Dare to Be Healthy Series: Step 3

The Once a Day Look in the Mirror

Let's Review First
Alright, you should only be back here now if you have written your 1 paragraph pledge to commit yourself to this program and have those pieces of paper plastered all over the place. Ok, ok, yes, you can start will a few postings, but promise yourself you will put them in very strategic places. Posting in the garage if you don't spend much time there, or if it is not place of temptation to lead you astray, is not a really good idea. Right now I have my pledge posted on the bathroom mirror, the fridge, by the TV, in my car, on a kitchen cabinet, in my wallet and as a bookmark in the book I am reading. I want to keep this first and foremost in my mind's eye as I walk through each day. It won't guarantee that I will always make the best decision, but will will guarantee that I am making a conscious choice about that decision.

Mirror Mirror On the Wall
The next step in the program is the daily look into the mirror, not the literal one hanging around, but feel free to look there too. It is the figurative mirror. Remember in Step 1 we jotted down our thoughts, ideas, doodles, etc about a healthy new image we are creating? Well we are going to go back to that book and commit to a daily review of our actions. Ah, how many of these daily things are going to be required everyday? Well I didn't say this was going to be easy. But it does require making some lifestyle changes that hopefully will develop into new habits.

We Don't Know Where We Are Going, Unless We Know Where We Have Been
The reason to make a daily commitment to recording our program experiences is to help us stay the course in several ways. It is about recognizing the pitfalls, it is about venting, it is about patting ourselves on the back, it is about translating thought energy into action energy. So what are the guidelines?

5 Minutes A Day
Decide on a time of day you can easily fit 5 minutes in for this reflection time. Maybe it will be the first thing in the morning, or as a mid afternoon break, or in the evening. What ever you decide this has to be a cornerstone of your program, meaning that everything else will rest upon your ability to keep this aspect of the course going. It is very important to establish this new routine so it easily and effortlessly incorporates into your life. Hey, you in the back there, I hear the grumbling! Let's face it, 5 minutes a day is very doable, so no complaining!!!

So once I decide on the time slot, what do I use it for you may be asking?
Good question! We use the 5 minutes to reflect upon how the program has worked for us over the last 24 hours. We rate the day on a scale of 1-5. A very challenging day, with difficulty holding on, would qualify as a 1 and a very successful day, which we sailed through easily would represent a 5. We make the call for what goes on in between. Remember we are assessing what we have been doing so far in the steps we have taken. So that means we can use our personal commitment pledge as a guideline if needed.

Next is our Atta Girl! or Atta Boy!
We will write down one thing we did successfully during the last twenty four hours. It doesn't have to be this big, major achievement, something small is good. Remember a home is built with a lot of small bricks and not one large stone. It is important to value the small steps we take and recognize that it is about how well we organize these steps that will make this plan work for us.

Zoning In
After that we will write down one thing we would like to improve in our self over the next twenty four hours. It should be simply stated in a positive way, indicating what we would like to incorporate more clearly throughout the next segment of time. It can be something that presented itself as a challenge in the previous days or it could be some aspect of self we are working on developing more fully. The idea is for it to be realistic and manageable for a 24 hour time frame.

Summary
Just these 3 things at this time.
1. Rate the Day
2. Atta Girl! or Atta Boy!
3. Zone In
Later on we will add some additional things. And of course, please don't feel boxed in by the 5 minute time limit, feel free to spend more time in refection anytime you want.

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The Year of Creative Energy

Wow! It feels as if we have been shot out of a time cannon from the year 2000 into 2010. It is exciting, depressing, challenging, mysterious and adventurously curious all at once. So the big questions are What will this year bring? and Are we ready for it?


The Year of Creative Energy?
As I was researching the many interpretations of the numerological meaning of 2010, the idea of creativity kept popping up. So I figured, it needed to be summarized. A few short words, were required that could be easily remembered. As I venture into the unknown region of middle middle age, either my memory is getting worn out or I am developing ADD....so a few short words is both good and absolutely necessary.

Not only do the words have to have the shortness requirement, but they need to hit strongly. The magic wand was spun and out came The Year of Creative Energy. It has a nice feel and ring to it, don't you think! So what exactly does this mean?

As I pondered this question, I found myself in a paradoxical state. Normally I have more creative juice flowing through my veins than I know what to do with. The problem has always been to stay focused enough to finish the task once the idea was generated. My tendency too often has been to immediately ride the next creative wave that came crashing into my mind, rather than waiting for the subsequent one, so I could fully complete what I was doing. But over the last few months a strange change has been looming on the horizon.

I can feel it but can't identify it. A change that is edging closer but is still completely out of focus. As I observe this, it has put me into a holding pattern. I feel a transformation of mammoth proportions edging closer but as it does I am in a freeze frame of non-ideas. Now this is really strange. Where once the onslaught of new ideas were streaming in non-stop, it now is difficult to describe it as even a trickle. Have you been experiencing this?

I remember sitting with a group of friends years ago and one said " I have no passion." She felt she needed a passion to keep life interesting and exciting. I thought then, there will never be a time when I am wanting for something exciting to do, there are so many things that excite me that I may never get to them all before this life term expires.

Fast forward to the present and I am struggling with these questions: What really excites me? What do I want to do now with my life? What is it I want to create? And on top of it all, I am pressured by the arrival of 2010 The Year of Creative Energy! So, yes it is very much a paradox! Let me ask, at the risk of being overly redundant, am I alone in this or are you going through something similar?

And that being said, it is time to move along...to begin the thaw from frozen state to flowing water..to fully explore this new landscape..to begin this decade with a blueprint of trying to define what it is I was to create as I move forward. How about you? Where are you in this flow of creative energy? Frozen, thawing or flowing?

Creating is a Verb
Creating is a verb. Energy is a verb. Both will require some type of movement and action in order to manifest into a unique life form. So how do we get there? It involves a bit more than waking up one morning, opening up the bedroom window and shouting loudly out into the world, " Hey world, I am going to be the queen of creative energy today!!" How do I know? I tried it. It didn't work. After almost 10 minutes of trying to blaze a path through the clutter to the window so it could be opened, I was hit with a strong blast of cold air that took my breath away. The words that came streaming out were barely audible. I quickly slammed the window shut. Then I waited and wandered around the house all day. Waiting for what? Why-- that creative light beam to boomerang back from the universe -- to come in and poof! Like magic, ignite me with a fountain of creativity that would put me in a manic state of activity. Hmm, did I mention, it didn't work

Steps to Get Started
So if you have a front row seat at the same show I am currently attending- let's just get up and walk out. Let's start something new. Let's get a fire lit under us. Let's declare "Time for a Change". So what do we do? How do we start? Well with one action step at a time of course!

Here are some suggestions of ways to shake things up a bit, move away from the routine, stir up some creative energy, and hopefully in the process ignite a new passion, perspective, or direction that will propel each of us into new heights of life.

1: Develop a Different Routine
Pick one aspect of your daily ritual of routine and decide to intentionally do it differently. It doesn't have to be a big life altering part of your day just something simple. As a result of this change in routine, it may spark something inside, you may see something in a new way, or you may encounter an opportunity that would have never presented itself before. When we are out of our comfort zone/routine, we see a fresh new canvas before us.

2. Practice Daydreaming
This has always been one of my favorites, daydreaming. The possibilities are endless, like magic anything you want appears. I become it all-- lion tamer, lead actress in a blockbuster movie, head negotiator at the peace talks, Olympic skater, jackpot winner, thrill seeker, astronaut, crime scene investigator, criminal profiler, etc. I can daydream in techno-color with full details and dialog between characters. A lot of great ideas have come from tapping into this pool of resources.

3. Go Some Place with Lots of Eye Candy
Is there a place near by that is just filled with a lot of inspirational things to look at? I can remember last year when we were on a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico I was nearly jumping out of my skin with excitement and really looking forward to getting home to create. The town was just bursting with creative development. Walking through the shops, the streets, the museums, the attractions was such an adrenaline rush of ideas. Find an environment close by to where you live that can do the same thing for you.

4. Problem Solve
Take a nagging problem that tends to occur regularly in your life. Examine it from all angles. Look at ways you can solve the problem in an interesting or unusual manner. I kept getting annoyed at all the stuff we have around the house, so my direction now is to create functional artwork. Using the stuff I no longer want but can't seem to get rid of, I am attempting to recycle and re-purpose it and then sell it online or at craft fairs. Most of what I am making is art work for the yard-- such as bird feeders, birdhouses, yard plaques, signs and decorations.

5. Sit with Mother Nature
When all else seems to fail, finding some time to go out and seek a personal audience with Mother Nature, often provides the right combination needed. A reconnection at this level provides a deep sense of inner balance and harmony which then always helps us to move the clouds away and feel the spirit that flows within and surrounds us completely. When we reunite at this level-- all things are possible.

There you have it, a few ideas to start with, to hopefully get those of us needing some direction a springboard to jump from. I would love to hear from you if you have any ideas to share. I can be contacted at seedsforchange@comcast.net.

So, let's go off and make it one hell of a Creative 2010!

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8 Keys to Maintain Your Balance

KEEPING BALANCED DURING THE SHIFT

"As consciousness shifts, there are certain requirements for those who choose to shift as well. Those requirements are of Universal Law, and cannot be denied. These necessities can be done only from the heart, for if from a mental nature will fail as untruth combative with perceived truth. As considered, these are also keys to the ascension process. They are not that which is new, but that which has always been. Only the perceptions of lack, of less than are new.

These keys are based upon the sacred geometry of the star tetrahedron, each key being a point of the star. Eight truths which are eternal. Each without the other is only part of the whole, just as you are part of all that is and has ever been."


The Keys Are as Follows:

We must acknowledgement our self perfection – We are and always have been of the One both in Source and within our Journeys.

Accept the journey for which we have come – why fight the very things which we have come to learn?

Maintain Personal Integrity – That truth which is ours amongst all other things, that opportunity which we give ourselves to find the truth within us, not that which we have been conditioned by others to perceive.

Be that which you are, not that which you perceive others would see – You are created of light, of Grace, and of that there cannot be imperfection, only that which is of Spirit. You do not need to improve yourselves, only to acknowledge that which is your God self, your perfect being.

We must acknowledge our value – This is different than accepting perfection. Your value is how you fit within the world within and the exterior world in which you exist. To perceive that your value is greater than another’s, or less than someone else’s brings you to lack of everything else.

Accept Your Power – You are great and mighty. True Power comes not of ego, but the collective One of our Spirit. True Power is Gentle Power. You are of the light and in its seemingly nebulous construct is the essence from which all things are made. To fear inner power is to suggest that you are less than all other things. In Truth, power is of Grace, not of abusiveness or negative use and your Grace is born of unconditionality. True Power is that which is Love, the intentional living as co-creator from within all opportunities that are offered you.

Take Your value, Your perfection, Your power, Your Grace into your world – In the Now that always is, change only comes from practice of change. What this means is that to effect change we must embody it. You must walk your talk, not hide that which you know. Historically, that which is hidden is viewed as heresy in relation to the accepted norm. To change this, it is to create a new accepted norm with ease and Grace by virtue of your walking within the very light from which you are created.

Love yourselves and touch everyone you encounter with love – As all energy exchanges, what will You accept from others and what will you leave behind? You can see all others as mirrors of yourselves, that their pain also resides somewhere within us, that their joy is in our hearts as well. This is why random acts of kindness make such a difference. How many times have you said “There by the Grace of God go I”? It is true. It has always been so.

And of course, as we embrace these keys, we must remember to breathe. Our breath serves more than the purpose of oxygenating our body. Our breath clears and nurtures us energetically. Each breath is a cleansing and as weare cleansed, our energy system moves more easily and with greater clarity of communication within the universal consciousness, communicating what our experience is as well as what our experience may be. When we do not breathe because we are tense, our energies compact, becoming more and more sluggish. As a result, our manifestation becomes sluggish or even stalled.

Source: Spirit Light Resources Author: Dr. Meg Blackburn Losey

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Awaken Your Divine Power

Don't Miss this Very Powerful Opportunity!
If you know someone in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or the surrounding areas who would be interested in participating in this special occasion, do them a favor and let them know about this Free Seminar.

This seminar will take place the day before an unusually powerful full moon. This is important because Philadelphia is playing a critical role this year in helping the United States of America reclaim her Divine Destiny.

Please join with us, and add to the Light of the world as you awaken your Divine Potential.

FREE SEMINAR - AWAKEN YOUR DIVINE POTENTIAL

Presented by Patricia Diane Cota-Robles

SUNDAY, May 18, 2008

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Doubletree Hotel

37 South Broad Street,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107-5686.

Can you feel the winds of change stirring in the deepest recesses of your heart? This inner prompting is coming from the part of you that knows you have the ability to improve your life. It is coming from the highest aspect of your consciousness, the part of you that knows abundance, happiness, vibrant health, loving relationships, fulfillment, joy and purpose are within your reach. All you have to do is listen, and remember this Truth.

This free seminar will teach you how to do just that. It is a Gift to you. Don't let this opportunity pass you by. Space is limited so to guarantee seating please call to register now! Toll free number is 1-888-310-4488.

Website: http://www.eraofpeace.org/

And here is the rest of it.

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Food for Thought

Daily we are surrounded by opportunities
for growth, seeds for change, and lightbulb
moments. What we do with each of these,
is simply put, a matter of choice. The choice
can span a wide range of responses. Some
may be familiar to you:

• "I don't see, hear or feel a thing!" [Other wise known as Complete Denial]



• "Oh, that's nice!" [Hmm, maybe you need this, but I'm just FINE!]



• "I'll get back to this someday" [Ding! Ding! Ding! Alarm bells sound, but not ready yet]



• "I need to do Something!" [ Dive into exploration...read...attend classes...join groups..etc]



• "I'm ready and I surrender" [You begin to empty out, so you can fill up]

So here is a QUOTE that provides some food for thought:

“We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”

—Carlos Castaneda (1925-1998), author, philosopher

Any thoughts on this?

And here is the rest of it.

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Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

This is a poem by Portia Nelson that just nails it in regards to the way many of us do things in life. If you have a re-occuring life pattern that keeps popping up, creating a challenge for you, then I encouarge you to carefully read Portial Nelson's words. Reflect on them. And see what Chapter you currently are reading!

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost.
I am hopeless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't beleive I am in the same place.
But it isn't my fault.

Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in; it is a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter 5
I walk down another street.


Isn't that just the most profound way of putting it? This hits me at a deep level. I found this poem several years ago, and it has helped me tremendously. It creates a reminder for me and helps me see what I am doing. I hope you find it useful as well.

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10 Steps to Inner Peace

Here are 10 Symptoms of Inner Peace, as described by Wayne Dyer's from a talk at a conference in Arizona,these were handed down to him, now they are being passed off to you.

These can be described as providing food for the soul, so take some time to reflect on each statement, examine each closely in relationship to your personal situations, and then pass them through the heart center, to notice what your are feeling. If you like, share a bit of your thoughts with the rest of us.

STEPS TO GAINING INNER PEACE
1. Displaying the tendency to act spontaneously, less planned.

2. Showing the ability to enjoy each moment.

3. A loss of interest in judging other people.

4. A disinterest in explaining the behavior of others.

5. A decision to give conflict a ‘pass’.

6. You’ll stop watching/reading the news — sources of negativity & conflict.

7. Loss of the ability to ‘worry’.

8. Frequent episodes of appreciation & connectedness with people & nature.

9. Frequent ‘attacks’ of smiling.

10. An increased susceptibility to the love provided by others & an uncontrollable urge to love others.

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Random Acts of Kindness

SPREADING SEEDS FOR CHANGE
Join me in spreading Seeds for Change....simple ways to bring about balance and harmony to make ourselves and this world a little better each day. So for today's debut...let's give a warm round of applause for:

Random Acts of Kindness...This concept has been around for quite a long time. These are those sweet or lovely things we do for no reason except that, momentarily, the best of our humanity has sprung into full bloom. So as we head more fully into Spring, how about dedicating some time to Random Acts of Kindness.

Here Are Some Suggestions for Practicing Acts of Kindness:

• Leave a kind note for someone close to you in their wallet, lunch, car...saying how much you appreciate them
  


• When baking or making something yummy in your kitchen, do a double batch and share with someone else
  


• Let the person behind you in the grocery store line go ahead of you, even if they have more than a few items.
  


• Print up a few pages of business cards that say something like Thanks for The Great Service! I appreciate your hard work to make my (fill in the blank) enjoyable. Leave them behind for your waitress/waiter, housekeeper at the hotel, actually any service person you encounter.
  


• Smile warmly, look at another clearly, and share some genuine words of thoughtfulness, it can be as simple as that.

We are only limited by our self imposed restrictions...go out and make it a great Day of Kindness. And, yes....do get back to us and share what you are doing to make other peoples days beautiful!

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A Very Important Question

Today I attended a dowsing meeting and the speaker was a wonderful healer by the name of Nancy Russell. Although she spoke beautifully on many things, the most important point I got from her presentation was, at the end of the day ask yourself this question:

Am I bitter or am I better?

She spoke about the need to have fun and enjoy life. As I was taking my walk in the park this morning I was meditating...thinking about how every morning when I wake up I have the choice to make it a great day or not. I like to announce to the universe when I am showering that my choice for the day is that Today is the best day of my life! When I approach the day from this vantage point it is much easier to start off with an attitude that will take me forward. I am not suggesting that as the day rolls on I never am challenged because of this approach...but it does have an impact on my choice of how I decide to respond to my state of challenge.

When the day is started also with the intent of having fun and enjoying the moments, we see things differently. During my walk this morning, I enjoyed the sounds flowing through the air, I enjoyed watching the flights of the bluebirds as well as watching the fisherman on the banks of the stream, taking the time to feel, see, and smell my surrounding more deeply. This joy also allowed me to forget, that sometimes I rather be laying in my warm bed rather than walking outside on a brisk spring morning...so as I prepare to go off to bed tonight...I ask myself, am I bitter or am I better? I am better because of all the wonderful experiences I encountered in my life today. So how was your day?

And here is the rest of it.

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Dance Like Nobody's Watching

ONE OF MY FAVORITE INSPIRATIONAL PIECES
Jeff was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jeff was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jeff was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation .

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jeff and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jeff replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jeff, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or You can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood.

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Jeff, said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jeff said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jeff did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jeff was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jeff was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jeff about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he said, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Want to see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jeff replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jeff continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jeff. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!'

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'" Jeff lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

- Work like you don't need the money
- Love like it's never going to hurt
- Dance like nobody's watching
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10 Steps to Forgiveness

For many people forgiveness is one of the hardest steps of all in our progress toward freedom of spirit. Yet it is essential. For as long as we are unable to forgive, we keep ourselves chained to the unforgiven. We give them rent-free space in our minds, emotional shackles on our hearts, and the right to torment us in the small hours of the night.

When it is time to move on, but still too hard, try some or all of these steps.(Note that these steps are appropriate for events resulting from an ongoing relationship with anyone. They may not all be appropriate for the random act of violence from a stranger.)

1. Understand that forgiving does not mean giving permission for the behavior to be repeated. It does not mean saying that what was done was acceptable. Forgiveness is needed for behaviors that were not acceptable and that you should not allow to be repeated.

2. Recognize who is being hurt by your non-forgiveness. Does the other person burn with your anger, feel the knot in your stomach, experience the cycling and recycling of your thoughts as you re-experience the events in your mind? Do they stay awake as you rehearse in your mind what you would like to say or do to 'punish' them? No, the pain is all yours.

3. Do not demand to know 'why' as a prerequisite to forgiveness. Knowing why the behavior happened is unlikely to lessen the pain, because the pain came at a time when you did not know why. Occasionally there are times when knowing why makes forgiveness unnecessary, but they are rare. Don't count on it and don't count on even the perpetrator knowing why.

4. Make a list of what you need to forgive. What was actually done that caused your pain? Not what you felt, what was done.

5. Acknowledge your part. Were you honest about your hurt or did you hide the fact that the behavior hurt you? Did you seek peace by reassuring the perpetrator that it was all right? Did you stay when you could or should have left? If so, then you, too, have some responsibility. (Here you start to move away from being a victim.)

6. Make a list of what you gained from the relationship, whatever form of relationship it was. Looking back you may be focusing on the negatives, the hurts. Yet if they were repeated, you must have stayed to allow the repetition. You did not remove yourself. Why? There must have been some positives if you chose to stay around. What were they?

7. Write a letter to the person (no need to mail it). Acknowledge what you gained from the relationship, and express forgiveness for the hurts. Allow yourself to express all your feelings fully. Do not focus only on the hurts.

8. Create a ceremony in which you get rid of your lists and the letter, so symbolizing the ending of the link between you. You may choose to visualize placing them on a raft and watching it drift gently away down a river. You may prefer to burn them and scatter the ashes. You may invent some other form of ritualized separation.

9. Visualize the person you are forgiving being blessed by your forgiveness and, as a result, being freed from continuing the behavior that hurt you.

10. Now that you have freed yourself from the painful links and released the pain, feel yourself growing lighter and more joyous. Now you are free to move on with your life without that burden of bitterness. Do not look back in anger.

Source: Diana Robinson, Coach University

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Spring Cleaning for the Soul

It is March Already--
Spring it Just Around the Corner

One day you open your front door and are greeted by the signs of spring. You notice the daffodils and crocuses have burst into bloom. The air around you feels noticeably lighter. The world of nature and all its creatures are stepping forward to begin the process of rebirth. You take in a deep breathe and feel exhilarated! Each smell is warm and inviting. Daytime is emerging from the shadows of winter, lasting longer, casting a green-golden light on all that is touched. Yes, this is the day you notice spring has arrived! Maybe you are taken back into time, to a memory of a spring day as a child. Suddenly you feel energized, ready to face the days ahead with new desire and enthusiasm.

Many of us welcome springtime with annual rituals. We often feel a strong urge to freshen up, organize, and make changes in our living environment...namely our homes. I would like to suggest that as you begin spring cleaning, whatever that may involve, to seriously consider taking time for yourself and do some spring cleaning of the soul. Approaching this annual event on a holistic level will engage your complete self—body, mind and spirit—in the renewal process.

Thomas Moore in Care of the Soul said “It is impossible to define precisely what the soul is. Soul is not a thing, but a quality or dimension of experiencing life and ourselves. Soul is aligned with love, care, genuineness, connectedness, compassion, intimacy and inner communication. Simple gestures that seemingly take place on the surface of life can have central importance to the soul.”

Often with the hectic schedules of our modern day lives, we forget our need to connect with spirit on a very personal level and that is when our troubles begin. All to often we become buried under situations, events, and emotions. Over time, this small pile of experiences becomes larger and heavier. We begin to struggle for breath. Eventually, we may feel a sense of loss, as if a piece is missing,. We feel a longing for something, but we can’t quite name what that something is. Solutions that used to work for us are no longer effective coping strategies. All these things happen because we lose that connection with our true Self.

It is when we take the time to look deeply into our Self and start to sort through the clutter, that we begin to dig our way back up to the surface. Our self image is programmed in our mind and memories, creating a reflection of who we think we are. This image begins to formulate early in life and is often build upon the good intentions of others—parents, spouses, children , friends. As time progresses, we grow and develop. What was once necessary, may now longer be needed, and in actuality may hinder real progress in staying connected to who we really are. Although it is never an easy task to look closely in the mirror because we may not like what we see, it is an essential task if we want to discover the true meaning and purpose of our existence. Make a clean sweep this season, by following some of the tips of personal spring cleaning listed below.

Personal Tips for Spring Cleaning
Soul Searching is a term one occasionally hears reference to when looking for answers. I have heard the terminology used more in conjunction with an individual who has gotten into trouble of some sort and the authority in charge suggests, in a very forceful manner, that the person better do some Soul Searching! The following checklist contains suggestions if you are beginning the quest of looking for your real Self that may be buried deeply in the foundation of who you. The tips do not contain anything you are hearing for the first time. The point is not to dazzle you with new ideas, instead it is simply, an opportunity to remind you of some beneficial strategies when reconnecting with Spirit

Pay Attention:
What feelings or emotions are creating stress? The first step in any process of growth is to accurately identify the issue. The question to ask yourself: Is there a prolonged emotional state or mood that I find myself trapped in for which I can not find a satisfactory resolution? Without knowing the real cause, you are only grasping at straws in seeking the solution.

Search for Meaning:
After identifying the issue, it becomes necessary to find the meaning that is attached. In this step we must experience the feelings here and learn their significance, only then will we be able to make changes in our behavior and attitudes.

Repattern Outdated Behavior
When reflecting on the state we are in and the meaning attached to it, we need to examine our current responses. Old patterns usually prove to be ineffective and do little to resolve the conflicting states we find ourselves in, so we then become obligated to repattern. If the old techniques no longer work, then we need to stop spinning our wheels. It is through this reflecting of past events and becoming open to the future, we become empowered by the insights and understanding that we gained through our struggles.

Suggestions to Help Shift Old Behavior Patterns:
Appreciate: Be grateful, express appreciation, give thanks.

Revise Your Assumptions

Energize Yourself- take the time to care for your needs in a way that will help you connect with your feelings, emotions, body and spirit

Replace Negative Self-Talk: use positive imaging and affirmations

Feel the Interconnection to everyone and all things in the universe

Visualize What You Desire

Release and Let Go of that which is not serving you in a beneficial way

Choose Your Attitude: Choose to replace feelings of helplessness and doubt with feelings of empowerment and connectedness with your Higher Self

The search for who we really are is a lifelong journey of discoveries. It is a path strewn with many emotions, struggles, and opportunities to learn our own particular lessons of truth, that resonates within each of us. It is through this ongoing process of self investigation that we are able to transform the meaningless into the meaningful and find peace, happiness, and the Divine in all that surrounds us! So why not prepare for some deep spiritual spring cleaning this time around?



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Remember to Remember...

YOUR LIFE IS YOUR SACRED JOURNEY

Be still
And out of the silence
Will come your knowing

Be still
And out of the stillness
Will come direction for your journey

Be still
And the One will guide you
In the perfection of your character

Be still
And you will
Remember to Remember
Who you are
And who all the others are around you

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A Channelled Writing

As I was clearing out old files, I came across a folder with
a few of my channelled writings from a few years back. When
I do writing of this sort, I just let the words come through and
jot them down. In this particular writing it begins with some questions.


The light of love comes through me.
Open yourself at the heart level to proclaim that which is yours and mine.
To be together in eternity is the quest of your life but it is the path through which all travel, tightly connected to the source of me.

Q: Where do I go from here?
Here is here, and where you choose to go is where your heart leads you-
down the path of eternal existence.

Q: Can you explain some of the life mysteries to me?
What is a mystery but that yet you have not uncovered.
Lift the veil, enter into the light of the kingdom with an open heart
and the mysteries will be revealed.

Q: How did life begin?
Life begins with the creation of The Movement.
Moving outward and inward simultaneously
to reach the clearest depths of the unknown
to transform into that of knowing.

Q: This all sounds too out there for me, can you reach
me with a clearer voice I can understand?
Life, my dear, is genuine.
Life is full.
Life is divine.
Life is the way to the depths of knowing and being.
Life is your experience, my experience.
Life is connected as one great web in the flow of energetic movement.

Q: Tell me about existence between lifetimes here on earth.
A place of beauty.
The soul’s journey homeward.
Forever striving for perfection.
Meeting with the unity of others.
In between, is a place of resting and rejuvenation,
preparation for the times to come,
review of the journey passed.
Life in between is an eternity of knowing that which is.


Q: Tell me about a time when I lived here before.
The darkness of the nights gave rise to the destiny you followed.
Brought in to lead, you fell short of your desired task.
Fear entered into and controlled your very movements till the end.
This time, while you are here, you are charged with the teachings
you left behind before. You decided to give it a chance to prosper
within, to attempt to tackle the fear of the times, to help yourself
and others move out of the darkness toward the light. Let you not
get caught like a sticker branch on a gate or fence. Disengage from
the self within and go deeper to make contact with the essence of
your true being.

Q How can I achieve my current desires?
Drop the fear of need.
Believe it is so, and it will appear.
That which you need is well within reach,
you just need to extend the
arms of faith toward that which is and it is
your for the grasping.

Q: Talk to me- tell me anything!
A mountain is but an illusion.
The sky is but a vision of non-clarity.
The sound is to be followed.
The reasons you need, are not needed.
The quest you search for is within.
Open the door, you have the keys.

Comment: Just letting the voice come through now without any questions.

My eyes burn with the tears of others who are left unfilled.
A cup of rye is there.
Where am I going?
What do I see?
Everything seems to be swirling about me in a sea of eternity.

The night’s darkness rises from the hallowed ground reaching toward the eternal light.

That which is—say!
Go and be who you are and what you are meant to be.

See through the eyes of compassion.
Feel through the hands of the divine.
Taste the morsels of immortality as it is given
in every moment of your life.

Hear these works and shout them to the crowds who need them.
Whisper to those who want them.
Cry in the evening, of the souls who refuse them.

Let is be to known that all is as it should be
and any time you encourage,
you succeed in moving closer to who you are
and what you are choosing to experience.

The choice is but yours and
cannot be thrust upon another.
The wisdom you can provide is in giving that which you have to offer
in a manner which is truly from the divinity of me.
Knowing that you try to reach the perfection within yourself
is the ultimate goal of success in life.

I am that which Is.
You are that which you Become.
Together we Are.
Let this be what enlightens your way.

June 6, 2004

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Kaleidoscope

I wrote this poem one night when I was supposed to be writing a paper
for one of my classes. It just came out and I really liked it.

Sitting alone, what do I see?
A kaleidoscope of experiences, I’d like to call me
An essence of divine swirling about
A blending, a merging, new patterns throughout.

My perceptions shift with an arrangement of moves
each turn of the tube, creates a new found truth
Sometimes frightening, sometimes divine
But hopefully, an awareness of the heartfelt kind

To look deeply inside, peeling off layers of debris
This ir really hard work, this looking for me
Just when I think, “Oh, it feels comfortable here”
A little voice says- “Not so fast, you have much more to clear”.

Each moment in time holds a teaching of being
Opening myself, enables this kind of seeing
Of the subtle, the messages, the two way flow
The keys to development, the direction to go.

And so, I journey on, to connect to my source
To really experience it, to learn from my course
To not only know, but to feel and to be
The wholeness, the one, who truly can see

The divinity of God
That exists all around
From the simplest among us
To the deeply profound

Sitting alone, what do I feel?
A kaleidoscope of experiences, that make me real
An essence of divine swirling about
Of it’s connection to me, I have absolutely no doubt.

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Take a Break to Meditate

Often thought of as an Easter tradition or custom, meditation is gaining prominence as an enriching practice in the Western world. While meditation for many is a spiritual exercise with a specific form and structure, there is no specific manner in which it must be performed in order to achieve results.

Walking in nature, having some quiet time alone or being at worship can all bring about a meditative state resulting in insights as much as participating in more formal practices. In fact, anything you do that has the effect of centering yourself and tuning into the energies available is the act of meditation.

Basic meditation is the state of quieting the mind to bring about stillness. When this occurs, intuitive information may become available, energies are heightened, and calmness is achieved. This is not something that you can actively do, but is something that you allow to manifest.

The focus of meditation can be on the physical, emotional, mental or spiritual level. Focusing on the physical during meditation can help to improve circulation, lower blood pressure, enhance the immune system and give you more control over your body, especially in the areas of pain management and healing.

Concentration on the emotions can bring about peacefulness, greater understanding of relationships, and help in building a stronger foundation for motivation. Focusing on the mental state helps to bring clarity, creativity and development of conceptual abilities to the mind. On a spiritual level, meditation helps connect us with the Divine Source, brings us in closer contact with our higher self, and opens up new avenues of development.

Meditation can be practiced alone or with others. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. When meditating alone, you have plenty of time and can go as deeply as you wish into a particular meditation. You are free to engage in the practice at a time that is convenient for you and can create your own private space or sanctuary. When engaging in solitary meditation you have no one but yourself to share experiences with and learn from.

Meditation within a group setting can result in stronger mediations and more clarity due to the energy level brought about by the group. It offers a format for sharing experiences so the members can gain insights from each other. The best arrangement would be to use both formats to continue to develop new possibilities and foster growth and development. So if you have not done so already, why not take a break to meditate?

For information on meditation classes, contact Seeds for Change Wellness Community at 215-489-8530 or visit us on the web at http://www.seedsforchangewellness.com/

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Being: The Next Step

The Evolution of Being is Being.
This simple statement brings into light that which is. Trying to uncover a bigger broader truth is like looking for a certain grain of sand on the beach. All the grains are the same.

Go Forth & Find the Being You Are.
You needn’t look under rocks, in the forest, or in books. You find the being that you are by going within and connecting to the greater source that flows through you at all times.


The Source: Magnificent & Without Words of Description.
The source is you. The source is all that surrounds you. The source is those you love, those you like, those you dislike, those you can’t bear the sight of…There is no discrimination, the source is ALL.


When You Reach the State of Being
You are vibrating at your highest level. This state allows you to express the truest part of yourself. This essence then expands outward to reach and affect the entire environment. Once you step into this space you recognize it by the way it feels and the way you feel. As you become more aware of this feeling you will return to this space for longer and longer periods of time and it will be an easier shift, to the point that it is instantaneous.


Alignment : The Space of Perfection Within
It opens the doors to greater experiences that yield higher learnings. Alignment is the place where we what to reside for the greater portion of our time because it is our natural state of being.

This is not a long, indepth piece of writing. The words are simple, the meaning- deep, the impact of understanding-profound. A gentle reminder from the guys in the back room of my mind.

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