Always Had It, Always Will

Always Had It, Always Will
by Alan Cohen

Not this crude leather; luminous beings are we!
- Yoda

What would you do if someone swore that you knew the secret of life and put you on a stage to tell it? The Totally Hidden Video television show set up a hysterical prank on precisely this theme. For the gag, a Federal Express driver was asked to deliver a package to a religious temple (fabricated by the television show). Unknown to the driver, the pranksters had taken a photo of him and replicated it as a painted portrait, depicting the young man dressed in the royal regalia of the fictitious sect.

When the delivery man arrived, the disciples (actors hired by the program) took one look at him and began buzzing excitedly.

They ushered him to the front of the sanctuary and invited him to sit on a plush cushion of honor. Then they revealed to him that he was the chosen one, the long-awaited prophet foretold in their scriptures. To allay any doubts, a servant parted the altar curtain where, lo and behold, hung the majestic portrait of the deliverer, "painted by a visionary centuries ago."

"Please," begged a disciple, "give us some words of wisdom."

The driver surveyed the portrait and looked over the throng of expectant devotees. A hush fell over the assembly. He sat down on the pillow, took a deep breath, and spoke: "Life," the sage explained, "is like a river."

The disciples "oohed" and "aahed" on the heels of his utterance, hanging fervently on every sacred word.

"Sometimes life flows easily, and sometimes you encounter rocks and rapids," the guru illustrated, "but if you hang in there and have faith, you will arrive at the ocean of your dreams."

Again the students swooned with ecstasy. More "oohs" and "aahs." This was indeed the day they had been waiting for!

"Well, that's about it," Swami Fedex curtly concluded, "I have to go now and make some more deliveries."

Reluctantly the devotees rose, bowed reverently, and sheepishly cleared the way for the anointed one. Amid profuse veneration he made his way to the door.

Now here is the amazing postscript to the story: the program played the same trick on several Fedex drivers, each of whom found profound words the moment he sat on the cushion. The invitation to wax profound brought forth the inner wisdom in these unassuming fellows. Deep within our heart, each of us knows the truth. The answers we seek, the power we strive for, and the acknowledgement we attempt to gain, abide inside us. Given the opportunity (being placed on the cushion) or the challenge (being pushed against a wall) we know what we need to know, to do what we need to do.

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Always Had It, Always Will Imagine this prank were played on you - what would your deepest words of wisdom be? When receiving the honor that the drivers received, how do we also keep their awareness that deliveries have to be made, and avoid getting trapped by the attention we get? Can you share a personal story of a time when you were expected to share your deepest wisdom, and what arose in response?

To respond or to react, that's the question.

To respond or to react, that's the question.
By Pam Thomas
Phoenix Life Coach Examiner

Think about the last time you were involved in a discussion or argument where you reacted. How did you show up in that exchange? Prickly? Angry? Defensive? Powerless? Personally, when I am being reactive I become susceptible to all sorts of negativity.

As a matter of fact, I have to raise my hand and admit that I have fallen prey to the guiles of victimhood/reactive-ness most recently. I allowed someone else’s poor behavior and negativity to throw me into a bit of tizzy. (What a tizzy it was too with f-bombs included.) Fortunately, during my little visit to the dungeons of victimhood/reactive-ness I remembered something very important; I have a choice as to whether or not I want to allow someone else’s crap behavior (which I have no control over) to impact me. I also came to the realization that the negativity that was making my heart heavy and zapping my power was also leaving me susceptible to getting sucked into further drama, chaos, and unhealthiness of the situation.

The bottom line; when we don't react, we detach from the negative charge. We hold on to our own personal power, a.k.a we don't allow something or someone else to make us feel small or insignificant or worse yet a victim to the circumstances.
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So here are few things to try when you find yourself reacting rather than responding:

During "heated" times try taking a deep breath, sit quietly for a moment, and give yourself that time to settle your emotions. Doing something as simple as breathing deeply will help you to come from that place of responsiveness where words are chosen with care and thoughts are clearer.

If you have to, excuse yourself from the conversation by letting the other person know that you would like to table the discussion and give it some thought.

Allow your emotions or the signals of your body (i.e. tension) to serve as your trigger and then ask yourself the following question, “What do I choose right now?” When you remember that you have a choice, you take back your own personal power to respond.

Whatever you choose it can be truly liberating and rather powerful to come from a place of responsiveness rather than reactive-ness. In addition, you avoid the drama and chaos and experience much more peace and positive well-being so here's to the power of responding.

Riding Out Life's Tsunamis

Riding Out Life's Tsunamis

It has been over a month now since a powerful magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan. The confirmed death toll is over 13,000 and continues to rise. In the midst of all the horror stories are occasional heroic tales of survival and rescue. One of the most fascinating is that of Susumu Sugawara.


The 64-year-old Sugawara is the owner-operator of a small boat named "Sunflower." After the massive earthquake and in view of the tsunami warnings being broadcast, he had to make a quick decision. Should he head for high ground on his island of Oshima? Should he put his boat to sea and try to ride out the fury? His chose to launch his boat and head for deep water offshore.


"I knew if I didn't save my boat," he told a CNN reporter, "my island would be isolated and in trouble." So he ran to his 42-year-old craft that can hold about 20 people at a time and went full-throttle toward the deadly waves that would kill people whose names and faces he knew. Then he saw the wall of water.


Accustomed to waves ten to twelve feet high, this one was fully 50 to 60 feet high. Sugawara knew that he and his boat could easily wind up at the bottom of the sea. He drove straight for it - "climbing the wave like a mountain," as he put it. And the mountain seemed only to grow bigger and bigger. There was a huge crash of water over him. Only then could he see the horizon. He had survived!


Sugawara made his way back to his now-devastated Oshima. For the month since, he has been a lifeline by making hourly trips to the mainland to ferry people and supplies. If people can help pay for gasoline, he accepts money. If they have lost everything and can pay nothing, he still welcomes them aboard.


I'm no sailor or boat captain. I don't know if the Japanese captain made the reasonable and right decision on that fateful day. I can only report and rejoice at the outcome.

He lived through the ordeal and is helping others with a sense of sensitivity to their suffering the rest of us can only admire from a distance.


Here is the lesson from this story for me: Against my hesitation and fear, it makes more sense to ride into the teeth of life's challenges than to run away.


There is a cash-flow crisis. There is an unexpected problem with a product. A major supplier has failed, or a major customer has bailed. Some executives kick into denial mode or ball up in a fetal position. Their companies fail. Leaders steer right into the problem and act with integrity to name and face the problem.


Or maybe the problem is far more serious. A spouse says the marriage is over. The police or hospital calls with a parent's worst nightmare about an arrest or accident. Maybe you get a diagnosis that sounds like a death sentence. Do you run and hide? Self-medicate with drugs or alcohol? Or do you steer into the teeth of the storm and pray for courage you have never had to display before?


"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face," said Eleanor Roosevelt. "You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next one that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

Rubel Shelly

Rubel Shelly is a Preacher and Professor of Religion and Philosophy located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. In addition to church and academic responsibilities, he has worked actively with such community projects as Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, From Nashville With Love, Metro (Nashville) Public Schools, Faith Family Medical Clinic, and Operation Andrew Ministries.

Why 7-year-old Chloe didn’t want to be a “tough cookie”

Why 7-year-old Chloe didn’t want to be a “tough cookie”

« Part 9 of The Amen Solution: Tools to end emotional overeating

Recently my wife Tana and our daughter took a long hike near our home. It was a bit more strenuous than we had planned, but Chloe, our 7-year-old, was a trooper and kept up and she held on to the dog, Tinkerbell’s leash.

Near the end of the hike Tana told Chloe that she was a “tough cookie.” Immediately, Chloe took exception.


“I don’t want to be a tough cookie,” she said. “I want to be a tough red bell pepper.”

Not wanting to miss the metaphor to health, we all agreed that day that Chloe was indeed a “tough red bell pepper.” Kids say the strangest things. Red bell peppers happen to be one of her favorite snacks, especially with mashed avocados or almond butter.

Think about the words you use with your loved ones. Do you call them “sweetie pie,” “honey,” or “sugar?” These nicknames insidiously reinforce our habit of associating things that are sweet with being “good” even though research shows us that sweets are actually bad for the brain and harmful to our health and well-being.

The next time you want to show someone how much you care about them, call them “red bell pepper,” “hummus,” or even “avocado.” It might seem silly at first, but it will get you both thinking about things that are good for your brain and body.

Dr. Amen's Blog

This entry was written by Dr. Amen, posted on March 8, 2011 at 9:00 am, filed under Nutrition and tagged nicknames.

You are NOT your Ego! (From Righteousness to Compassion)

You are NOT your Ego! (From Righteousness to Compassion)

Hello Friends!

Has anyone noticed an intensification of emotion these days?

Like judgment, anger, joy, passion?

As the spiritual energies continue to increase upon our planet, the aspect of our humanness, our ego personality, is the part of ‘us’ that is taking the heat….

And for some of us, its gotten pretty hot lately!

Amidst the highs and exuberance, I’ve also found myself getting more pissed than usual; its taking a concerted effort at times to stop, breath, and come back to center.

It happened again this morning… I was reading a comment that someone posted on one of my Facebook threads last night, asking a question of why hasn’t the work I have done ended the dolphin hunt? I wasn’t sure if it was a sincere question or a bit sarcastic, but I took some a lot of time to give a thoughtful reply…

After I posted my reply, I found the same person had posted similar comments on other FB conversations… As I read them, the sarcasm was obvious… WTF? As I’m reading this and reacting in angry (I felt the sweat pouring from my armpits), a little window pops up and says this person just commented on my reply…

I clicked on the icon and sure enough, another sarcastic comment…on a thread of conversation with over 80 comments.. so his comments have gone into the emails of everyone…

By now my blood is in a boil and my mind is formulating a reply… (I can say it pretty straight!)

Enter another deep breath… enter compassion…

A lot of us are feeling triggered lately, and twice in the past month I’ve been too quick to give someone feedback about the inappropriateness of their actions. Let me get this straight, their actions were totally inappropriate, but my righteous reply only added fuel to the fire…

Knowing this, and remembering the regret of speaking while in reaction, I let the anger pass, I stop taking his attacks personal, and can then see that this man is obviously upset…

And from this place of compassion, I look up his email address and send him an email telling him I understand he’s upset and that a conversation with 80 comments is the wrong place to use sarcasm…

And then I see my righteousness in pointing out his sarcasm…

Let me be clear – I was totally entitled to call him on his sarcasm. Its just that it would probably have closed the door on any productive communication. So… did I want to be right, or did I want healing?

So I delete the comment about sarcasm… and just acknowledge that he is upset, and extend an invitation to talk…

It doesn’t matter his reply…. What matters is how I feel, and I feel filled with peace and compassion…

As the heat in the kitchen increases, it serves us to respond to our brothers and sisters with compassion.. I invite you to take the five breaths or ten minutes it takes to release your reactions to the triggers around you…

Every time we do, we bring more light into our bodies and our world…

Every single time we do, we strengthen the morphic field of Oneness that is growing in our collective awareness in leaps and bounds…

Namaste!

Joe

PS PS PS!!!

I have found that APPRECIATION is a valuable ally in shifting energy!


Everyday Ecstasy
email: joe@planetarypartners.com

Radiant Heart Energy

Radiant Heart Energy
by Owen Waters

The gateway to spiritual consciousness is through the heart.

The Creator designed the human experience to consist of twelve stages of evolving consciousness. As I detailed from the original research in my first book, The Shift: The Revolution in Human Consciousness, these range all the way from basic survival to the ultimate state of spiritual consciousness.

Much of the 20th century was devoted to the fifth stage of human consciousness, which is intellectual development. Today, people are migrating in droves to the next stage of human growth, which is heart-centered consciousness.

When a person focuses their intellect through the lens of heart-centered consciousness, they see how much the world needs help and healing rather than the old ways of competition and destruction. The initial stage of heart-centered consciousness produces a constructive, global outlook. It also places a person just one short step from the later stage of heart-centered consciousness and the dawning of spiritual awareness.

“Love your neighbor as yourself” is a guideline that has been with us since the early days of human development. Today, it’s no longer a distant ideal to be sought. The mass shift to heart-centered consciousness means that unconditional love now comes to people naturally.

The complete love and acceptance of yourself and others is the heartbeat of the New Reality.

Feeling unconditional love towards others is the key to successful, meaningful interactions with everyone with whom you meet in any situation. Feeling unconditional love towards yourself fosters a healthy sense of self-esteem which builds a positive reality based upon mutual support.

Even if there are outer behaviors that need improvement in yourself or others, it is unconditional love that is the key that will find the solutions that will bring positive transformation to those behaviors.

Once you begin to think with an open heart, you are stepping from basic human consciousness into the spiritual stages of human development. This is exactly what we came to earth to accomplish because finding spirituality is fundamental to the human experience. It may take courage to move into heart-centered consciousness, but once you acquire the expanded view of a life filled with love, you will never want to step back to the way things were.

You will soon find that any worries or fears that arise in your life can be transformed by the greatest power in the universe – that of unconditional love. It is the power of love that holds the universe together. It is a force of attraction that permeates every cell of your body and constantly reminds you of the love of the Creator for all of life.


*If you enjoyed today's article, forward it to a friend! They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Owen Waters is the author of Spirituality Made Simple, which is available both as a paperback and a downloadable e-book, at:

http://www.infinitebeing.com/ebooks/simple.htm

The Pages Long Forgotten

The Pages Long Forgotten

Mike stepped into the used bookstore, smelled the age of old pages and smiled.

Here was a wealth of old stories, history waiting to be read, and a host of other joys. On a back shelf, he found what he was looking for, two tiers crammed with the forgotten. They'd served their use to those who once held them dear, but now gathered dust in the darkest corner of the store.

There were Italian, American, French and Greek. They contained secrets from around the world. There were collections of chicken, beef, pastries, bread, and desserts. They waited, hidden in a little explored part of the store, and hoped someone discovered their treasures.

Mike knew what to do. He picked one up, held the spine in his hand and let the book fall open. They always opened to the most used pages, the recipes loved by lost generations. The page in front of him was for a recipe called, "Beef-filled cornbread". The picture showed a delicious layer of meat and cheese, layered with cornbread and covered with a hot sauce. The pages were stained with splatters of tomato sauce. It was obviously a favorite of the previous owners. He'd try this one.

Those used the most are the best.

He found several other books, each with its own marked pages, carried them to the counter and made his purchase.

"I hope you found something you like." The cashier said.

"Oh yes. Very much! I'm sure these are exactly to my taste."

He paid for his purchase, left the store and carried them in a bag on his way to work.

In the locker room, he placed his books on the top shelf and changed into his scrubs. The recipes would wait. He had a duty.

Freshly dressed, he walked his floor. "Hello, Mrs. Smith!" He smiled at the elderly lady sitting in the sun-room reading a book. In her day, she must have been a beautiful woman. She still was, for a woman in her eighties. "How was your day?"

"Horrible!" she growled. He sat beside her, held her hand and looked into her eyes. "My grandson didn't visit me," she continued. "He promised me he'd be here today." She adjusted her shawl and tried to hide the tears about to spill from her wizened eyes.

"Maybe tomorrow." he replied. "You know how busy these young people are." He noted the tear in the corner of her eye and changed subject. "Mrs. Smith, didn't you tell me you lived during the great depression?"

A smile came to her face. "Oh, yes. What a time that was. There was no work, ya know. But we survived."

"How did you get by?"

"Well, we all worked together. Everyone worked together. We helped each other." She frowned. "It's not like today, where people are too busy to worry about anyone but themselves. In those days, we worked together. If you didn't, you starved."

"It must have been a hard time, Mrs. Smith. I don't know how you did it."

"I didn't." she grinned. "We did. We did it together, the neighbors and my family."

He left her smiling and hoped her grandson paid a visit the next day.

He moved down the hall and stepped into Mr. Walker's room. "Hey, Walk! How's things?" He used the name Walk, as all the others in the center called him. It made Walk feel comfortable.

Mr. Walker looked up from a puzzle he leaned over. "Could be better, Mike. This damn puzzle has me stumped. These eyes aren't what they used to be."

"I know, Walk. Just take your time. There's no rush."

"There is too." Walk chuckled. "I need to finish it before I die."

"Not too soon I hope." Mike said.

"Soon enough. Be glad not to have to work on this darn thing anymore anyway. Say! Have I told you about the guy who walks into a bar with a giraffe under his arm?"

Mike chuckled. Walk loved a good joke. "I don't believe you have."

Walk's face broke out in a smile. "You see, this guy walks into a bar with a giraffe under his arm. He has a few beers. The giraffe falls asleep on the floor. The bartender looks down, sees the giraffe and asks, 'What's that lying on the floor?'

"The guy says, 'That's not a lion! That's a giraffe.'"

Walk broke into a laugh that turned into a coughing spell. Mike slapped him on the back. "Come on, Walk. Cough it up."

Walk got himself under control. "Thought I wasn't going to finish this damn puzzle after all."

"You're OK now. I got your back."

I know about covering someone's back." Walk sat straight his seat. "I was in WWII ya know."

"I heard that. Did you have a hard time?" Mike asked.

"Mike, you have no idea. It was the winter of '41, or was it '42. I can't remember now. Snow was up to here." Walk pointed to his thigh. "We were on the front. The enemy was close ."

Thirty minutes later, Mike said, "WOW! That's a story, Walk." He paused. "Walk, I knew you were in the war, but I don't think I ever thanked you. I want to say, 'Thank you.' You made us safe."

"Ah, stop it. It was nothing." Walk turned to his puzzle, too embarrassed to continue their talk. He and others knew what they did, but don't want to take credit. It's an unspoken rule between the veterans. They did what they had to.

Mike continued on his rounds, held hands, shared hugs and listened.

Here they were, like the cookbooks, sitting in dark corners, ignored. Mike knew what to do. He held them, let their hearts fall open, and found the pages stained with use.

They are the most valued. They are the pages long forgotten.


Michael T. Smith


Michael lives with his lovely wife, Ginny, in Caldwell, Idaho. He works as a project manager in Telecommunications and in his spare time writes inspiration stories. He has recently been published in two Chicken Soup for the Soul Books (All in the Family and Things I Learned from My Cat), in "Thin Threads - Life Changing Moments" and in Catholic Digest.

To sign up for Michael's stories go to: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1101828445578&p=oi

To read more of his stories, go to: http://ourecho.com/biography-353-Michael-Timothy-Smith.shtml#stories

"Paid in Full"

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal, he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry and so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said, "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strengthened also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Years later, that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly* was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, he went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown, he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day, he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested from the business office to pass the final billing to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally, she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words:

"PAID IN FULL WITH ONE GLASS OF MILK..."
(Signed)
Dr. Howard Kelly

*Dr. Howard Kelly was a distinguished physician who, in 1895, founded the Johns Hopkins Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Johns Hopkins University. According to Dr. Kelly's biographer, Audrey Davis, the doctor was on a walking trip through Northern Pennsylvania one spring day when he stopped by a farm house for a drink of water.

The Awesome Power of Kindness...
From: Motivation in a Minute

THE MAGIC OF RELEASING LIMITING BELIEFS

"Like each of us, I've been hired by the Universe to be myself."
- Michael Beckwith


"I AM good enough!" "I AM lovable!" "It IS OK to live my dream!" These are some of the profound declarations my clients make as they release limiting beliefs. These are extraordinary moments when they realize what's been holding them back and they release a lifetime of resistance. With a certainty that comes from the depths of their being, they declare to all the Universe: "It's MY life!" "I AM worthy!" "I AM supposed to get what I want!"

Michael Beckwith writes eloquently about his childhood realization that the boy his family saw was not the Michael he knew himself to be. "At that moment," Michael writes, "I consciously shut down my cosmic connection and began conforming myself to labels that boxed me into being someone that everyone would be comfortable around."

Our circumstances are individual and unique, but the results are often similar: We come to view ourselves the way others see us rather than Who We Really Are. We learn to live with disappointment. We acquiesce to being OK without the money, the health, the relationships we desire. We're even tempted to stop desiring altogether if only it will stop the pain. But it never feels right to do without, to settle for less, to give up on our dreams. It just never feels right.

There's a battle going on within us when we harbor limiting beliefs. On the one hand, we KNOW we came here to create what we desire. We KNOW we're supposed to have desires and the Universe is supposed to fulfill those desires. On the other hand, we've become convinced we can't really have what we want. Not really. Oh, maybe we think we can have some of what we want - but only if we work very hard and if we're very "good" or very lucky.

This battle continues to rage every day of our lives until we root out the limiting beliefs that keep us from living what we came here knowing - that we CAN have what we want, that physical life experience is set up to inspire desire, that we're co-creating with the Universe to fulfill our desires. Of course, the Universe IS fulfilling our desires. It's just that we can't access the fulfillment of those desires until we ALLOW it in, until we BELIEVE we can, until we let go of "I can't" and re-connect with what our True Self knows for sure - "YES, I CAN!" "I get to choose!"

We know this - no matter how much we try to stuff it down with food or numb it with drugs or run away from it with distractions. It's still there, calling to us. "I really CAN have it all!" "I AM free!"

Until we release and replace limiting beliefs, they continue to undermine every thought, every choice, every decision we make. Limiting beliefs block the manifestation of our desires. Limiting beliefs block our natural state of Well-Being. As I assist my clients to shine a light on their limiting beliefs, they are able to break the chains and take back their power, their freedom, and their joy: "It IS OK to live my own life!" "I DO deserve the good things in life!" It IS OK to have money!

Once we release a negative, limiting belief, the positive, empowering "YES, I CAN!" knowing steps up quite naturally to replace it. Then, everything shifts. We click back into Who We Really Are and who we came here to be and life becomes a dance - the way we knew it could be.

We live in a Universe of abundance, limited only by our beliefs. When we change our underlying beliefs, everything changes. When we replace negative, limiting beliefs with joyful, empowering beliefs, we release resistance to our natural state of Well-Being. When we do this, the battle is over and we're re-connected with Who We Really Are. When we release limiting beliefs, we re-align with Source and are moved to passionately declare: "I AM magnificent!" "I CAN have what I want!" "YES, I CAN!"

kate@goldstarcoaching.com

Healing Prayer for the Gulf

Dr. Masaru Emoto is the scientist from Japan who has done vast research about the characteristics of water. Among other things, his research revealed that water physically responds to emotions. Right now many people are understandably angry when they consider the Gulf oil spill. Yet we may be of greater assistance to our planet and its life forms if we sincerely, powerfully and humbly pray the prayer that Dr Emoto has proposed. (The conclusion of the prayer is based on the Hawaiian healing practice called ho'oponopono as taught by Dr. Haleakala Hew Len.)


I send the energy of love and gratitude
to the water and all the living creatures
in the Gulf of Mexico and its surroundings.

To the whales, dolphins, pelicans, fish, shellfish,
plankton, coral, algae, and all living creatures . . .

I am sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.


Alan Cohen
http://www.alancohen.com

Which Box Will You Check?

When the defining moment comes, either you define the moment or the moment defines you.

―From the movie Tin Cup


In her delightful book, Let Go of the Shore, musician Karen Drucker describes a pivotal moment when she was about to sign up for a subscription to a trade magazine. At that time Karen was just starting her career and she did not have a lot of money. On the subscription page of the magazine she found two different forms of subscription: One for "Regular Subscriber" and another discounted rate for "Starving Artist." Karen was tempted to check the "Starving Artist" box, but she realized that if she claimed the identity of "Starving Artist" she would affirm that definition of herself, and that is who she would become. So she decided to take a leap of faith and pay for the regular-rate subscription as an affirmation that she could afford it.


The next day Karen received a number of checks in the mail and several invitations for music engagements. Her affirmation of herself as an abundant being, she maintains, drew to her the material abundance.

Every time we think or speak about ourselves or anyone, we are affirming who we or they are. So take care to choose the adjectives and labels you place upon yourself and others, for those descriptions will come true. Never speak of yourself as less than you would like to be, and afford others the same courtesy and empowerment.

Every choice you make reflects who you believe you are. Make choices that reflect and honor the best that you are and the best that you deserve, and your statements will become self-fulfilling prophecies.



How might you describe yourself in ways that

honor your magnificence and expand your good?


Affirm:

I accept prosperity by making choices as one who is abundant.


Alan Cohen
http://www.alancohen.com

Empowerment

Empowerment

"How does one become a butterfly?' she asked pensively. 'You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar." -Trina Paulus

Empowerment means going beyond our comfort zone. It's reaching within to find what it takes to move us beyond where we are to where we want to be. We have that power, but whether it lies dormant or it is put into action is completely up to us. -Lissa Coffey