The Spirit of Gift

The Spirit of Gift
by Satish Kumar

We have learned much from the native Americans, the Australian Aboriginals, the indigenous people of India (adivasis) and the Bushmen of Africa. We have been guided by Jesus Christ, the Buddha, Mohammed and Mahavir. We have been inspired by Valmiki, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Jane Austen and many other writers. We have benefited from the lives of Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King. 

 

They were not motivated by fame, fortune or power.  Buddha claimed no copyright on his teachings, and Shakespeare received no royalty cheques. We have been enchanted by music, paintings, architecture and crafts of many cultures, from time immemorial. We have received a treasure house of traditions as a free gift. In return we offer our work, our creativity, our arts and crafts, our agriculture and architecture as gifts to society to present and future generations. 

 

When we are motivated by this spirit then work is not a burden. It is not a duty. It is not a responsibility. We are not even the doers of our work. Work flows through us and not from us. We do not own our intellect, our creativity, or our skills. We have received them as a gift and grace. We pass them on as a gift and grace; it is like a river which keeps flowing. All the tributaries make the river great. We are the tributaries adding to the great river of time and culture; the river of humanity. 

 

If tributaries stop flowing into the river, if they become individualistic and egotistical, if they put terms and conditions before they join the rivers, theywill dry and the rivers will dry too. To keep the rivers flowing all tributaries have to join in with joy and without conditions. In the same way, all individual arts, crafts and other creative activities make up the river of humanity. We need not hold back, we need not block the flow. This is unconditional union. This is the great principle of  'dana' (offering). This is how society and civilizations are replenished.

 

When we write a poem we make a gift. When we paint a picture or build a

beautiful house we make a gift. When we grow flowers and cook food we make a gift. When all these activities are performed as sacred acts, they nourish society. When we are unselfconscious, unacquisitive, and act without desire for recognition or reward, when our work emerges from a pure heart like that of a child, our actions become a gift.

 

--Satish Kumar, in You Are, Therefore I am

 

 http://www.ijourney.org/

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.

The Power of Gratitude

The Power of Gratitude

Realize the Power of Gratitude is very tied to the Power of intention in that both of these actions help to activate the Law of Attraction and energize your thoughts to stay grounded in the positive light. This Power of Gratitude as but one important aspect of creating the happiness and Abundance you deserve.

Through quantum physics we now know that everything there is, is vibrational matter. All matter is energy made up of sub-atomic particles and atoms. Through this unified energy field, our thoughts resonate and project. Based on our feelings, emotions and thoughts, this determines our vibration frequency that is broadcast from us out into the universe. This is our own unique, vibrational signal. It is the personal signature that we resonate that is answered and returned to us. This is how the Law of Attraction works, plain and simple.

Imagine we are magnets that are attracting to us Gratitude, sadness, happiness, grief, confusion, clarity, wealth and scarcity. We attract to us what we feel, think about, dwell upon, focus on and get emotional about. When we are not centered, we are scattered. When we are scattered, we send out a lot of mixed signals that become confused. If your life right now is confusing, look to see if you are centered in positive thought and actions.

What we send out, broadcast, is a frequency pattern that is matched, then returned to us by this Law that we all have. This is why it is so important for us to raise our vibrational frequencies and stay there, to bring more happiness, wealth and prosperity into our lives.

When we are using the Power of Gratitude , we are engaging the Universal Law s to work more for our well being. By becoming truly grateful, we begin to uplift our energy so it will resonate higher into a level of true peace and happiness; so then, this is what we begin attracting to us.

When you are expressing Gratitude , you are reinforcing the higher frequencies and keeping them up there. When you are not expressing, you are resisting. By not being grateful, you are creating resistance. Resistance will lower your vibrational frequency. Then you are experiencing life in disharmony again. Resistance places the focus on what you do not wish to experience rather than letting things go.

Real Gratitude is based on accepting the way things are then moving on. Grief is a real thing, yet when we do not begin excepting the way things are, we can't move on passed this until we except this loss in our lives, then we are able to move on. Moving past the resistance is to begin being grateful for what you have.
The Power of Gratitude is a blessing for us. It can be cultivated and nurtured until it becomes who we are. Gratefulness is more than just a state of mind, it is a state of being we are all capable of reaching and becoming.

The state of resistance has us living in the past and afraid of the future. The Power of Gratitude allows us to live in the now, the present. This is a state of grace. The past is gone and the future, some of us live in fear from has not arrived. Isn't life a lot easier, realizing that right now you can be grateful about letting go if this resistance you created and being at peace right now?

It is our perceptions that can either make, or break our life. Would you rather experience heaven, or hell? This should not be a choice, yet it is one that many people make every moment of the day.

Realize that you are the author of your life and you create you very own reality. Everything unfolds around you, the way you perceive it to be. If you are living in darkness, fear and scarcity; then you are dragging the past into this moment with you.

Develop Gratitude by practicing it. Letting go of behavior patterns and ways you respond to life can seem like an insurmountable obstacle to do, but it isn't. When you begin to fall into old resistant patterns, it helps to stop yourself and begin thinking of anything you are truly grateful for, then giving thanks to that. Think of something else to be grateful for and give thanks to that. Make a list of things you are grateful for and keep it with you to pull out when resistant seems to pull you down.

Developing a Power of Gratitude within you will allow you to maintain a higher vibrational frequency and attract a well meaning life. It is not enough to want this; you have to make it happen. This is the only way to use the Law of Attraction with intent as a regular part of your life to expand it.

Joseph Rettig

"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

Prosperity Consciousness or Bargain Consciousness?

Happiness Just Ahead

A very good question was posted on a Feel Free to Prosper forum...

I thought this was an excellent subject to share with you as I have no doubt that in an economy like the current one, this subject is probably on the minds of many who desire to maintain a prosperity consciousness when outer appearances support the opposite.

The Question:

"I consider myself a good shopper: use coupons, wait for sales, buy generic, etc. But are these smart shopper "actions" sending a bad signal to my subconscious? After all, the message I want to send is "I can afford anything (at any price)." How about it, do we have to be as careful with our actions as we are with our words?"


My Answer:

What a wonderful opportunity to express my views relating to prosperity consciousness vs. bargain consciousness . . .

On the subject of sales and bargains, there is something magical that happens when you acquire a prosperity mindset.

One of the great perks of acquiring a prosperity consciousness is that savings and discounts of all kinds will follow YOU on the path. When we are connected to our Universal Source, suddenly it seems like the Universe becomes your personal shopper whose goal is to provide you with the best for your needs at the very best price. You no longer have to shop to seek the best prices - no comparison shopping, no bargain hunting. Discounts and savings seek you and appear before you spontaneously as if you are the elite member of a private wholesale club. Except that the savings you attract are often far below wholesale!

This is not to be confused with a kind of "bargain" mentality that is based on lack and the fear of not having enough. The spontaneous manifesting of savings — the real bargains — come when we accept prosperity as natural to us and we know that the Universe is providing for all our needs. It's a joyful experience. We attract bargains at the highest possible level. We are intuitively led to the right place at the right time.

Let me share just a few of my numerous experiences of being spontaneously guided in this way to 'Universal' size bargains …

I have always loved beautiful, fine quality handbags.

One year I walked into Nordstrom's department store and found an absolutely gorgeous black leather and leopard print handbag. It was extremely expensive looking, but I didn't recognize the designer name. The attached sales tag showed the price of $135 — not at all unreasonable for such a beautiful bag. It was the only one of its kind in the department. I had to have it. I handed it to the saleswoman but she looked at the tag and told me she couldn't sell it to me. She said this designer's bags sold for at least $500 or $600 and this one must have been mislabeled. Although the label was attached, she believed she was justified in refusing to sell it. The department manager wouldn't be in until the following day. We arranged for the saleswoman to put the handbag on hold and have the manager call me to give me the correct price.

The next day, the department manager called and told me the price of the handbag was $600. But since the attached tag read $135, she told me that by store policy, she had to sell the bag for the labeled price. She invited me to come and purchase my bag for $135!

I have found that expensive handbags stay new looking for years and that one still looks beautiful to this day

Another year I found an elegant Donna Karan Couture clutch handbag in a department store. It was $900 — way beyond the price I chose to spend. But I had a "hunch" to ask the saleswoman if the bag might go on sale in the near future. For some unknown reason, she looked over the bag very carefully and found an imperceptible tiny flaw hidden in a fold that no one would ever see. I certainly would not have found it. But she said that since it had that tiny flaw, she had the authority to sell it to me at half price! I never asked for this. She offered. Another beautiful bag I still use that receives many compliments.

One of my most striking experiences was the purchase of an entire collection of Villory & Boch dinnerware. I didn't set out to buy a collection — I intended to buy a few place settings of the gorgeous Plantation and Tropical Collection, which was on sale in a department store's catalogue. But when I called to place the phone order, the store had none in stock. I discovered that particular pattern had been discontinued by the manufacturer and any remaining items in circulation were selling at up to 80% off retail prices. I jumped on the opportunity and using only the telephone, I was guided to manifest the entire collection from several stores around the nation. The retail cost of the collection: over $7,000. The price I paid for everything: Under $1,500. This included not only ten settings of the dinnerware, but all of the accent pieces, accessories, flatware and bake ware.

Another time I was shopping for a specific item of sleepwear and didn't intend to buy anything else. But I was irresistibly drawn to a sale rack where I found two beautiful Ralph Lauren casual pieces — top and bottom — in my favorite shade of red. They were the only two items of that kind, both in my size and they fit perfectly. They were marked down half price but I loved the outfit so much I would have paid full price. When the items were rung up at the register, the saleswoman informed me that the half-price tag was incorrect. Instead, they scanned at $6.52 each!

A major coup was when the Universe literally handed me a beautiful new car and opened the door for me to purchase it — brand new - for about $10,000 less than retail.

Do I look for bargains? No. Do I love a bargain? Yes!

As a prosperity thinker, expect these surprises to show up in every area of your life and business — for everyday needs as well as luxury items.

The Universe is your personal shopper :-)

by Marilyn Jenett

It’s time to write your Abundance Checks!

Abundance Check Ritual for the New Moon

This ritual has been handed down through so many people that its origin has become unknown.

So What Is An Abundance Check?

Writing an Abundance Check is an exercise you can use to create more abundance in your life and the check is to be written within 24 hours after each New Moon.

It is not necessary to believe that the check will work when you write it and you may be surprised at the increased Abundance you find flowing into your life, whether it be financial or in other areas of your life.

It is best to follow the described procedure; however, if you do not have a checking account you may also draw a check on a piece of paper and fill it out the same way to receive the same results.

Follow these steps to write your Abundance checks WITHIN 24 HOURS AFTER A NEW MOON:

1. On your check where it says “Pay to,” write your name.

2. On the same line where you would fill in a dollar amount write “Paid in full.”

3. On the next line where you would write out a dollar amount, write “Paid in full.” [Some say it works better if you don't add the squiggly line.]

4. On the signature line, sign your check: “The Law of Abundance”

It is not necessary to put a date on the check and you DO NOT write a specific dollar amount on the check. Then put the check away in a safe place and forget about it. The Universe will take over from there.

If you feel skeptical about the Abundance Check Exercise, just do it routinely every month for a while and see what happens!

Enjoy the ritual!

. . . . . . . .

The dates for the New Moon for the remainder of 2010 are as follows. Times listed are “Greenwich Mean Time” and you can calculate your own time zone here:

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Mark your calendar and remember to follow this process within 24 hours after each New Moon…

New Moon for December, 2010 is December 5 [at 9:36am PST].

Happy Manifesting!


In sincere appreciation,

Linda Miller
http://lawofattractionsecrets.com/blog/abundance-checks-5/

Connecting to Source requires Surrender

According to Eckhart Tolle, connecting to Source requires Surrender — a Truth expressed in the "Tao of Leadership."

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.
When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need.
By yielding, I endure. The empty space is filled.
When I give of myself, I become more.
When I feel most destroyed, I am about to grow.
When I desire nothing, A great deal comes to me.

........

Some days are just waiting to be shared with like-minded souls who believe in fun and laughter! ... Happy day to you!
~Glenda

“It Takes One to Know One..”

“It Takes One to Know One..”
Nick Pfennigwerth

Have you ever heard the saying, “It takes one to know one?” I'm sure you have before. You were probably among a group of people and some moron was talking about last night's public address to the Nation. This guy was emphasizing on the opinion of how Obama is going to just raise taxes and create an even further pit fall for this Nation.

This person goes on and talks about Obama's unmoral ethics, his inability to lead a country, and his indecisiviness that will hurt our nation when it matters the most. “What about his plan for alternative fuels and new energy? What about his plan for Universal Health Care? How about his idea for creating new jobs?” You ask yourself. “He seems like a good leader to me.”

You sit there and observe how everyone is getting sucked in to this persons bashing of our President and all you see are the trance like stares and heads nodding and agreeing with every word coming out of this persons mouth.

As you sit there, at this political rally, you think to yourself, “Are you kidding me? These people voted for this person a year ago and now they are bashing him and labeling him unethical, a moron, unfit to run a country, indecisive, and so on.”
takes-one-to-know-one

Then, under your breath, you say, “I guess it takes one to know one.”

Somebody in the negative bashing group says, “Excuse me? Did you say something?”

You reply, “Oh-no...I was just thinking out-loud. It was nothing.”

Finally, you sit there for a few more seconds and say again, “It takes one to know one...It takes one to know one...Wait! It takes one to know one? Then, what does this say about me!?!”

You get up and exit stage right vowing to never participate in something like that again.

“It takes one to know one.” How true is that on so many levels? I began investigating the truth behind that saying and after what I've discovered, I decided to make that October's mantra for me.

Go ahead and write that down, “It takes one to know one”, and carry it around with you for a week. Whenever you think of something, say something, make an observation, judge, have an experience, or participate in an event, say to yourself, “It takes one to know one.”

When I did this, I started to become aware of the person I really was. I understood that there is no “out there” only “inside me.” In other words, you are the projector and the movie screen is your life. So, what movie are you projecting onto the screen of life?

I got so hung-up on this concept I tested it for a whole week. After listening to someone speak or observing an event or experience, I would say silently to myself, “It takes one to know one.” It was an obsession, but I had to know if it was an accurate way to measure my self image and projection of life.

Half of the time I didn't like what I've found. However, the other half I was pleased to say that I was proud of the movie playing on my screen.

It takes one (that's you) to know one (that's the person, place, event, or experience you are observing and labeling.)

Just the other day I was at the grocery store looking for the ingredients to ham and potato chowder. However, if you ask anyone in New Hampshire where the “chowder” mix is they'll give you a blank stare. You have to say “chowda”, then they'll give you precise and accurate directions to the goods (just teasing, I love New Hampshire :)

Anyway, I was browsing in the organic vegetable isle looking for a few organic onions and green peppers, when I couldn't help to over hear a conversation a woman was having with her daughter.

It went something like this. The Daughter (probably 8 years old): “Mommy...this onion looks good, I want that one.” The Mother: “Sweety, we are on a tight budget and near broke. We can't afford the organic food.”

I stood there for a few seconds thinking, “I can't afford it? Broke? She's programming her daughter to be part of the most widespread sickness of them all: poverty.” Judgment and label after label kept flowing into my mind until I caught myself and said, “It takes one to know one.”

Immediately my eyes popped! And I thought, “Holy s**t! I'm the very thing I'm judging and condemning!...It takes one to know one!”

Since it was in my experience, and I know that my experiences are nothing more than a projection of myself, then “It takes one..” (which is me) “to know one” (which is the Mother) means on some level that “being broke” or “can't afford it” was still part of me.

Now, what I just said is a tough pill to swallow. What I'm basically saying is you are not separate from anything. Everything you see and label outside yourself is an inner projection of your self image.

And I can back up that last paragraph with this simple question: “How can you label and judge anything without first thinking that judgment about yourself?”

Since the only thing you truly own is your thinking, then that judgment and label is a part owner of you.

O.k., how many readers dropped off after that statement? Stick with me, I promise this article is life transforming.

There was also a moment the other day when I was sitting in a canoe, all alone, in the middle of a lake in up-state Maine. I was completely off the grid with no cellphone service, no electricity, and no concept of time.
upstate-maine

I was sitting there, writing, and admiring the peace and beauty of the mountains, different color trees, and the picturesque, breath-taking view. I call it “God's Country” because this is something man can never create.

Then, I remembered my October's mantra and quietly said to myself, “It takes one to know one.” And a calming, loving peacefulness showered me and I thought, “Yea...it takes one to know one...” Meaning, if I can think and observe this vast beauty and peace, then I must be this beauty and peace.

I observed the beauty, I thought the beauty, therefore on some level I am the beauty.

Go ahead and try this out for a week. As best as you can, whenever you think something, judge, label, observe, interact, or have an experience, say to yourself, “It takes one to know one.” Then, understand that you are uncovering a truth about you. It's who you are!

If a reoccurring experience, judgment, or label keeps on happening, for example, you notice how many idiot drivers there are on the road each time you go out, then all I have to say is, “It takes one to know one!”

This is just a tool to help you uncover your truth --who you are. In other words, did you ever notice that when there is a problem you are there? You're there because the problem is you. Change yourself, change your world. Change the movie and the movie screen changes, too.

Since you attract who you are and not what you want, then you must know who you truly are, so you can change to who you want to become.

It takes one to know one.


Nick Pfennigwerth
Creative Wealth Building
http://www.creative-wealthbuilding.com/aboutme.html

To thine own self be true

Shakespeare said that many years ago. Being true to yourself actually is the first step to doing anything for others. You can only give out what you have so fill up on love, joy, self respect. When you are aware of your own needs and meet those within yourself you then have that to share with others in your life.

Often people deal with burn out from doing too much and spreading their energy too thin. We live in a very fast paced world and it’s easy to just do too much and not take care of you. You are important. As a mother your patience, wisdom and understanding are dependent upon your taking care of yourself and your emotional, physical and spiritual needs.

A long bath with a good book, sitting in the back yard watching the birds, going for a long and relaxing walk are all wonderful ways to connect yourself to balance.

Buy yourself a vase full of flowers and delight in their color, texture and scent. Love yourself well.. I say that to each person I meet and for a very good reason. You will have more to share with others when you are being good to yourself.

Making sure you get food that satisfies the body, mind and spirit, rest that restores physical and mental energy, down time to restore the soul; all these fill you up with energy and the more full you are the more you have to give and the more you enjoy your life experience.

The reason so many are creating experiences they don’t enjoy is they are just plain tired, worn out, drained and that gives way to frustration. Frustration creates more to feel that way about.

Being good to yourself is the fastest way to create beauty in your life and guarantees you have plenty of love, respect and kindness to share with others.

How do you feed your soul?

Donna DeVane
http://secretdesigncreationsblog.com/

The Great Harvest

The Great Harvest

As a farmer lay dying, his four sons sat by his bedside awaiting his final words. “There is a vast treasure buried in the family’s field,” he whispered.

“Where is it, father?” the sons pleaded. But it was too late. Their father was gone.

Soon after his passing, the sons set to the field, trying to unearth the treasure. For many days the sons desperately worked pick and shovel, digging everywhere in search of their promised legacy. Eventually they turned over every inch of the field, but alas, no treasure was to be found. Finally, dejected and discouraged, they gave up their search and returned to their families and vocations.

The next year the farm yielded its greatest harvest ever.

This parable yields a lesson richer than the treasure the sons so fervently sought: The fortune their father hinted at was not a magical boon that would transform the sons’ lives in one glorious instant. The treasure was the untapped potential of the field, capable of yielding riches to the family if they worked with the materials and natural potential before them. The power of the treasure lay not at the end of the rainbow, but in the journey toward it.

I hear people talking about waiting for their big break; or for Oprah to hold up their book on television; or to win the lottery. Certainly these events would be wonderful if they occurred, but if you sit on your duff waiting for a record producer, Oprah, or a lottery number to save you, you may wait for a very long time and miss the wonder and gifts of the journey. Wisdom-guided action and integrity build success far more substantially than a magic pill.

The apparent goal of a journey is simply the carrot the universe dangles before you to call you to the adventure and learn the lessons the journey yields. Martin Buber declared, “All journeys have destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” If you think about most of the things you have striven for, you will realize that the lessons you learned in the process of striving were far more powerful and long-lasting than the material object at the end of the trail. While you sought for a soulmate, you may or may not have ended up with that person; but the self-knowledge you gained and the growth you experienced in the search ran far deeper than the form of the person you sought. Or perhaps you worked hard for a financial or career success. You may or may not have attained your goal, but what happened to you along the way made a far greater difference in your life than the specific goal itself. Then, when you obtained the car, house, or promotion, you were satisfied for a moment, but sooner or later you set your sights on the next achievement. Something inside you recognizes that the power of stretching to achieve something yields you more value than the something itself.

We are a quick-fix oriented culture. We want lots of stuff and we want it now. What we often leave out of the equation, however, is that we would prefer stuff that works. We want computer printers that last longer than a year, a job we can grow into a passionate career, and a soulmate we can love for a lifetime. Because we often sacrifice integrity for expedience, the art of quality engineering, true craftsmanship, and meaningful relationships is shrinking to the domain of a dedicated few. When I visited Japan, my friend Koichi told me that the oldest company in Japan ― and the world ― is 800 years old. The company is an architectural firm that specializes in building temples and pagodas. The company, Koichi explained, does not use nails in their construction. Instead, they make a series of tabs on the ends of wooden pieces and fit them together. Over eight centuries, when there have been earthquakes, this company’s structures, including five-story pagodas, have stood firm while buildings around them crumbled.

If you want a life that stands while others crumble, pay more attention to how you till the field than finding the buried treasure. The real treasure, you see, is buried within you. If you are going to mine anything, mine the gifts you already own. Don’t wait for a soulmate, talent scout, or Oprah to put you on the map. You are already on the map, but if you are holding it upside down, you won’t recognize and claim your true domain.

It’s a wonderful thing when people or events come along to change our life. But you must do your inner homework and own those changes by right of consciousness. Otherwise the boons that arrive will disappear as fast as they came. But if you have tilled your field with love, care, and integrity, the harvest will be bountiful, and you will have plenty for yourself and many others.

by Alan Cohen

http://www.alancohen.com

Gratitude From The Secret Daily Teachings

From The Secret Daily Teachings

Remember, if you are criticizing, you are not being grateful. If you are blaming, you are not being grateful. If you are complaining, you are not being grateful. If you are feeling tension, you are not being grateful. If you are rushing, you are not being grateful. If you are in a bad mood, you are not being grateful.

Gratitude can transform your life. Are you allowing minor things to get in the way of your transformation and the life you deserve?

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret... bringing joy to billions

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret

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

I Don't Play Hurt by Alan Cohen

I Don't Play Hurt by Alan Cohen


I am not a victim of the world I see.

- A Course in Miracles


I began to feel irritated when the limo driver was late. After a long flight on the eve of an intense book promotion tour, I was tired and anxious to get to my hotel. Finally the limo arrived and the driver emerged. He was a tall, husky African-American man who resembled a cross between George Forman and Goldfinger’s Oddjob. I decided not to get in his face.

Enroute the driver, Terry, apologized for being late because he had a minor fender bender on his way. When he asked me what I was doing in L.A., I told him I was promoting my new book, Why Your Life Sucks and What You Can Do About It. Terry chuckled, “I can use that book.”

A few minutes later I heard Terry reporting the mishap to his dispatcher over the 2-way radio. “Was there any damage to the car?” asked the dispatcher.
“None,” Terry answered curtly.
“Did you get hurt?” was the next question.
“Not really.”
After a silence, the dispatcher replied, “You know, there could be some cash in this for you.”

When I realized the dispatcher was suggesting that Terry file a false insurance claim, I awaited his response. A moment later he answered in a low, sober voice, “I don’t play hurt.”

Now there’s an affirmation to file in a conspicuous place: I don’t play hurt. That’s exactly the principle I’ve been striving to live and teach for my whole career. Stunned, I placed a hand on Terry’s shoulder and told him, “You don’t need my book, man you’re already living it.”

None of us can afford to play hurt. When you do, you undermine your true strength and live a lie. Don’t play small. Don’t act like a victim. Don’t seek rewards for pain. Be magnificent. Be powerful. If you are going to play any role, play strong and whole, for that’s who you truly are.


Are you playing hurt in any area of your life?
What would you be doing differently if you played whole and strong?

I am strong, whole, and empowered. I don’t play hurt.

156 Countries Sing Together for the Starbucks Love Project

Fast Food Love by Michael Webb

Fast Food Love
by Michael Webb Author, 50 Secrets of Blissful Relationships order
today at: http://www.TheRomantic.com/50secrets.htm

I read a news story a few weeks ago about a school that bucked
the system and tossed out the pizzas and french fries and other
kid-friendly food from its cafeteria and reintroduced healthy meals
that faded away over the last few decades.

At first, there was a big uproar. The kids wanted their fast
food back and others were worried about the significant increase
in cost for the home made, healthy food they were now serving in
the cafeteria. But something miraculous happened.

The kids now behave. The hallways aren't frantic. Even the teachers
are happy.

The school used to be out of control. Kids packed
weapons. Discipline problems swamped the principal's office.
But not since 1997.

Since then there have been zero expulsions, no suicides, not one
person caught doing drugs or carrying weapons. The fake food in
the cafeteria was replaced with real food and the vending machines
were carted away. And what a difference it made.

When kids are healthy their attitudes and dispositions change.

Now let's talk about love. Over the last few decades we've slowly
introduced so much fake love into our relationship diet that it has
now become the staple for many couples. Most people don't even
know what real, healthy love is these days. We no longer have
the patience to build love from scratch. We want fast-food love.
It's instantly gratifying even though it might make us sick in the
long run. Men and women don't want a courtship. They want to jump
straight from infatuation to intimacy. And we've got a lot of sick
relationships as a result.

While there is *some* nutrition in fast food, if it is your steady
diet, you are bound to suffer in the future.

Here are some examples of fast-food love: • Expensive gifts •
Quick physical intimacy • Flirting • Time together in silence
(like watching movies) • Dreaming about fantasies • Infatuation
("loving" someone you don't *really* know yet)

Healthy, nutritious love: • Serving each other • Sacrificing for
one another • Little gifts, just because • Regular, meaningful
conversations • Long physical intimacy with your spouse •
Planning together for the future • Commitment to someone you
really know

Is it any coincidence that as we introduce more and more fast-food
love into our relationships that they become more and more unhealthy
and the divorce rate keeps climbing?

Consider your own relationship. What does your diet look like? Maybe
its time to cut back on the fast-food love and start introducing
more healthy forms on love into your relationship (or get out of a
relationship that does not have healthy love). Yes, it takes more
time and energy, but the results are well worth it. And don't forget
that your real diet has a direct impact on your relationships just
as we saw what happened to the school children. Maybe its time to
start eating healthy too.

An Excerpt from
Charging the Human Battery
by Mac Anderson

"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings."
-Eric Hoffer

According to legend, a young man while roaming the dessert came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher. After a four-day journey he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly and thanked his student lavishly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.

Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was awful. It apparently had become stale because of the old leather container. The student challenged his teacher: "Master, the water was foul. Why did you pretend to like it?"

The teacher replied, "You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of living-kindness and nothing could be sweeter."

Self-motivation without gratitude is impossible. Our energy is "sapped" when our entire focus is on what's wrong instead of what is right with our lives. One of our greatest challenges is to live and love in spite of pain and disappointment...to find gratitude in the midst of it all.

Reflect for a moment on this beautiful quote from Melody Beattie:

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."