something even better is on its way to me. When I trust that all is well, I free myself from judging everyone and everything as good or bad. When I trust that all is well, I get the Law of Attraction working FOR me rather than AGAINST me. When I trust that all is well, I stop "messing with the cursed how's" (Mike Dooley) and focus on my job - which is to enjoy my ride on the river.
How would your life be different if you lived from a place of trust, serenely going with the flow? Here's a preview. Take a moment and enjoy the ride:
Imagine yourself floating blissfully down the stream, relaxed and at ease. Trusting the perfect timing of the Universe, you let go of "when." Trusting the perfect choreography of the Universe, you let go of "how." As you relax and flow naturally with the current, you're plugged into the power supply of Source, infused with Life Force Energy for the journey. As you trust the stream to take you where you want to go, you experience the magical relief of dropping the oars and being carried gently along. Tuned in to guidance, intuition and inspiration, you take inspired action, confident that good things are continually manifesting for you. Feeling safe, supported, and peaceful, you release resistance and see your life as a grand adventure. Trusting the natural order of things, you let go of effort, hard work and struggle; and float merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, gently down the stream. Aaahh!
Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? As you train yourself to trust that all is well by making a decision to do so, your vibration shifts, and the evidence shows up. With trust comes belief and expectation, as well as the certainty that everything is happening for your highest good. When you trust that all is well, you allow your life to unfold with ease and grace. When you hold the vision and allow the stream to carry you to everything you desire, you align with the Magic of Trust and life becomes yummy and delicious!
Kate Corbin is a Law of Attraction Life Coach and the creator of Gold Star Coaching. Both her coaching practice and her books - Dining at the Cosmic Café: How to Be and Do and Have Whatever You Desire as well as Think and Grow Thin with the Law of Attraction - http://www.goldstarcoaching.com/ebook.html are designed to empower you to truly live the life of your dreams. To contact Coach Kate, check out her books, and subscribe to her free ezine, Magical Musings, visit http://www.goldstarcoaching.com/
By Kate Corbin Platinum Quality Author
"When you trust, the current will carry you to all of the circumstances and events and experiences that you've been asking for." - Abraham-Hicks
Many years ago, my best friend pointed out to me that I didn't really trust anyone or anything. Although somewhat of an exaggeration, the truth of what she said resonated deeply within me and I made a note to self: "Someday you might want to look into this trust thing."
Over the years, as I began to peek inside that box labeled TRUST, I was astonished to find that it contains nothing less than the secrets to living a magical life, the veritable keys to the kingdom. It turns out that trust is absolutely essential to living a happy, healthy life. In Law of Attraction terms, trust is another word for allowing. When we trust, we allow our natural state of Well-Being to flow into our lives. When we don't trust, we resist the Well-Being that would otherwise be ours. Good to know, huh?
In my more skeptical, pre-trust days, I believed I had to do everything on my own, often feeling separate and alone. Back then, I believed I had to "make" things happen with physical action and I exhausted myself trying to force square pegs into round holes. What a joy to learn that, when I trust, the current will carry me to all the circumstances, events and experiences I've been asking for. Learning to trust is magical.
So what are we talking about here? Trust what? Trust Source? Trust the Stream? Trust the Universal Manager? Trust your Inner Being, your gut, your emotional guidance system? Yes, it's all of this and more. For me, the best way to express it is: Trust that All is Well - even when it may not appear that way.
When I trust that all is well, I feel good, which is another way of saying I'm connected with Source, which is another way of saying I have access to my vibrational escrow. When I trust that all is well, I know that if I don't manifest the exact thing I desire at the exact moment I desire it, it's because something even better is on its way to me. When I trust that all is well, I free myself from judging everyone and everything as good or bad. When I trust that all is well, I get the Law of Attraction working FOR me rather than AGAINST me. When I trust that all is well, I stop "messing with the cursed how's" (Mike Dooley) and focus on my job - which is to enjoy my ride on the river.
How would your life be different if you lived from a place of trust, serenely going with the flow? Here's a preview. Take a moment and enjoy the ride:
Imagine yourself floating blissfully down the stream, relaxed and at ease. Trusting the perfect timing of the Universe, you let go of "when." Trusting the perfect choreography of the Universe, you let go of "how." As you relax and flow naturally with the current, you're plugged into the power supply of Source, infused with Life Force Energy for the journey. As you trust the stream to take you where you want to go, you experience the magical relief of dropping the oars and being carried gently along. Tuned in to guidance, intuition and inspiration, you take inspired action, confident that good things are continually manifesting for you. Feeling safe, supported, and peaceful, you release resistance and see your life as a grand adventure. Trusting the natural order of things, you let go of effort, hard work and struggle; and float merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, gently down the stream. Aaahh!
Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? As you train yourself to trust that all is well by making a decision to do so, your vibration shifts, and the evidence shows up. With trust comes belief and expectation, as well as the certainty that everything is happening for your highest good. When you trust that all is well, you allow your life to unfold with ease and grace. When you hold the vision and allow the stream to carry you to everything you desire, you align with the Magic of Trust and life becomes yummy and delicious!
Kate Corbin is a Law of Attraction Life Coach and the creator of Gold Star Coaching. Both her coaching practice and her books - Dining at the Cosmic Café: How to Be and Do and Have Whatever You Desire as well as Think and Grow Thin with the Law of Attraction - http://www.goldstarcoaching.com/ebook.html are designed to empower you to truly live the life of your dreams. To contact Coach Kate, check out her books, and subscribe to her free ezine, Magical Musings, visit http://www.goldstarcoaching.com/
Monday, March 15, 2010
Happiness by W. Beran Wolfe & Lisa Coffey
Happiness by W. Beran Wolfe & Lisa Coffey
"If you observe a really happy man, you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing double dahlias or looking for dinosaur eggs in the Gobi Desert. He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar button that had rolled under the radiator, striving for it as a goal in itself. He will have become aware that he is happy in the course of living life twenty-four crowded hours of each day."
-W. Beran Wolfe
Of course, happiness is something that we all want for ourselves and those we love. But happiness is not something that we can pursue. Happiness is something that finds us! When we are expressing ourselves, living a life filled with love, we can't help but feel the happiness that is always around us.
-Lissa Coffey
"If you observe a really happy man, you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing double dahlias or looking for dinosaur eggs in the Gobi Desert. He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar button that had rolled under the radiator, striving for it as a goal in itself. He will have become aware that he is happy in the course of living life twenty-four crowded hours of each day."
-W. Beran Wolfe
Of course, happiness is something that we all want for ourselves and those we love. But happiness is not something that we can pursue. Happiness is something that finds us! When we are expressing ourselves, living a life filled with love, we can't help but feel the happiness that is always around us.
-Lissa Coffey
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Magic of Telling a New Story By Kate Corbin Platinum Quality Author
The Magic of Telling a New Story
By Kate Corbin Platinum Quality Author
"As you tell the story the way you want it to be, the Universe has to comply. It has to." - Abraham-Hicks
While listening to the Abraham-Hicks 2008 Mexican Cruise, I noticed a powerful theme running through the entire ten CD set - the concept of telling a new story for your life. Here's the message: Whatever you're experiencing in your life is a direct reflection of the story you've been telling. Therefore, if you'd like to experience different circumstances in your life, tell a different story. Simply start telling the story of your life the way you want it to be rather than the way it is or the way it was or the way you're afraid it might be. Take back your power to create your life exactly the way you want it to be with the Magic of Telling a New Story.
To begin, step back and take a good long look at your life. Are your relationships fulfilling? How's that bank account looking? Do you love your work and feel good about your level of success? What about your health and fitness? Are there areas of your life that could use some tweaking? Great, tell a new story. Start today and tell the story of your life the way you want it to be. Tell an empowering new story that works FOR you rather than AGAINST you.
Here's the bottom line: Everything you're living is in response to the story you're telling. Everything! As you think the thoughts and feel the feelings of living out your new empowering story, circumstances and events will morph to reflect your new, empowering story. As you tell a new story, you summon new experiences. Tell your story the way you want it to be. You're the star, the central character, the lead in a production called Your Life. Here's an example:
"All is well in my world. I love my life and see it getting better every day. I experience joyous relationships with the wonderful, amazing, uplifting people in my life. I feel good and look good. I love and appreciate my body and enjoy vibrant good health. I'm exhilarated and excited as I begin each new day. I have an occupation that thrills me. I experience ever-flowing prosperity and abundance. I expect and believe that something wonderful is just about to happen. I stay connected with Source, happily creating my ideal life."
As you practice the story that resonates with your dreams rather than your nightmares, you become a vibrational match to a grand and glorious adventure. Then everything that matches your new story will actualize around you and everything that matches your old story will disappear from your life. Here's more:
"Everything I desire flows to me easily and joyfully. I make feeling good the most important thing and I'm getting really good at keeping my vibration high by choosing thoughts that feel good. I'm filled with appreciation, always looking for more to appreciate and enjoy. I love my life. I love myself. I love my family and friends. I'm a magnet for amazing prosperity, vibrant good health and loving relationships. I'm a successful, confident, prosperous, loving, generous, happy person."
That's the kind of story you want to tell. You know by looking at your life what kind of story you're telling. If your life does not look and feel the way you want it to, you're telling a story about what you DON'T want. As you consistently tell the story of what you DO want, you train your life into alignment with what you DO want.
As you tell a new story and practice that new vibration, the Universe will show you evidence of that new story. It's your story, your choice, your life. As you tell the story of your life the way you want it to be and FEEL it the way you want it to be, you broadcast that high vibration out to the Universe and the Universe will, indeed MUST, deliver to you the circumstances and events that conform to your new, improved story.
As you replace your old habit of talking about your life as it is and instead consciously choose to talk about your life as you want it to be, you become the conscious creator of your own reality. As you engage the Magic of Telling a New Story, you take creative control of your own precious life!
Kate Corbin
By Kate Corbin Platinum Quality Author
"As you tell the story the way you want it to be, the Universe has to comply. It has to." - Abraham-Hicks
While listening to the Abraham-Hicks 2008 Mexican Cruise, I noticed a powerful theme running through the entire ten CD set - the concept of telling a new story for your life. Here's the message: Whatever you're experiencing in your life is a direct reflection of the story you've been telling. Therefore, if you'd like to experience different circumstances in your life, tell a different story. Simply start telling the story of your life the way you want it to be rather than the way it is or the way it was or the way you're afraid it might be. Take back your power to create your life exactly the way you want it to be with the Magic of Telling a New Story.
To begin, step back and take a good long look at your life. Are your relationships fulfilling? How's that bank account looking? Do you love your work and feel good about your level of success? What about your health and fitness? Are there areas of your life that could use some tweaking? Great, tell a new story. Start today and tell the story of your life the way you want it to be. Tell an empowering new story that works FOR you rather than AGAINST you.
Here's the bottom line: Everything you're living is in response to the story you're telling. Everything! As you think the thoughts and feel the feelings of living out your new empowering story, circumstances and events will morph to reflect your new, empowering story. As you tell a new story, you summon new experiences. Tell your story the way you want it to be. You're the star, the central character, the lead in a production called Your Life. Here's an example:
"All is well in my world. I love my life and see it getting better every day. I experience joyous relationships with the wonderful, amazing, uplifting people in my life. I feel good and look good. I love and appreciate my body and enjoy vibrant good health. I'm exhilarated and excited as I begin each new day. I have an occupation that thrills me. I experience ever-flowing prosperity and abundance. I expect and believe that something wonderful is just about to happen. I stay connected with Source, happily creating my ideal life."
As you practice the story that resonates with your dreams rather than your nightmares, you become a vibrational match to a grand and glorious adventure. Then everything that matches your new story will actualize around you and everything that matches your old story will disappear from your life. Here's more:
"Everything I desire flows to me easily and joyfully. I make feeling good the most important thing and I'm getting really good at keeping my vibration high by choosing thoughts that feel good. I'm filled with appreciation, always looking for more to appreciate and enjoy. I love my life. I love myself. I love my family and friends. I'm a magnet for amazing prosperity, vibrant good health and loving relationships. I'm a successful, confident, prosperous, loving, generous, happy person."
That's the kind of story you want to tell. You know by looking at your life what kind of story you're telling. If your life does not look and feel the way you want it to, you're telling a story about what you DON'T want. As you consistently tell the story of what you DO want, you train your life into alignment with what you DO want.
As you tell a new story and practice that new vibration, the Universe will show you evidence of that new story. It's your story, your choice, your life. As you tell the story of your life the way you want it to be and FEEL it the way you want it to be, you broadcast that high vibration out to the Universe and the Universe will, indeed MUST, deliver to you the circumstances and events that conform to your new, improved story.
As you replace your old habit of talking about your life as it is and instead consciously choose to talk about your life as you want it to be, you become the conscious creator of your own reality. As you engage the Magic of Telling a New Story, you take creative control of your own precious life!
Kate Corbin
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Feeling Good and the Law of Attraction by Wendy Betterini
Feeling Good and the Law of Attraction by Wendy Betterini
The more we learn about using the Law of Attraction consciously in
our lives, the more we understand that our emotional state
determines our vibrational frequency, which attracts the quality of
experiences we have. With this knowledge comes the understanding
that feeling good (happy, joyful, enthusiastic, optimistic) will
attract more of the same into our lives.
But is it really possible to feel good all the time? How do we deal
with life's little (and not so little) annoyances? Are we supposed
to live in a state of denial and take on a Pollyanna attitude? What
about the devastating life experiences that shake us to our core,
such as the death of a loved one or a natural disaster? How is it
possible to remain in a positive emotional state when laboring
under feelings of grief and despair?
The short answer is: it's not only difficult, but also detrimental
to us to do so.
Our feelings are real. Trying to deny them or smooth them over with
blanket statements of positive focus won't help us resolve them at
a core level. Instead, it's important to honor our feelings and
work through them in a positive and productive manner. How? By
admitting that we feel rotten, and allowing ourselves to feel that
way. It's okay to feel angry, sad, or hurt when something awful
happens!
The best gift we can give ourselves is the opportunity to feel our
feelings, genuinely and deeply. When you feel sad about something,
let yourself feel sad. Embrace the feelings, and move through them.
Write in a journal about why you're sad, and express the feelings
rising up within you. Write out your rage, your pain, your grief.
Scream your fury to the universe. It is only by moving through your
feelings that you can come out of them eventually.
Having said that, we must also reach a point when we choose to step
out of our misery and feel hopeful again. We must eventually turn
our focus to thoughts of healing and peace. Continuing to stay
mired in pain for an excessive amount of time can be just as
detrimental as denying our pain altogether. What is considered an
"excessive" amount of time? Only you can say. Your grief process
might last a few days, or a few years. Simply stay tuned in to
yourself, your thoughts, your emotions, and you'll know when you're
beginning to move out of the grief process.
What about the smaller annoyances we deal with on a daily basis?
This is the more common struggle for most of us. How do we stay
positive when facing traffic jams, rude people, misbehaving
children, inconsiderate spouses, demanding bosses, financial
challenges, and repeated feelings of frustration that we just can't
seem to get it together?
Though these experiences seem overwhelming, they are actually the
most simple to deal with if you shift your perspective slightly.
The best tool I've discovered for dealing with frustration is the
ability to choose what I focus on.
Let's use an example to demonstrate this concept. Let's say you're
running late for work and you have an important meeting to attend
when you get there. You dash to your car, praying for a quick, easy
ride to work so you can be on time for your meeting. Shortly after
you leave home, you run into a big traffic jam. Cars are moving
slower than molasses, and you sit there behind the wheel feeling
angry and frustrated because you know you're going to be late for
your meeting, which will bring on some unpleasant comments from
your boss, and probably ruin your chances for the promotion you
were hoping to get. The more you follow this line of thought, the
more angry and frustrated you will become. So what can you do to
turn this situation around?
Here are the techniques I've found most helpful in frustrating
circumstances:
1) Intend a different outcome. Remember that your focus will
attract a corresponding result! You're already stuck in the traffic
jam, so denying it would be futile. However, does the existence of
a traffic jam have to bring about the negative consequences you
envisioned? Not necessarily. You are making assumptions about what
this experience will mean to you. If you instead choose to make it
mean something else, you can actually change the outcome. How? Try
affirming something like this: "Even though traffic seems to be
moving slowly, I KNOW I will arrive at work exactly on time. The
universe is working with me to create the most beneficial outcome
possible." The trick is to put your full faith into this
affirmation, and not let yourself become filled with doubt or
worry. Then, any number of things could happen to support your new
belief. Traffic might begin moving more quickly because the
obstruction is cleared, or you might still arrive at work a few
minutes late only to discover that your boss and several other
coworkers were also late because of the traffic jam, so the meeting
begins later than planned.
2) Choose to feel good anyway! This is a little more challenging,
but the more you do it the better you get at it. Simply choose to
turn your thoughts to a more positive place. Rather than dwelling
on your frustration, find something to feel good about and focus on
it. Think about your loved ones, pets, or friends. Recall a happy
memory that makes you laugh out loud. Carry some uplifting audio
books in your car so you can listen to them when you need a boost.
Turn your attention firmly away from thoughts that increase your
worry and irritation, and toward thoughts that make you feel happy.
It seems difficult to overcome negative thoughts and feelings, but
it's really as simple as choosing your focus moment to moment, day
after day. The more practice you get at feeling good overall, the
more you'll find yourself able to step calmly over minor
irritations, and deal effectively with bigger issues.
The more we learn about using the Law of Attraction consciously in
our lives, the more we understand that our emotional state
determines our vibrational frequency, which attracts the quality of
experiences we have. With this knowledge comes the understanding
that feeling good (happy, joyful, enthusiastic, optimistic) will
attract more of the same into our lives.
But is it really possible to feel good all the time? How do we deal
with life's little (and not so little) annoyances? Are we supposed
to live in a state of denial and take on a Pollyanna attitude? What
about the devastating life experiences that shake us to our core,
such as the death of a loved one or a natural disaster? How is it
possible to remain in a positive emotional state when laboring
under feelings of grief and despair?
The short answer is: it's not only difficult, but also detrimental
to us to do so.
Our feelings are real. Trying to deny them or smooth them over with
blanket statements of positive focus won't help us resolve them at
a core level. Instead, it's important to honor our feelings and
work through them in a positive and productive manner. How? By
admitting that we feel rotten, and allowing ourselves to feel that
way. It's okay to feel angry, sad, or hurt when something awful
happens!
The best gift we can give ourselves is the opportunity to feel our
feelings, genuinely and deeply. When you feel sad about something,
let yourself feel sad. Embrace the feelings, and move through them.
Write in a journal about why you're sad, and express the feelings
rising up within you. Write out your rage, your pain, your grief.
Scream your fury to the universe. It is only by moving through your
feelings that you can come out of them eventually.
Having said that, we must also reach a point when we choose to step
out of our misery and feel hopeful again. We must eventually turn
our focus to thoughts of healing and peace. Continuing to stay
mired in pain for an excessive amount of time can be just as
detrimental as denying our pain altogether. What is considered an
"excessive" amount of time? Only you can say. Your grief process
might last a few days, or a few years. Simply stay tuned in to
yourself, your thoughts, your emotions, and you'll know when you're
beginning to move out of the grief process.
What about the smaller annoyances we deal with on a daily basis?
This is the more common struggle for most of us. How do we stay
positive when facing traffic jams, rude people, misbehaving
children, inconsiderate spouses, demanding bosses, financial
challenges, and repeated feelings of frustration that we just can't
seem to get it together?
Though these experiences seem overwhelming, they are actually the
most simple to deal with if you shift your perspective slightly.
The best tool I've discovered for dealing with frustration is the
ability to choose what I focus on.
Let's use an example to demonstrate this concept. Let's say you're
running late for work and you have an important meeting to attend
when you get there. You dash to your car, praying for a quick, easy
ride to work so you can be on time for your meeting. Shortly after
you leave home, you run into a big traffic jam. Cars are moving
slower than molasses, and you sit there behind the wheel feeling
angry and frustrated because you know you're going to be late for
your meeting, which will bring on some unpleasant comments from
your boss, and probably ruin your chances for the promotion you
were hoping to get. The more you follow this line of thought, the
more angry and frustrated you will become. So what can you do to
turn this situation around?
Here are the techniques I've found most helpful in frustrating
circumstances:
1) Intend a different outcome. Remember that your focus will
attract a corresponding result! You're already stuck in the traffic
jam, so denying it would be futile. However, does the existence of
a traffic jam have to bring about the negative consequences you
envisioned? Not necessarily. You are making assumptions about what
this experience will mean to you. If you instead choose to make it
mean something else, you can actually change the outcome. How? Try
affirming something like this: "Even though traffic seems to be
moving slowly, I KNOW I will arrive at work exactly on time. The
universe is working with me to create the most beneficial outcome
possible." The trick is to put your full faith into this
affirmation, and not let yourself become filled with doubt or
worry. Then, any number of things could happen to support your new
belief. Traffic might begin moving more quickly because the
obstruction is cleared, or you might still arrive at work a few
minutes late only to discover that your boss and several other
coworkers were also late because of the traffic jam, so the meeting
begins later than planned.
2) Choose to feel good anyway! This is a little more challenging,
but the more you do it the better you get at it. Simply choose to
turn your thoughts to a more positive place. Rather than dwelling
on your frustration, find something to feel good about and focus on
it. Think about your loved ones, pets, or friends. Recall a happy
memory that makes you laugh out loud. Carry some uplifting audio
books in your car so you can listen to them when you need a boost.
Turn your attention firmly away from thoughts that increase your
worry and irritation, and toward thoughts that make you feel happy.
It seems difficult to overcome negative thoughts and feelings, but
it's really as simple as choosing your focus moment to moment, day
after day. The more practice you get at feeling good overall, the
more you'll find yourself able to step calmly over minor
irritations, and deal effectively with bigger issues.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Embrace Conflict by Cheryl Richardson
Embrace Conflict by Cheryl Richardson
It's a beautiful, spring-like day here in the Northeast and it feels good to be home enjoying the sun and warmth. Michael and I returned from Paris last week after a business trip that gave us the opportunity to visit places like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. The beauty and grandeur of Paris is beyond words.
During our vacation I was struck by a feeling I often experience when I travel - conflict. While I enjoyed the sights and sounds of Paris and the magical experiences we encountered, I also missed the beauty and comfort of our home (and, of course, our cat, Poupon). The feelings for both were equally strong.
Several times during the week I had to stop and re-center myself in the present moment to take full advantage of our time in Paris. When I did, I found myself recalling a message I heard long ago from a teacher who has had a profound influence on my life and my work. Her name is Marion Woodman and she used to tell us that wholeness comes from learning to "hold the tension of the opposites."
We live in a world of duality. There's daylight and nighttime, summer and winter, good and evil. It's the nature of living as a human being on earth to deal with the tension of opposites. And yet, navigating the complex feelings that come from holding this tension can be stressful and challenging at best. You interview for a new job, for example, and find yourself anxiously waiting to hear how you did while knowing that at the same time you need to be patient and detached from the outcome. Or, you try to be a good parent by encouraging your son to go out into the world to live a full, rich life, while everything inside you begs to hold tight to keep him safe.
How do we hold the tension of the opposites and still thrive and enjoy our lives? What can we do to make this experience less stressful? Here are a few things that helped me:
Give voice to your feelings. As I grappled with mixed emotions during the trip, I felt alone and a little crazy. After all, here I was in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and part of me wanted to be home. It didn't make sense. But, once I stopped suffering in silence and shared my thoughts with Michael, I discovered that he felt it, too. Sharing my feelings and knowing I wasn't alone immediately made me feel better.
Honor the opposites. Rather than judge one side as better or worse than the other, give both parts of you equal consideration. I spent some time by myself writing about the traveler in me who was thoroughly enjoying seeing new places, meeting new people, and having new adventures. And I also wrote about the other part that loved our home, missed Poupon, and wanted the comfort and peace of familiar routines. What I soon discovered was that giving time and space to both parts of me made me feel stronger and more capable of being with the tension.
Strengthen your ability to hold both. Once I felt stronger, I had a glimpse of what Marion was talking about when she said that "wholeness" comes from holding the tension of the opposites. Rather than try to exorcise or ignore my uncomfortable feelings, I needed to see the choice to be with both as a kind of "inner training session." As I centered myself in the tension, I imagined weaving parts of me together into a stronger, more mature woman. By doing this I was developing an emotional muscle that would ultimately allow me to bring more of who I am to the world.
I hope this makes sense. As is often the case, I'm working it out as I write. I know I'm not alone, though. We're all faced with the task of living with opposing feelings and experiences. It's what we do with it that matters most. My intention is to master the art of holding myself in the beauty and possibility of the in-between world. And I invite you to join me ☺.
Take Action Challenge
This week, identify an inner conflict that reflects two different parts of you. Then, talk to someone about it. Share your feelings and experiences. Give time and attention to both parts by writing about them in a journal or notebook. Finally, find an image that reflects the strength of holding the tension and allow this image to inspire you to stay steady and strong.
It's a beautiful, spring-like day here in the Northeast and it feels good to be home enjoying the sun and warmth. Michael and I returned from Paris last week after a business trip that gave us the opportunity to visit places like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. The beauty and grandeur of Paris is beyond words.
During our vacation I was struck by a feeling I often experience when I travel - conflict. While I enjoyed the sights and sounds of Paris and the magical experiences we encountered, I also missed the beauty and comfort of our home (and, of course, our cat, Poupon). The feelings for both were equally strong.
Several times during the week I had to stop and re-center myself in the present moment to take full advantage of our time in Paris. When I did, I found myself recalling a message I heard long ago from a teacher who has had a profound influence on my life and my work. Her name is Marion Woodman and she used to tell us that wholeness comes from learning to "hold the tension of the opposites."
We live in a world of duality. There's daylight and nighttime, summer and winter, good and evil. It's the nature of living as a human being on earth to deal with the tension of opposites. And yet, navigating the complex feelings that come from holding this tension can be stressful and challenging at best. You interview for a new job, for example, and find yourself anxiously waiting to hear how you did while knowing that at the same time you need to be patient and detached from the outcome. Or, you try to be a good parent by encouraging your son to go out into the world to live a full, rich life, while everything inside you begs to hold tight to keep him safe.
How do we hold the tension of the opposites and still thrive and enjoy our lives? What can we do to make this experience less stressful? Here are a few things that helped me:
Give voice to your feelings. As I grappled with mixed emotions during the trip, I felt alone and a little crazy. After all, here I was in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and part of me wanted to be home. It didn't make sense. But, once I stopped suffering in silence and shared my thoughts with Michael, I discovered that he felt it, too. Sharing my feelings and knowing I wasn't alone immediately made me feel better.
Honor the opposites. Rather than judge one side as better or worse than the other, give both parts of you equal consideration. I spent some time by myself writing about the traveler in me who was thoroughly enjoying seeing new places, meeting new people, and having new adventures. And I also wrote about the other part that loved our home, missed Poupon, and wanted the comfort and peace of familiar routines. What I soon discovered was that giving time and space to both parts of me made me feel stronger and more capable of being with the tension.
Strengthen your ability to hold both. Once I felt stronger, I had a glimpse of what Marion was talking about when she said that "wholeness" comes from holding the tension of the opposites. Rather than try to exorcise or ignore my uncomfortable feelings, I needed to see the choice to be with both as a kind of "inner training session." As I centered myself in the tension, I imagined weaving parts of me together into a stronger, more mature woman. By doing this I was developing an emotional muscle that would ultimately allow me to bring more of who I am to the world.
I hope this makes sense. As is often the case, I'm working it out as I write. I know I'm not alone, though. We're all faced with the task of living with opposing feelings and experiences. It's what we do with it that matters most. My intention is to master the art of holding myself in the beauty and possibility of the in-between world. And I invite you to join me ☺.
Take Action Challenge
This week, identify an inner conflict that reflects two different parts of you. Then, talk to someone about it. Share your feelings and experiences. Give time and attention to both parts by writing about them in a journal or notebook. Finally, find an image that reflects the strength of holding the tension and allow this image to inspire you to stay steady and strong.
Friday, March 5, 2010
The Real Prosperity Secret
The Real Prosperity Secret
Law of Attraction not getting the results you had in mind? Learn why … and how you can truly draw prosperity and abundance to you and your store.
by Marilyn Jenett
I’d like to read your mind for a moment. Nod if I’m correct … You know all about the Law of Attraction and have sporadic experiences that support it, but don’t understand how it can be applied consistently to transform your circumstances. You have used affirmations forever, practiced visualization, and created vision boards or treasure maps. You probably admit to thinking about as positively as anyone else in this day and age (that’s not saying much now, is it?). But most of the time you are probably wondering why, with all of this knowledge, you are still struggling with your finances and not attracting the customers, profits, and success to your business that you want.
With the popularity of the film The Secret and Law of Attraction books circulating to millions, you would think manifesting abundance would be the rule rather than the exception. Just envision what you want, and suddenly it appears. But based on the current economic climate, that’s clearly not the whole story. Even those who have studied and are well informed about spiritual principles and metaphysical laws are often unable to take these ideas from their intellect and incorporate them mentally and emotionally to put them into practice.
Is there another part of the equation, a missing link somewhere? Is there a magic prosperity pill that will finally draw prosperity and abundance to you? With first-hand experience as a business owner for two decades and now a prosperity teacher, my answer is a resounding yes!
The Universe is your marketing department
Just as a house cannot stand without a proper foundation, all the marketing, sales, and business know-how in the world will not result in success unless you first have the internal foundation—the mindset—to succeed. Once you create that foundation, you will be automatically guided to all the appropriate elements to build an abundant life.
I proved the validity of this approach while building my special event business over a 20-year span, applying these principles to overcome my poverty consciousness and grow my own small business.
Most of my event clients were the world’s largest corporations. During those 20 years, I never looked for a client. Now, you may find this hard to believe, but I do mean it literally: The clients always found me. I never advertised, marketed, cold-called, or networked. And yet my tiny, one-woman operation attracted these large corporate clients. Doors opened spontaneously for the right exposure, the right opportunities, and the right clients. I didn’t look for publicity—it sought me—including a cover story in the Los Angeles Times that was syndicated around the globe and the first article I ever wrote that grossed my company $250,000—during the national recession of the early ’90s! You have to admit something uncommon must have been involved—and that something was an uncommon state of consciousness.
This also applied to my new life and evolution as a prosperity teacher with no previous experience. When I began teaching, I had no idea how I would attract students or create a reputation. Once again, I took this to my Universal marketing department, applied my prosperity “homework,” and trusted that doors would open. I also listened and waited for guidance. The doors opened effortlessly to attract my platform and international following.
How do prosperity laws really work?
The keys to opening those doors for yourself and your business lie in understanding several principles, or prosperity laws, and applying techniques that tap into those laws. Let’s start with understanding some of the most important principles.
1. Your business is not your source of income
This is worth repeating. Your business, store, customers, clients, spouse, savings, investments—none of these are your source of income. There is only one source of income: the Universe, God, Divine Presence, Spirit, Formless Substance (whatever your concept is of the universal source of good). The Universe is your source of supply.
All of those other avenues are channels for your supply. Let’s use the analogy of a kitchen faucet. The faucet is not the source of water. It is only a channel. If that channel is broken or closed, there are an infinite number of other channels through which we can get water.
When you rely on your true source of supply, all the channels will open for you to receive your good. It is not your job to know them. It is your job to trust your Source, and as you do, both expected and unexpected channels will open, and customers, business, and income will increasingly come to you “out of the blue.” So release all ideas that your income and business must be derived from only one particular channel.
2. The resistance of the subconscious mind
A multitude of self-help material is available in the marketplace to those interested in increasing their prosperity. People bounce from one book or program to the next looking for results, but instead they often meet with frustration because the Law of Attraction tools being touted simply don’t offer enough.
The reason most people, even those who are well versed in attraction and prosperity laws, do not manifest easily comes down to a critical component and missing link that is not addressed: the resistance of the subconscious mind. If your subconscious mindset is not in alignment with your conscious desires, and you use Law of Attraction-type techniques to try to achieve life changes, you will automatically revert back to the tangible evidence of your own core beliefs, which keep you stuck in “lack” rather than prosperity, whether we are talking about income, health, or abundance in any form.
The subconscious mind does not like to change and will create resistance (we know that from our attempts to change a habit). Through what I call “friendly persuasion,” you can use the power of words to persuade rather than argue with the subconscious. We gently shift the consciousness to create a new dominant thought in our conscious and subconscious mind, which is what determines our circumstances. This shift in thinking then creates fertile soil in the subconscious, allowing new ideas of wealth, health, abundance, and success to take root. This enables you to bridge the gap between having an intellectual grasp of the prosperity principles—which many people do, but to no avail—and instilling a subconscious acceptance of them.
In order to manifest any desire, the conscious and subconscious minds must agree on the idea. We make a decision with our conscious mind. We use our conscious mind to instill this idea into the subconscious until it is accepted. Once the seed has been accepted in the soil of mind, it will grow and manifest just as the seed planted in the ground will become a plant or a flower. First, we do our job and plant the seed. We nurture the soil with positive thoughts and expectation. Then we turn the job over to Universal Mind—to the creative forces. We can relax and let go, knowing our manifestation will come.
3. You don’t attract what you want, you attract what you are
When we “want” something, what is the message we are giving to our subconscious mind and the Universe? The subconscious mind will create for us and attract to us circumstances it accepts to be true in the present moment. And what we are thinking and feeling now is what determines our future, its outcomes and experiences.
Quite simply, when we “want” something, we are telling our mind we don’t have it. And the law is that we attract what we already have in consciousness. The great teacher, Dr. Joseph Murphy, said “We don’t attract what we want, we attract what we are.” So the way to really manifest our desire is to convince our subconscious we already have it.
Dr. Murphy also said, “Feel the joy of the answered prayer.” If we live in the state of the fulfilled desire, feel the reality of the goal accomplished, this will impact the subconscious. That’s the most profoundly effective key to manifesting what we want. Words and affirmations are powerful. But just one moment of feeling the reality of your fulfilled desire is more powerful than a thousand affirmations.
So don’t want it. Own it. Be it. Experience it. Accept it. Ask yourself, “How would I feel if...?”
4. The Law of Reversed Effort
A little-known law called the Law of Reversed Effort states the harder you “try” to do something, the less chance you have of achieving it. Trying implies a negative, suggesting to the mind that you may not accomplish your goal. Even Yoda of the Star Wars movies recognized this truth when he wisely said, “We do. There is no try.”
5. Affirmations—why you may not be getting results
My guess is 80% or more of the people who use affirmations don’t get results. That’s because they are not aware of those important nuances of the mind that would allow them to overcome its resistance.
Let’s say your subconscious mind has an established pattern of lack. You might apply the type of present-tense affirmations that are generally recommended, such as “I am wealthy” or “I am prosperous.”
But what really happens is your subconscious mind does not accept it and knows you are lying. Your entire being feels like you are lying—you look around at appearances and say, “Yeah, right. Who am I kidding?” So now, what are you thinking about? You are now focused more on lack! And because of this, your undesirable circumstances will continue to exist or may even get worse. This reminds me of, “Don’t think of a white elephant!”
The subconscious mind does not like change. That part of the mind does not reason—it just accepts input as an order. Once it accepts a thought pattern, it will resist any effort to change it. Again, the answer lies in not creating an argument or resistance in the subconscious. Remember what we discussed about the agreement of the conscious and subconscious minds? The key to heaven is to create that agreement.
The good news is there are ways to make your subconscious mind your best friend so it will support you and help you—even compel you—to create what you want.
A toolbox for manifestation
Every word we speak, every thought we think, and every emotion we feel is recorded in the subconscious. Through repetition or with enough faith or emotional impact, the subconscious will accept our words as a command and will create, attract, and magnetize circumstances, conditions, and people to ensure the manifestation of our command.
Even words spoken casually can bypass the conscious mind and drop into the subconscious and take root. The subconscious mind cannot take a joke. Seemingly harmless expressions can produce undesirable results in our lives.
Something to think about: How many times today have you said aloud or to yourself, even casually, “I can’t afford …”
This brings us to some simple, practical tools you can use to apply the prosperity principles in your life.
1. Watch your speech
The single most immediate thing you can do right now to increase the flow of money to you is to change your words.
If you want a successful business, you must resist the habit and temptation of speaking about the lack of business or customers. Change the words you speak to reflect those spoken by a successful person, a person who has money, words that represent what you want in life. Eliminate any words or phrases from your vocabulary that represent the opposite of what you want.
If you really want to increase your cash flow quickly, think and speak as if you already have that cash flow. Remember, the subconscious mind only functions in the present, and what you think, say, and feel in this moment is what you will begin to attract. Repetition of positive words will eventually replace negative patterns in the subconscious that block your success and limit your income and your supply.
If you don’t want it, don’t say it. Even if you feel like you are lying to yourself or others, continue to speak in positive terms about your business and affairs. As you persist in speaking successful words, your subconscious will accept the new ideas and you will discover the “lies” are becoming a new and very tangible reality. By changing your words, you will be well on your way to changing undesirable thought patterns and changing your life and finances.
2. Start listening
As you develop positive thought and speech patterns, you will begin to clear the debris and static in your subconscious that has prevented you from tuning in and listening to your intuitive promptings. Practice paying attention now to those promptings, the hunches, the feelings, the “still small voice” that subtly urges you to do something. As you practice listening and following through on these hunches and the more you discover they lead to successful results, the more consistent and the stronger they will become.
3. Attitude of gratitude
You have heard that over and over again, haven’t you? But do you live it? Well, start now. And here is a powerful aspect of gratitude most people do not know about—expressing gratitude for what you don’t yet see!
Start giving thanks now for your new customers, your increased business, and inspired new ideas—before they arrive. I promise if you will maintain your state of gratitude, they will come, and often at a speed that will astound you.
Marilyn Jenett is a renowned prosperity mentor with an international following. She is an accomplished business woman and owner of a company that served the corporate arena for 20 years. Her achievements were the result of the prosperity principles she now teaches in her Feel Free to Prosper Program, a simple yet powerful lesson and mentoring program based on mental and spiritual laws. To learn more, visit www.feelfreetoprosper.com.
Law of Attraction not getting the results you had in mind? Learn why … and how you can truly draw prosperity and abundance to you and your store.
by Marilyn Jenett
I’d like to read your mind for a moment. Nod if I’m correct … You know all about the Law of Attraction and have sporadic experiences that support it, but don’t understand how it can be applied consistently to transform your circumstances. You have used affirmations forever, practiced visualization, and created vision boards or treasure maps. You probably admit to thinking about as positively as anyone else in this day and age (that’s not saying much now, is it?). But most of the time you are probably wondering why, with all of this knowledge, you are still struggling with your finances and not attracting the customers, profits, and success to your business that you want.
With the popularity of the film The Secret and Law of Attraction books circulating to millions, you would think manifesting abundance would be the rule rather than the exception. Just envision what you want, and suddenly it appears. But based on the current economic climate, that’s clearly not the whole story. Even those who have studied and are well informed about spiritual principles and metaphysical laws are often unable to take these ideas from their intellect and incorporate them mentally and emotionally to put them into practice.
Is there another part of the equation, a missing link somewhere? Is there a magic prosperity pill that will finally draw prosperity and abundance to you? With first-hand experience as a business owner for two decades and now a prosperity teacher, my answer is a resounding yes!
The Universe is your marketing department
Just as a house cannot stand without a proper foundation, all the marketing, sales, and business know-how in the world will not result in success unless you first have the internal foundation—the mindset—to succeed. Once you create that foundation, you will be automatically guided to all the appropriate elements to build an abundant life.
I proved the validity of this approach while building my special event business over a 20-year span, applying these principles to overcome my poverty consciousness and grow my own small business.
Most of my event clients were the world’s largest corporations. During those 20 years, I never looked for a client. Now, you may find this hard to believe, but I do mean it literally: The clients always found me. I never advertised, marketed, cold-called, or networked. And yet my tiny, one-woman operation attracted these large corporate clients. Doors opened spontaneously for the right exposure, the right opportunities, and the right clients. I didn’t look for publicity—it sought me—including a cover story in the Los Angeles Times that was syndicated around the globe and the first article I ever wrote that grossed my company $250,000—during the national recession of the early ’90s! You have to admit something uncommon must have been involved—and that something was an uncommon state of consciousness.
This also applied to my new life and evolution as a prosperity teacher with no previous experience. When I began teaching, I had no idea how I would attract students or create a reputation. Once again, I took this to my Universal marketing department, applied my prosperity “homework,” and trusted that doors would open. I also listened and waited for guidance. The doors opened effortlessly to attract my platform and international following.
How do prosperity laws really work?
The keys to opening those doors for yourself and your business lie in understanding several principles, or prosperity laws, and applying techniques that tap into those laws. Let’s start with understanding some of the most important principles.
1. Your business is not your source of income
This is worth repeating. Your business, store, customers, clients, spouse, savings, investments—none of these are your source of income. There is only one source of income: the Universe, God, Divine Presence, Spirit, Formless Substance (whatever your concept is of the universal source of good). The Universe is your source of supply.
All of those other avenues are channels for your supply. Let’s use the analogy of a kitchen faucet. The faucet is not the source of water. It is only a channel. If that channel is broken or closed, there are an infinite number of other channels through which we can get water.
When you rely on your true source of supply, all the channels will open for you to receive your good. It is not your job to know them. It is your job to trust your Source, and as you do, both expected and unexpected channels will open, and customers, business, and income will increasingly come to you “out of the blue.” So release all ideas that your income and business must be derived from only one particular channel.
2. The resistance of the subconscious mind
A multitude of self-help material is available in the marketplace to those interested in increasing their prosperity. People bounce from one book or program to the next looking for results, but instead they often meet with frustration because the Law of Attraction tools being touted simply don’t offer enough.
The reason most people, even those who are well versed in attraction and prosperity laws, do not manifest easily comes down to a critical component and missing link that is not addressed: the resistance of the subconscious mind. If your subconscious mindset is not in alignment with your conscious desires, and you use Law of Attraction-type techniques to try to achieve life changes, you will automatically revert back to the tangible evidence of your own core beliefs, which keep you stuck in “lack” rather than prosperity, whether we are talking about income, health, or abundance in any form.
The subconscious mind does not like to change and will create resistance (we know that from our attempts to change a habit). Through what I call “friendly persuasion,” you can use the power of words to persuade rather than argue with the subconscious. We gently shift the consciousness to create a new dominant thought in our conscious and subconscious mind, which is what determines our circumstances. This shift in thinking then creates fertile soil in the subconscious, allowing new ideas of wealth, health, abundance, and success to take root. This enables you to bridge the gap between having an intellectual grasp of the prosperity principles—which many people do, but to no avail—and instilling a subconscious acceptance of them.
In order to manifest any desire, the conscious and subconscious minds must agree on the idea. We make a decision with our conscious mind. We use our conscious mind to instill this idea into the subconscious until it is accepted. Once the seed has been accepted in the soil of mind, it will grow and manifest just as the seed planted in the ground will become a plant or a flower. First, we do our job and plant the seed. We nurture the soil with positive thoughts and expectation. Then we turn the job over to Universal Mind—to the creative forces. We can relax and let go, knowing our manifestation will come.
3. You don’t attract what you want, you attract what you are
When we “want” something, what is the message we are giving to our subconscious mind and the Universe? The subconscious mind will create for us and attract to us circumstances it accepts to be true in the present moment. And what we are thinking and feeling now is what determines our future, its outcomes and experiences.
Quite simply, when we “want” something, we are telling our mind we don’t have it. And the law is that we attract what we already have in consciousness. The great teacher, Dr. Joseph Murphy, said “We don’t attract what we want, we attract what we are.” So the way to really manifest our desire is to convince our subconscious we already have it.
Dr. Murphy also said, “Feel the joy of the answered prayer.” If we live in the state of the fulfilled desire, feel the reality of the goal accomplished, this will impact the subconscious. That’s the most profoundly effective key to manifesting what we want. Words and affirmations are powerful. But just one moment of feeling the reality of your fulfilled desire is more powerful than a thousand affirmations.
So don’t want it. Own it. Be it. Experience it. Accept it. Ask yourself, “How would I feel if...?”
4. The Law of Reversed Effort
A little-known law called the Law of Reversed Effort states the harder you “try” to do something, the less chance you have of achieving it. Trying implies a negative, suggesting to the mind that you may not accomplish your goal. Even Yoda of the Star Wars movies recognized this truth when he wisely said, “We do. There is no try.”
5. Affirmations—why you may not be getting results
My guess is 80% or more of the people who use affirmations don’t get results. That’s because they are not aware of those important nuances of the mind that would allow them to overcome its resistance.
Let’s say your subconscious mind has an established pattern of lack. You might apply the type of present-tense affirmations that are generally recommended, such as “I am wealthy” or “I am prosperous.”
But what really happens is your subconscious mind does not accept it and knows you are lying. Your entire being feels like you are lying—you look around at appearances and say, “Yeah, right. Who am I kidding?” So now, what are you thinking about? You are now focused more on lack! And because of this, your undesirable circumstances will continue to exist or may even get worse. This reminds me of, “Don’t think of a white elephant!”
The subconscious mind does not like change. That part of the mind does not reason—it just accepts input as an order. Once it accepts a thought pattern, it will resist any effort to change it. Again, the answer lies in not creating an argument or resistance in the subconscious. Remember what we discussed about the agreement of the conscious and subconscious minds? The key to heaven is to create that agreement.
The good news is there are ways to make your subconscious mind your best friend so it will support you and help you—even compel you—to create what you want.
A toolbox for manifestation
Every word we speak, every thought we think, and every emotion we feel is recorded in the subconscious. Through repetition or with enough faith or emotional impact, the subconscious will accept our words as a command and will create, attract, and magnetize circumstances, conditions, and people to ensure the manifestation of our command.
Even words spoken casually can bypass the conscious mind and drop into the subconscious and take root. The subconscious mind cannot take a joke. Seemingly harmless expressions can produce undesirable results in our lives.
Something to think about: How many times today have you said aloud or to yourself, even casually, “I can’t afford …”
This brings us to some simple, practical tools you can use to apply the prosperity principles in your life.
1. Watch your speech
The single most immediate thing you can do right now to increase the flow of money to you is to change your words.
If you want a successful business, you must resist the habit and temptation of speaking about the lack of business or customers. Change the words you speak to reflect those spoken by a successful person, a person who has money, words that represent what you want in life. Eliminate any words or phrases from your vocabulary that represent the opposite of what you want.
If you really want to increase your cash flow quickly, think and speak as if you already have that cash flow. Remember, the subconscious mind only functions in the present, and what you think, say, and feel in this moment is what you will begin to attract. Repetition of positive words will eventually replace negative patterns in the subconscious that block your success and limit your income and your supply.
If you don’t want it, don’t say it. Even if you feel like you are lying to yourself or others, continue to speak in positive terms about your business and affairs. As you persist in speaking successful words, your subconscious will accept the new ideas and you will discover the “lies” are becoming a new and very tangible reality. By changing your words, you will be well on your way to changing undesirable thought patterns and changing your life and finances.
2. Start listening
As you develop positive thought and speech patterns, you will begin to clear the debris and static in your subconscious that has prevented you from tuning in and listening to your intuitive promptings. Practice paying attention now to those promptings, the hunches, the feelings, the “still small voice” that subtly urges you to do something. As you practice listening and following through on these hunches and the more you discover they lead to successful results, the more consistent and the stronger they will become.
3. Attitude of gratitude
You have heard that over and over again, haven’t you? But do you live it? Well, start now. And here is a powerful aspect of gratitude most people do not know about—expressing gratitude for what you don’t yet see!
Start giving thanks now for your new customers, your increased business, and inspired new ideas—before they arrive. I promise if you will maintain your state of gratitude, they will come, and often at a speed that will astound you.
Marilyn Jenett is a renowned prosperity mentor with an international following. She is an accomplished business woman and owner of a company that served the corporate arena for 20 years. Her achievements were the result of the prosperity principles she now teaches in her Feel Free to Prosper Program, a simple yet powerful lesson and mentoring program based on mental and spiritual laws. To learn more, visit www.feelfreetoprosper.com.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
THE MAGIC OF JOYFUL RELATIONSHIPS by Kate Corbin
THE MAGIC OF JOYFUL RELATIONSHIPS
"Shower the people you love with love."
- James Taylor
As most of us have experienced, relationships can bring us our greatest joys as well as our deepest sorrows. Relationships are such an integral part of our lives that the quality of our relationships often determines the overall quality of our lives.
How, then, can we experience relationships that lift us up rather than drag us down? By exposing limiting beliefs and replacing them with empowering beliefs, we can all experience the Magic of Joyful Relationships. To consciously create the happy, healthy relationships we desire, let's start by taking a look at:
WHAT DOES NOT CREATE JOYFUL RELATIONSHIPS:
- Blaming and Complaining. The more we focus on the unwanted aspects of others, the more unwanted aspects we elicit from them.Ouch!
- Expecting Others to Make Us Happy. When our happiness or unhappiness is dependent on the behavior of others, we give away both our power and our freedom. :-(
- Trying to Change / Fix / Control Others. If we need others to change so that we can feel good, we are definitely looking for happiness in all the wrong places.
There's got to be a better way.
WHAT DOES CREATE JOYFUL RELATIONSHIPS:
- Feel Good First. Being independently happy and determined to keep our own vibration high is the perfect platform for creating great relationships. As we know from Law of Attraction, feeling good IS the most important thing.
- Self-Love First. If we want others to love, value, and appreciate us, we must love, value, and appreciate ourselves first. Period.
- Source First. When we tend to our primary relationship with our Inner Being / Source / God, then all our other relationships will be harmonious.
- Think and Thank. As we think of things we appreciate about others and express that appreciation often, we deepen and sweeten our connection with them.
- Look for Positive Aspects. When we focus on the positive qualities of others, they will display more of their positive qualities, at least with us! :-) It helps to remember this: At their core, EVERYONE is Pure, Positive Energy.
- Tell a New Story. We can free ourselves from past hurts and painful memories by talking about relationships the way we want them to be. We can get unstuck by telling a new, improved story, such as: All my relationships are joyful!
Now that we've shined a light on the major factors behind relationship woes and relationship bliss, let's turn our attention to what Law of Attraction considers the key to manifesting wonderfully harmonious relationships:
DIRECTING OUR THOUGHTS
Although we have no real control over what others are doing, we have complete control over our own thoughts and, happily, that is all we need. Our thoughts determine who we attract into our lives and our thoughts determine how these people behave once they get there.
Good relationships are creations. As we direct our thoughts exclusively and consistently toward what we DO WANT in relationships, we begin consciously and deliberately creating the relationships of our dreams.
As we maintain a strong connection with Source, love ourselves and others, appreciate rather than judge, live our lives as we see fit and let others do the same, accept full responsibility for our own happiness, feel as good as we can in every moment, and direct the power of our thoughts toward the positive aspects of others, we are applying the Law of Attraction to create delightful, delicious relationships. When we do these things, we are sure to experience the Magic of Joyful Relationships.
Kate Corbin
"Shower the people you love with love."
- James Taylor
As most of us have experienced, relationships can bring us our greatest joys as well as our deepest sorrows. Relationships are such an integral part of our lives that the quality of our relationships often determines the overall quality of our lives.
How, then, can we experience relationships that lift us up rather than drag us down? By exposing limiting beliefs and replacing them with empowering beliefs, we can all experience the Magic of Joyful Relationships. To consciously create the happy, healthy relationships we desire, let's start by taking a look at:
WHAT DOES NOT CREATE JOYFUL RELATIONSHIPS:
- Blaming and Complaining. The more we focus on the unwanted aspects of others, the more unwanted aspects we elicit from them.Ouch!
- Expecting Others to Make Us Happy. When our happiness or unhappiness is dependent on the behavior of others, we give away both our power and our freedom. :-(
- Trying to Change / Fix / Control Others. If we need others to change so that we can feel good, we are definitely looking for happiness in all the wrong places.
There's got to be a better way.
WHAT DOES CREATE JOYFUL RELATIONSHIPS:
- Feel Good First. Being independently happy and determined to keep our own vibration high is the perfect platform for creating great relationships. As we know from Law of Attraction, feeling good IS the most important thing.
- Self-Love First. If we want others to love, value, and appreciate us, we must love, value, and appreciate ourselves first. Period.
- Source First. When we tend to our primary relationship with our Inner Being / Source / God, then all our other relationships will be harmonious.
- Think and Thank. As we think of things we appreciate about others and express that appreciation often, we deepen and sweeten our connection with them.
- Look for Positive Aspects. When we focus on the positive qualities of others, they will display more of their positive qualities, at least with us! :-) It helps to remember this: At their core, EVERYONE is Pure, Positive Energy.
- Tell a New Story. We can free ourselves from past hurts and painful memories by talking about relationships the way we want them to be. We can get unstuck by telling a new, improved story, such as: All my relationships are joyful!
Now that we've shined a light on the major factors behind relationship woes and relationship bliss, let's turn our attention to what Law of Attraction considers the key to manifesting wonderfully harmonious relationships:
DIRECTING OUR THOUGHTS
Although we have no real control over what others are doing, we have complete control over our own thoughts and, happily, that is all we need. Our thoughts determine who we attract into our lives and our thoughts determine how these people behave once they get there.
Good relationships are creations. As we direct our thoughts exclusively and consistently toward what we DO WANT in relationships, we begin consciously and deliberately creating the relationships of our dreams.
As we maintain a strong connection with Source, love ourselves and others, appreciate rather than judge, live our lives as we see fit and let others do the same, accept full responsibility for our own happiness, feel as good as we can in every moment, and direct the power of our thoughts toward the positive aspects of others, we are applying the Law of Attraction to create delightful, delicious relationships. When we do these things, we are sure to experience the Magic of Joyful Relationships.
Kate Corbin
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