BE, DO, Then HAVE Right Now

“I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Spirit!”

When we keep our attention focused on our relationship with and as Divine Intelligence throughout the day, our perspectives and perceptions of life are filtered through the lens of Truth, Love, and Oneness, giving us the resilience and perseverance to meet whatever may come our way.

We are called to a higher state of consciousness that informs us of our best next steps in thought, feeling, and action. 

But we got to get ourselves in the flow of Spirit where we can give up striving, being fearful, and being attached to outcomes, especially success. If we start our day knowing the Source of All and connecting to this energy we can tap into at any time and is always available to work through us as Divine Perfection, and remind ourselves of this powerful, pervasive constructive, and loving Presence, we can begin working through the channels of that Good - that Good of good ideas and bring it into our everyday experiences. 

We can then look at any challenges or conditions, any circumstances, anything happening in the world - positive or negative- and know that nothing is more powerful than the Divine source within.

We are each powerful creators and when we consistently claim that power, only Good can come to and from us. That Good can come as something wonderful and positive or a lesson that leads us to the wonderful and positive. It's a mindset; it's not a religious thing, though it could be, it's not even necessarily a spiritual thing, though it really is whether you call it that or not. This is a mindset of being the person who achieves, not just doing the doings to achieve their goal. It's about authenticity and power, as well as talent and skill. In other words,  we are to first BE the one that can DO what it takes to reach the HAVE (the goal).

You gotta BE before you DO in order to HAVE what you want. So the first question we ask ourselves each day is:

Who do I need to be in order to accomplish this goal? What do I need to embody?

This establishes your state of being. That's why I wake up each morning with my mind on Spirit, the Power and Presence within me, the Divine urge that outflows wisdom through me, the direct authority I am right now -without adding a title, degree, etc.- to be the authentic me, sharing my time, talent, and treasure powerfully, boldly, meaningfully, and full-heartedly whether it is for a day of rest, work, or play.

We are in the Water of Infinite Life as the fish is in the ocean…The Spirit of Life is all around us. It flows through us. It permeates everything.  ~This Thing Called Life

So we start the day knowing:

I am Being the channel and expression of the best me; here to deliver my gifts, my talents, and my skills with confidence and inner authority, withholding nothing.

Now, I answer the question, "What do I need to do in order to accomplish this goal that I have today?" 

Well, since I am the channel of the Divine Flow:

• I can dial up the talents required
• I can dial up the allies required
• I can make sure I and/or my team takes the path of least resistance mentally and physically
• I can strategically choose the best course whether that's further education, getting coaching, joining an accountability group, even stepping back and regrouping to prevent burn-out or feeling stuck, figuring out how to optimize my time.

This DO-time is when we get clear on the right actions, the best strategies, and even develop the best behaviors to have the goal....to have the Have.

It is a time to take action, like in this story:

There were two seeds laying side by side in the fertile soil. 

The first seed said, "I want to grow! I want to send my roots deep into the soil beneath me, and thrust my sprouts through the earth´s crust above me.

I want to unfurl my tender buds like banners to announce the arrival of spring. I want to feel the warmth of the sun on my face and the blessing of the morning dew on my petals!" 

And so she grew... 

On the other hand, the second seed said, "Hmmmm. If I send my roots into the ground below, I don´t know what I will encounter in the dark. 

If I push my way through the hard soil above me I may damage my delicate sprouts. What if I let my buds open and a snail tries to eat them? 

And if I were to open my blossoms, a small child may pull me from the ground. No, no, no, no, no it is much better for me to wait until it is safe."  And so she waited. 

Then, one day, a yard hen scratching around in the early spring ground for food found the waiting seed...and promptly ate it. 

Moral of The Story: Those who DREAM BIG and THINK from knowing who they are will grow and prosper. Those who think negatively and refuse to BE before they DO, risk getting swallowed up by life. 

What would the best of You do? That could be the ideas and actions a mentor might take, but your version of it. Either way:

There is a Center in you that already knows.  Develop the consciousness that flows from this Center, for It is the Secret Place of the Most High within you.  ~Ernest Holmes

Finally, with our minds on Spirit, embodying the personal power of that within you and as you, and the process thought through, strategies set up, and clarity on the actions to take, it's time to Have.

Have at it:

• lean into the flow
• express your gifts
• trust the process
• listen to the voice of your vision
• answer the next calls, if any
• and most importantly, enjoy the journey as well as the results

Trust yourself in the process and trust the Divine in you for guidance. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his essay, Heroism, "Self-trust is the essence of heroism."

Be heroic by embodying the power in you. What is the Divine Urge seeking to express through you today, tomorrow...the next day?

To BE, DO, then HAVE that expression happen for you Right Now

...you got this!!!!

Affirmative Incantation

Knowing that the Divine Presence is closer to me than my very breath, I have complete faith in the outcome of my day.

I feel Divine Love surrounding me and Its protection uplifting me.

And I hear It's Song of Joy forever chanting Its empowering voice at the center of my being. 

I direct my thought to Be the powerful badass that I am with efficiency and humor, Do my best every moment of the day, and thus Have what I seek as I work with and through the rock-solid presence of the radiant Spirit within me. Divine Intelligence informs me of the best actions to take, therefore I focus only on positive and constructive thoughts and ideas.

Joyfully, I expect greater abundance, the highest level of fulfillment, superlative success, and a deeper peace all through my day.

STAMP IT CONFIRMED

All month we talked about authenticating IT -  God, the Divine, the Power and Presence Within. It's what we are awakening ourselves to all year.

We started off talking about that there is no secret being kept from any of us about the Universe or how the Law works.  You may not have been taught this philosophy, but the Universe isn't keeping information on how IT works for members only. The secret is there is no secret! There are only tools to be discovered that enhance what you naturally know, even if you don't know that you know. Don't get sucked into the clickbait titles or descriptions claiming a big secret is being revealed for the first time b.s. And don't begin your day, week, month, or year pining on thinking you're starting in a deficit. That is not a good way to set yourself up to learning.

I also reminded you this month to look around, use your senses as proof of the existence and the workings of divine intention, grace, power, and wisdom. We can learn most if not all we need to learn from Mother Nature.

And last week, I asked you to decide which do you prefer, or which do you work your innermost education transformation and transcendence through....nature or nurture? Actually, there was no choosing...it was both

This week I want to stamp this month of Authentication...CONFIRMED. Not only confirming that:

• The Power of Presence of Universal Creative Energy is working within you right now
• The knowledge to succeed and prosper is innate and discover-able through our senses
• We don't have to go to the top of the mountain or the bottom of the sea to discover God and our Godness
• Nurturing our True nature leads us to manifestations of health, wealth, love, and peace. 

This week we confirm our authentic selves. We stamp our passports to self-definition and self-determination. We stamp our decree of being an expression of the divine. And we attest, verify, and certify as Michael Singer said in “The Untethered Soul”:

The prerequisite to true freedom is to decide that you do not want to suffer anymore. You must decide that you want to enjoy your life and that there is no reason for stress, inner pain, or fear.

How often do you show up authentically?

We are to see that Spirit creates all things by the power of Its own word, and that we are spiritual beings. We are to hear that inner voice of Truth, which is ever proclaiming the freedom of all life, the eternal unity of God with [all].  ~Ernest Holmes

No matter your profession, who you love, how you pray, where you live, how much formal education you have, how much money you have, what gender you identify with, how old you are, etc., you weren’t born to fit in....you were born to stand out.

God makes no mistakes - people do. And yet mistakes are a great teaching tool if you let them be. Regardless of what anyone says, your unique gifts have a purpose and individually it's our responsibility to be our authentic selves, to live and express that purpose. That might be annoying or unappetizing to some, but the more we express ourselves authentically, the more we inspire others to do the same, even if they find us annoying

Unconditional love and acceptance for others who are expressing themselves authentically doesn't mean we have to hang out with them, vote for them, or like them. Appreciating one's authenticity and that of others brings spiritual maturity into play and practice, and emotional maturity into life.

As the inner light dawns, it delivers the outer life from bondage. This is in line with the teaching that everything is from within, out. When the soul knows freedom, the law will free the body, and the outer life will express health, happiness and success. All things work for our good. Even that which we call evil is salutary, leading us to the Way, the Truth and the Life. Suffering should teach us a lesson which would cause us to refrain from making more mistakes; it carries a blessing with it when we learn how to garner knowledge from experience.  ~Science of Mind

If you were living a life of freedom, how would your life look?

Don't be depressed about the answer because it seems like a wish unfulfilled. Be encouraged, impassioned, inspired, motivated, and awakened by the answer as the first step to fulfillment. That is your authentic self calling....answer the call - your soul's desire is ringing.

Say this with me right now:

I consciously and confidently live as my authentic self.
Solid in self-respect and joy.
Firm in my respect and kindness to others.
Centered, grounded, and stable in my connection to Nature and Spirit.
And bold and brave in my self-expression.

Don't be what the world wants you to be. Find and be the definition of your authentic self. It's never too late. Look at these two womyn:

Julia Child

...worked in advertising, media, and secret intelligence before stepping into her passionate self and writing her first cookbook when she was 50, launching her career as a celebrity chef.

Martha Stewart

...a full-time model, then a 25-year-old mother before working a five-year stint as a Wall Street stockbroker; then finding her true purpose through her love of gourmet cooking and creative presentation to create the empire, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

How about these two:

...was a figure skater and journalist before entering the fashion industry at age 40 and became one of the world's premier women's designers.

...Anna Mary Robertson Moses began her prolific painting career at 78. In 2006, one of her paintings sold for $1.2 million. Previously, she was a housekeeper and farm laborer.

And finally these two/three people:

Taikichiro Moris...was an academic
who became a real-estate investor
at age 51, which made him
the richest person in the world in
1992, worth $13B.

Tim and Nina Zagat...were corporate
lawyers in their late 30s when they
turned their personal, passionate list
of favorite restaurants in Paris and
New York into a published collection
of restaurant reviews which eventually
became a mark of culinary authority.

     

So what hidden or not so hidden passion is waiting for your authenticity to emerge?

You know I know you know, even if you say you don't....you do. We all get caught up in the box of our degrees, our jobs, what the family expected, what we expected, and even the word “retiree.” So now is the time to commit to showing up -authentically- and choose to live the life we’ve always dreamed of. 

A bonus to all this is that doing so in your life also inspires others to follow. By you being an example of unconditional love & acceptance of a life of Spirit expressing Itself as you, that makes for a better world of unity, peace, love, and joy. And that authenticates the Divine in us all!

Stamp your authentic life confirmed and fly my friends, fly!

Affirmative Incantation

I answer the call from Spirit to awaken to the beauty and power within

With this Divine intention, I have the courage to think only clear, productive, and empowering thoughts, no matter what's going on.

I certify that since I am the master of my thoughts

I am the healer of my body

And the designer of my life.

The Truth confirms my wholeness

The Truth attests to my spiritual perfection

The Truth guarantees my success

And I verify this Truth today.

Ta-ta negativity

Goodbye old stories

Adieu junk thinking

I am my authentic True Divine Self right now!

LOOK AROUND

"I think, therefore I am....Cogito, ergo sum," said René Descartes.

"I AM THAT I AM," spoke the Burning Bush to Moses

Both are authentications of the Divine Presence.

Our thinking, thoughts, consciousness are paramount in manifestation, perception, and our connection to the Universal, but is it the only way to authenticate the Divine?

my mind is

a big hunk of irrevocable nothing which touch and

taste and smell and hearing and sight keep hitting and

chipping with sharp fatal tools

in an agony of sensual chisels i perform squirms of

chrome and execute strides of cobalt

nevertheless i

feel that i cleverly am being altered that i slightly am

becoming something a little different, in fact

myself

Hereupon helpless i utter lilac shrieks and scarlet

bellowings.       ~ e. e. cummings, Portraits VII

What do you feel when you see hear, touch, smell, taste something so fantastic your whole life seems to make sense? It brings words to mind you never thought you had, descriptions and adjectives you’ve never used, memories you had long misplaced? There's a book I love called “A Natural History of the Senses” by Diane Ackerman. She is quite the prolific author of two dozen highly-acclaimed works of poetry and nonfiction, many New York Times bestsellers, The Zookeeper's Wife (a 2017 movie starring Jessica Chastain), and a Pulitzer Prize Finalist for "One Hundred Names for Love." Ackerman is the epitome of curiosity and imagination. Her thrilling observations urge us to live in the moment and to wake up to nature's everyday miracles and her work is addictive. Today I'm using some of her quotes and readings to authenticate the Divine in all – our June theme.

In a mere ounce of air, there are 1,00 billion trillion gyrating atoms made up of oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen, each a menagerie of electrons, quarks, and ghostly neutrinos. ... Sometimes we marvel at how “calm” the day is, or how “still” the night. Yet there is no stillness in the sky, or anywhere else where life and matter meet. They are always vibrant and aglow, full of volatile gases, staggering spores, dust, viruses, fungi, and animals, all stirred by a swirling and relentless wind.   ~"Vision" chapter

When you look at the stars, the moon, the expansiveness of the sky / the universe, a flower, a child, your loved one, or a sweet treat, you may stare in amazement of its power and beauty – your emotions soar, yes?You may think, “A higher intelligence must be present!”

Each of us are a unique beholder of creation, an authenticator of a design that is both super natural and metaphysical beyond our present comprehension, even though science and scientific theory attempts to explain it all.

When you look in a mirror, you will see the face of a predator; not to capture or eat other animals though that ability is there as well, but to gather light, pick out important  images, focus on novel sites, and pinpoint them in space and time to follow them, we have the ability to be a walking stereoscopic binocular

What we see are prey, not in order to feed our bellies, but our minds, that's the power of our sense of vision. If that is not from a Divine intelligence, I don't know what is. Helen Keller wrote:

Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived. The odors of fruits waft me to my southern home, to my childhood frolics in the peach orchard. Other odors, instantaneous and fleeting, cause my heart to dilate joyously or contract with remembered grief. Even as I think of smells, my nose is full of scents that start and awake sweet memories of summers gone and ripening fields far away.

In 2014, researchers in a Science magazine article concluded that the human nose can distinguish at least 1 trillion different odors, way beyond the previous estimate of 10,000. Whether it's your favorite fruit pie or flower, fresh cut grass, sea or mountain air, or the pheromones of your mate; a human nose has around 400 scent receptors. For example, when the smell of coffee wafts through a room, specific receptors in the nose detect molecular components of the odor. That elicits a series of neural responses, translating into inward or outward cry's like “Thank God” or “Where is it?”. Or it engages the action of the salivary glands and creates a GPS-like hunt for its location. Smell brings out both the imaginary and the memorial in the brain. It can act as an informant of a person's profession or hobby, habits or previous locale; and with food – the sense of taste attaches itself. Rev. Kelly Isola, a Unity minister, wrote some tips for increasing your spiritual sense of smell. Here's two:

• When you connect with God's presence, what scents or fragrances come to mind?
• With every deep breath in today, let it be a reminder of being more open and alive, to knowing God as real, authentic, and attentive

If the sense of smell is not from a Divine intelligence, I don't know what is.

If you want to find the secrets of the Universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.  ~Nikola Tesla

What happens when you hear Mozart or Miles Davis, Dolly Parton or Dean Martin, Bach or the Beatles (depending on your taste). How about a baby laughing, a light rain at your window, a crackling fire, the sigh of your lover, or the purr of your cat? For me, a Debussy composition delights all of my senses - when I hear them, I feel enlightened, open and ready for expansion and transformation. The sounds of nature, both pleasant and not, are a symphony of proof that Spirit wants to be heard; in all the languages for all Its creation - animal, mineral, vegetable, aviary, reptile, mammal, and plants...yes, even plants.

Using highly expensive and sensitive acoustic sensors, similar to the ones use to detect cracks in bridges, researchers are able to catch the ultrasonic blips and pops of a plant. They may not sing like the one in “Little Shop of Horrors,” but it has been proven that their vibrations are a language to each other and the insects that feed upon them

The Universe's sound, translates closely to the "Aum" chant you may hear at an Ashram or the beginnings of a Yoga class. Though we cannot truly create the sound of the universe by a chanting; we can produce a vibration sympathetic with the electro-magnetic ones of the cosmic hum. Listen to this:

If sound is not from a Divine intelligence, I don't know what is

Touch, by clarifying and adding to the shorthand of the eyes, teaches us that we live in a three-dimensional world.   ~”Touch”

When we touch silk, velvet, grass, or each other, we can miraculously heal hurt, ease pain, save premmie infants, and change the circumstances of health and well-being. Touch informs, touch educates, and touch loves. Touch is not only by skin, but what we do when we pray or commune with the power and presence of the Universe.

If touch is not from a Divine intelligence, I don't know what is.

More from Diane Ackerman:

A creamy blur of succulent blue sound smells like week-old strawberries dropped onto a tin sieve as mother approaches in a halo of color chatter, and a perfume like thick golden butterscotch.

Isn't that beautiful? All of that is a description of Nature saying “hi...” in the synesthesia of life. Only 2 - 4% of people have the neurological condition called synesthesia in which information meant to stimulate one of your senses stimulates several of your senses, but in many ways, all of us are synesthetes.

Sacred rituals use the senses to connect to their very being and essence. The Torah (Exodus 20:18) describes the Hebrews gathering to receive the scrolls with Moses at Mt. Sinai to hear visions and see the voice of God. Dr. William Bushell of MIT's Department of Anthropology and Columbia University's American Institute of Buddhist Studies tells us, "In fact, synesthesia may not only be associated with the highest spiritual states, it may be necessary for them." 

Dr. Eben Alexander wrote in "Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey Into the Afterlife" about the blending of his senses during his near-death experience in a 2008 coma when he wrote, “Seeing and hearing were not separate in this place where I now was ...I could see the surging, joyful perfection of what they sang.” After months of analysis and discussion with other scientists about his experience, Eban Alexander concluded, “It is crucial to remember that my ultra-real experience deep in coma, in the realms of the Gateway and the Core that I describe in my book, did not happen in my brain, or in the physical universe, but they really happened in a more fundamental reality – the dwelling-place of Divine consciousness, spirit and soul.”

What more proof do you need to authenticate the Divine in all and through all? Just use your senses. Stay aware and awake, and allow your senses to inform you, inspire you. All you gotta do is look around

Affirmative Incantation

Today I put in place a guarantee for a great day:

    I promise to be centered and grounded

    And if I slip, I pledge to stop and get grounded and centered once again

I commit to being clear and concise with my intentions

    And I shall use the lifetime warranty from the Universe 

To assure me of my bodily vitality, 

To vouch for my heightened mental and creative abilities, 

And to confirm my absolute willingness to awaken to all inspiration around me.

This pledge deposits gobs of Peace, Power, Beauty, Joy, Love, Light, Life, and Wisdom in my mind and heart,

All I require for a wonderful experience at work, play, and love throughout the day  

I amplify, clarify, and intensify my best self today with this guarantee 

That will fill me, thrill me, and stay with me morning, noon, and night.

Cleaned Up, Now What?

Photo by v2osk on Unsplash.com

I want to invoke a Wholly Holy Uprising

We stand poised, with the ability to use this teaching and other tools to take ourselves and all of humanity into a new paradigm of consciousness.

• A paradigm of prosperity, happiness, health, and loving relationships
• A model of miracles, aha moments, and infinite possibilities
• A pattern of connection, communion, and joy
• A habit of right thinking and Truth
• A mirror of opulence and opportunities

We are invited every single day to demonstrate all of this and more in our lives, our communities, and the world.

To do so, we must rise up!

Like we rise up for social injustice, we must rise up to a consciousness of equality and unity – Oneness revealing the Divinity within.

Like we rise up to save our family and friends from dangerous conditions, we must rise up to a consciousness of protection, security, and peace.

Like we rise up to move away from addiction and depression, we must rise up to a consciousness of joy.

Like we rise up to move away from negative thinking, we must rise up to this consciousness that we are being supported by Divine Love and the Law of Cause and Effect at all times.

We need not place limits on Spirit, It has none.

Once we have the consciousness of what it is we require and as we align with the great power that created all, we avail ourselves to the infinite possibilities and give ourselves the permission (already granted by the Universe) to put our hands in the biggest cookie jar and pull out all the goodies we can grab – including peace and prosperity for all. Then we can increase the size of the bucket inside our minds knowing that God's bucket is the one we get to fill ours from.

With limitless prosperity available and ready to be served, our mental equivalent is the mirror to our external circumstances. Our inner life, our consciousness, is Truth-based and the experiences imagined, Earth-bound.

We have spent the month decluttering our minds and freeing our hearts and connecting with Divine wisdom from our gut's intuitions. Now it's time we allow it all to flow...getting into the flow of joy 
of our communion with Spirit.

Imagine a garden hose that is attached to a water spigot. The spigot is Source. The water is turned on and is flowing. How much water comes out of the end of that garden hose depends on whether or not the hose is obstructed. The water is flowing fully and yet, at the other end of the hose, water may be dribbling out. Our spiritual work removes the obstructions in the garden hose to allow the full flow of water. 

God is the water that's flowing. The degree to which we experience that flow which is the giving-ness of Spirit in our lives is determined by the degree to which we able that water to flow through unobstructed. Our work, our Word, is “unkinking the hose” so that Spirit can flow through fully.

We don’t need to do anything about the flow of water; that's spigot's on full already. Our job is to allow the water to flow through us.

Let's not be confused or deterred over the appearances we see, but don't want. Let's face the fear. Let's face the disappointment. Let's face the bag of cookies or the next cigarette or drink. Name the condition and then know the Truth of it...

...it's old news

...it's an old story

...it is yesterday's thoughts, opinion, perspective, or perception

The fact is, the energy you invest in knowing, using, and being the Truth -the spiritual practice you invest in speaking, embodying and illuminating the Truth, and the focusing of your mind and heart to the frequency of the Truth- the more yesterday's thoughts and beliefs become neutered, null, and void.
This happens not only in your life, but it also affects all of life.

In this interconnected universe, every improvement we make in our private world improves the world at large for everyone… Simple kindness to one’s self and all that lives is the most powerful transformational force of all.  ~David R. Hawkins, Power vs. Force

According to Hawkins, who was a nationally renowned psychiatrist, physician, researcher, and spiritual teacher, and who calibrated human consciousness from its lowest “vibration” (shame) to its highest (enlightenment), higher consciousness radiates a beneficial and healing effect on the world. Using kinesthetic testing (muscle resistance to a word), Hawkins created a chart to explain, in detail, what the mystics have always known:  love is more powerful than hatred, and the truth sets us free.

The Truth is when you increase your integrity, understanding, and capacity for compassion, you also change the world.

In God-awareness, problems dissolve because there are no “real” problems; in the mind of God, there are only perfect patterns of existence and divine ideas. ~Michael Beckwith, Spiritual Liberation

So, you've been cleaning up all month, all year...now what? What perfect patterns are you creating? Ask yourself:

Are there any areas in my life where I am “playing small” or working patterns of lack?

What limiting beliefs can I let go of to expand my consciousness and fill that bigger bucket?

...our belief sets the limit to our demonstration of a Principle which, of itself, is without limit. It is ready to fill everything, because It is Infinite...It is entirely a question of our own receptivity.   ~Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind

When appearances suggest an absence of the Divine:

1. start decluttering
2. face these appearances with the courage and power that is innate in you
3. neutralize them with conviction, purpose, spiritual practice, therapy, counseling, and/or coaching
4. take action to lessen or remove these appearances' grip on your beliefs and life

I am not asking you to ignore or gloss over genuine issues in your life or the world at large and hide behind platitudes the bypass life until the storms pass. In times of social unrest and personal tragedy, apply the principles of this teaching and all the other philosophical and psychological tools there are to find what is yours to do.

I am invoking a Wholly Holy Uprising

Using the principles of Oneness, love, joy, and Truth, we allow any uncomfortable topics, situations, and stories to help us deepen our spiritual practices, grow our compassion, and take divinely inspired action to transcend, transform and inspire our best life!

So, cleaned up – now what?

Live an absolutely fabulous, opulent, and love-filled life

...that's what!

Affirmative Incantion

I have a big intelligence system: my mind

I have a big feeling system: my heart

I have a big wisdom system: my gut

This Divine Matrix is abundant with all the tools, ideas, feelings, imagination, and power I require to live my life fabulously. I have decluttered my world and exclusively energize thoughts of prosperity, vitality, and love. I am relishing this miracle called ME!

What's Your Response?

Three men are traveling on a ship when they are accosted by the Devil. The Devil proposes that if each man drops something into the sea and he cannot find it, he will be that man's slave. If the Devil does find it, however, he will eat that man up. 

The first man reacts by immediately slipping off his Rolex watch and dropping in the ocean, confident of his choice. Poof, he disappears, eaten by Satan. The second man quickly drops a pure, clear diamond into the ocean, sure this cannot be found; and poof, he's gone, eaten up by the evil horned essence. 

The third man, not one to react quickly, thinks a moment, contemplating the situation and his life. He then fills a bottle with water and calmly pours it into the sea. Smiling, he turns to the Devil and says, “Try finding that!" 

Did you ever wish you would have responded versus reacted to a situation, comment, or condition? Or be able to take back the snark or yell or cursing or worse? Some people think that the words "react" and "respond" are synonyms, but to me, they are practically antonyms.

When I react to something, it's instantaneous, without thought, usually driven by lingering biases or fueled by some defense mechanism projecting my old stories or insecurities. It is subconsciously full of blame and I end up taking it out on the other person. This reaction has some unconscious survival theme to it using words or actions I come to regret.

A reaction usually comes from a short-sighted, sometimes aggressive, or out-of-control impulse. We might freeze, flinch, run away, or even want to physically fight someone - i.e. a Fight or Flight Reaction! Our stress is high, cortisol is running rampant, and you might shake or sweat as your hackles are up. You may have been triggered by the conversation to expose things you are in denial about or things you have repressed or regressed, stuff you have put away and rationalized. For example, say your boss yells at you, but you don't yell back, and later take it out on your partner by yelling at them over something stupid. Or you may blurt stuff out because you have intellectualized or compartmentalized a past hurt and the conversation triggered that memory. Reacting can be a dangerous answer to a situation.

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.  ~Victor Frankl

Responding, on the other hand, is a conscious, intentional, purposeful answer where we utilize our mindfulness skills before speaking or acting. Here, we are able to get beyond the emotion and into the information; more likely producing a calm, value-centered, and connected solution. It’s important to acknowledge that this is a skill that requires repeated practice. And that’s okay! Our journey in these bodies is always going to be an adventure, unfolding. 

I understand that it's doesn't always seem possible to respond versus react when in a stressful event full of triggers. If you feel threatened or hurt, your brain and body have what I call unnatural natural reactions that are coming from your stories, perspective, opinions that too often are hiding, waiting for the opportunity to get triggered and lash out from.

It is the goal of this philosophy to move towards interacting with ourselves, others, and the world from a more centered and peaceful place. That's part of the job of the guided meditations, affirmative incantations, and prayer; by becoming grounded, centered, mindful through spiritual practices, and remembering who we truly are. In fact, in these reactive-prone situations, your spiritual and mindfulness practices become the precursor to your use of responsive answers and actions in a situation.

Before I give you some tools to use, I want to say that we can use our reactions to observe what the heck is in our way from our skills in manifesting, moving forward, or getting healthy. They are an insight into the junk ideas, old stories, and perspectives that are blocking our bliss. So don't get down on yourself, use your reactions as a learning tool, along with the following:

This responding tool is called PLACE.

Pause, Label, Ask, Choose, Express

1. Pause

You know the MAD TV sketch with Bob Newhart as the psychiatrist who uses his fancy education to tell his patient, after her victim-filled rant, to just "STOP IT." Though the sketch is funny, especially to fans of The Bob Newhart Show, it's a reactive answer to her situation and yet, in the end, not a bad response. Of course, the more proper course would be to take her through the stories, asking questions, guiding her to come up with realizations and answers herself.. All of which would lead her and most of us to "stop it." Maybe it was a cry for that fictional psychiatrist to take a vacation and get refreshed in order for him to "stop it," stop reacting and begin responding again to his patients. At the very least, he needed to remember to PAUSE. 

The moment you notice you are triggered and that your energy has changed, take a moment to pause and breathe.

2. Label Your Emotions

Name it. What you’re feeling? is it anger, frustration, sadness, grief? Identifying how we feel helps us process our emotions. After all, it's our emotions that are getting in our way. So, label them, realize what's going on with you. It will take the heat off the matter.

3. Ask Yourself: Why?

You've paused and labeled, now ask yourself, "Why was I triggered? What was it that triggered me?" This can bring awareness to what is under the surface for you. It might not be what the person said that upset you (probably wasn't at all), but that it was a reminder of a different memory that sparks an unresolved emotion in you. Or perhaps you're just more sensitive today than yesterday, feeling unwell, or had a bad day, etc. The big question for yourself is "how can you best communicate what will best serve the discussion all are involved in at this moment?"

4. Choose A Mindful Response

This is the big one! Consider the labeled emotion(s) and discover the trigger before you choose what’s important to share about your experience. Choose to communicate the answer which is connected to the situation at hand, not your old stories. A response is not harmful or unproductive. A reaction most probably will be.

5. Express

When we think big picture, we put the situation in context. When we blend logic with our emotions and balance those immediate emotional responses with thoughts and facts, we fill in the blanks of what's reactive and what is responsive. Recognize your choices, and create a 20/20 vision (an imagined 20/20 vision, yes) to determine your best response to the current situation. We answer with thought rather than emotion, care versus haphazardness, mindfulness instead of fear, and all with love, not hate or anger.

The man who is asleep reacts; he knows nothing of action. And reaction is a binding: it binds you into new prisons, new chains. Response is out of freedom, hence it brings more freedom. Reaction is out of the past; you act according to your memories, built-in by your experiences, conditionings. You react not to the present, not in the present. You don`t reflect the real situation as it is; you go on interpreting it according to your past, your past experiences. The man who is awake is like a mirror: he reflects that which is the case. HE IS AWAKE.   ~Osho Rajneesh

Our best prayers, our most powerful meditations, and our greatest manifestations come from an absence of fear, chaos, desperation, and destructive emotions. Let us take away our old stories from the conversations with ourselves, others, and ultimately Spirit and replace them with thoughtful intentions, awakened purpose, and the energetic frequency of fulfillment. Move the energy of your conversations with a love of life and the Light of the Divine. Then watch your experiences glow with peace, prosperity, and ease.

Affirmative Incantation

I look from my deepest Source

I look at infinite and prosperous possibilities

And I look to a world where peace, Oneness, love, freedom, and appreciation reign.

Today I declare these ideas as the way I experience my life. And attract others who live this same divine, succulent, lovely, and sane vitality. I celebrate grace, ease, and gratitude as I sing the body electric and I dance the Song of Songs.

From the morning's dew till the night's slumber gongs, Spirit guides me to my best. 

What Are You Looking At?

Photo by Tachina Lee at Unsplash

Last week we talked about where it is best to look from. The Divine Matrix is the synergetic alchemy of using the head, heart, and gut-brain systems to use Divine Intelligence, our feelings, and Divine Wisdom and inspiration to reveal, transcend, and achieve in life.

Today, I want to talk about what we are looking at? What are we observing? Are we looking at trouble - with a capital T, and that rhymes with P, which makes you a fool? Are we looking at limitations or infinite possibilities?

Spiritual growth is the act of letting go of any ideas, beliefs, and attachments that no longer serve us, like shoulda/woulda/coulda's, yeah-but's, and “I don't deserve it” junk thinking. When we are consistently focused on those kinds of ideas, we are not only not letting go of them, we are seeing everything through the lens or the perspective of that junk thinking.

New job interview? Thoughts surrounding you may be “they won't like me," or "I shoulda gotten that degree.”

New love relationship? Thoughts popping up could be “yeah, but something's gotta be wrong with him/her/they, it always is.”

New idea in your career, for the world, or creatively? Thoughts swirling in your head may include “Why bother, I never follow through.”

Those words and phrases are red flags about your belief system, your perspective on that activity, and what is getting in your way. So let's first look at letting go.

Forgiveness for errors, injustices, or debts

This is something that has gotta happen to allow space in the head and the energy you exude. Remember forgiving is not condoning. Forgiving is the release of those limiting ideas' hold on your perspective. When we practice radical forgiveness, we are awakening ourselves to our highest, most capable self. It emancipates us from discord, making room for a greater good to be expressed or received, for change to take place, and for healing.

Spiritual Law tells us that spiritual growth cannot take place until we are open to learning, till we awaken to catching Spirit’s ideas about what we need to let go, and allowing the removal of obstacles and impediments which fog our way of living. As we let go, so too will Spirit’s highest ideas then be able to reveal themselves more frequently and powerfully. We forgive and let go to create openness and spaciousness so the Universe can release into our consciousness the greater idea, the best perspective.

When we look from our Divine Matrix, and embrace Spirit’s highest ideas and let go of the untruths and release the Truth, we automatically make room for being lifted out of wrong tendencies, discord, and illness. 

Our job is to ask Spirit what needs to be revealed to us and our work is to be still, listen to the voice within, and follow its guidance. 

Can we successfully release and let go of beliefs, ideas, and limitations without embracing their replacement? While we may see what to let go of and sometimes dig into it a bit for clarity, what we want to look at is the replacement of that belief.

Where your attention goes, energy flows, and manifestation then follows.

When we:

1)  Put our conscious attention on asking for Spirit’s highest vision of what needs to be let go;

2)  Keep our attention on this question long enough to receive the visionary insight on what needs to be allowed in and what we must awaken to; we then 

3)  Manifest our vision by committing to embrace the conscious and creative stages, in mind and action, of this intuited information.

When your attention goes to the possibilities, your energy flows from the intuited Divine nature, and your manifestations then come pure and clean.

Ignorance stays with us until the day of enlightenment, until our vision toward the Spirit broadens and casts out the image of a no longer useful littleness…. The will should hold it in place until the creative genius of the inner life transforms the image of limitation and transmutes it into liberty under law.   ~Ernest Holmes

Are you looking at the possibilities or the limitations? 

Have you heard of Bethany Hamilton's story? At the age of 13 as a rising surf star, Bethany lost her left arm to a 14-foot tiger shark, seemingly ending her dream career. However, through a foundation of faith, determination, and passion, one month after the attack, Bethany returned to surfing and within two years had won her first national title. At 17 years old, she realized her dream of surfing professionally and is an active surf competitor to this day, currently competing in the World Surf League tour events and other special events. In 2016, Bethany beat a six-time world champion and the top-ranked surfer in the world. In 2017, she was inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame. 

Bethany sees her passion for surfing as a gift from God and is what compelled her to go back to the sport against all odds. She is constantly re-writing the supposed rules of logic, what's possible, and living her greatest life. Her story is dramatized in the movie ”Soul Surfer” based on her book of the same title, and her perspective of the incident is shown in the docs “Heart of Soul Surfer,” and “Unstoppable” along with her many other books like “Be Unstoppable” and the children's tale, “Unstoppable Me.” Bethany reminds us:  I don't need easy, I just need possible.

While it is not always easy to let go of our troubles or give up the things we resent and regret, when we connect what we are looking through with what we are looking at, we listen to Spirit’s highest ideas on what needs to be released and forgiven. And we:

• Live to be present
• Look for things to be grateful for each day
• Set boundaries to protect the important things
• Say no to the excess stuff or doing too much
• Aim to use time wisely to include sweet moments and see a world of possibilities.
• It's our daily choices that determine our outcomes.

With repetition, we’ll catch more insights and habitually expand our vision/mission/purpose. There’s a spiritual solution to every problem/condition. Stress, illness, or trauma might crack us, but it doesn't have to end us.

There is an ancient Japanese art called Kintsugi or golden joinery. It is a technique using a lacquered or resin-based gold dust for repairing broken pottery with seams of gold.  We can use a spiritual version of this practice through our Divine Matrix to repair any damage.

Are you looking at old stories or creating new ones?

Are you having a vision or dream that just floats around or are you envisioning and embodying it in the Divine Matrix?

Here is a process to see what shame and/or regret you may have that is fogging up everything you are looking at in mind and body, family and love relationships, community, friends, money and work, and in your connection to Higher Self and Source. Each piece of shame and regret story has 4 steps:

1. Summary of the shame and/or regret story
2. When did it happen (beginning and ending time)
3. Where did it happen
4. What were the deeper consequences of what you did and how did this affect your relationship with yourself and your life now? This step is the one to dig deep into.

When you have finished writing down (best with pen and paper) your Shame and Regret list, keep it safe from anyone else except a trusted friend, counselor, therapist, spiritual practitioner, or spiritual leader to who you will later read this. When you do choose the one person you will share the list with, please remind yourself to not allow any justifications to arise and to not solicit or allow any judgment, good or bad from the one you are reading this to. This process is only about communication with a trusted other and the openness to let it go. The release comes through the non-judged venting, to get it out of our heads both as a story and the energy it carried. When we have our ethics and integrity 'squeaky clean, we open up to receiving in a huge way and step into living our life large and free and powerful! 

Declare what your new story is NOW. 

When you look around you, what are you looking at?

• Are you looking at agitation or serenity? What you expect, you'll receive.
• Are you looking at a “woe is me” life or a “wow is me” life? Living life with wonderment and creativity is remembering that the power of You is essential no matter your age.
• Are you looking at the reflection of a victim or victor? The pain of any sort of trauma is not necessarily eliminated in this work, it is neutralized and replaced. To release and let go is to neutralize the pain from the old event and its hold on your perspective of life.
• Are you looking at practicalities or possibilities? Living with an attitude of being practical may feel safe, but understanding the infinite possibilities the Universe has available will expand your outlook, opportunities, success, and happiness.

Remove “impossible” from your vocabulary. The art of the possible tells us that we take our options and make the best of them. And our options are limited only by how we look at things. So become a wiser, stronger, more evolved human being by filling your cup / your mind with what you want to attract. Focus on that, not the old stories.

Then what are you looking at is...

a joyous, rich, succulent, fun, loving, peaceful, happy, and vibrant life.

Affirmative Incantation:  

I release.

I let go.

And I let the Divine in me inform, inspire, regulate and interpret all my dreams and desires.

Through the eye of any storm, I stand steady and nimble like the olive tree, in the zone of awakened awareness, and with Spirit-empowered readiness to take on all that steps into my life with ease and grace. My intellect, compassion, and instincts are handy and ripe with the smartest and most loving choices...the best choices for this day.

In this moment, and the next ones hereafter, I rise to my highest Self, confident of my fitness, goodwill, and willingness to be in my prime, vibrating at the speed of the Divine.

FORWARD...MARCH

 The spiral of life is upward.  Evolution carries us forward.   ~Science of Mind

Like many others, I too was struck weeping and patriotic as we stepped into a new political stance, a new national leadership, and a re-kindling of Light, here in the physical.

I am inspired to declare on this day that we step out of what we thought was a never-ending shade (as Amanda Gorman described)

...the day we step past the loss we carry

This is the day we leave behind the sea we have waded to stand tall on the land of the free and to feel safe in our home of Divine bravery where limitations are sent on their way, fears are held at bay, and peace, health, prosperity, and love are no longer delayed

If we needed a reason, an excuse, some motivation to plan, dream, envision or set our intention to the work of moving forward, one has arrived for both this nation, which Amanda Gorman described as

...striving to forge a union with purpose

To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man & womyn

...and ourselves

I declare this purpose has arrived for each of us to experience where it is that we want to go forward as an individual, a family, a community, a nation, and a world with all the possibilities found in the infinite possibilities of the Universe.

We are bringing forth from beyond the horizon of our self-induced boxes of limitation and past the edges we had put around ourselves, our communities, and our movement; a transcendent growth, yet the dawn is ours before we knew it. She said...

...before we knew it

And yet always there awaiting us to reveal It

Somehow we do it

Somehow we've weathered and witnessed

a nation that isn't broken, but simply unfinished

As it is in this nation, so too is it in our lives - simply unfinished. We are not done, and we shall never be done. We have aligned ourselves with a teaching that emphasizes unity with God and each other, a faith that calls the world, both individually and collectively, to a higher state of consciousness and action for a life where our spiritual principles/practices like affirmative incantations, affirmative prayer, breath, contemplation, imagination, inspiration, and meditation from 20 secs to 20 mins are always available to awaken to, clothe ourselves in, and continuously experience our highest, most divine ideas choosing to think and feel, believe and reveal, declare and experience our best, most vibrant, prosperous, and succulent life.

The Law is on our side – the spiritual Law- to attract, manifest, demonstrate, compensate, mirror, reciprocate, magnetize, harmonize, and boomerang our intention, our focus, our purpose, and our glory to the right here and now.

In this year of awakening, we are called to intensify our Self-awareness, illuminate our alignment with Spirit in all our motivations, inner dialogue, and hidden beliefs; illuminate it with the Light of Divine Intelligence. We are called to awaken our willingness to observe and take responsibility for our thoughts, feelings, and word choices.

Self-awareness is the foundation for conscious choices, the wise imaginative ones from staying open-hearted to Universal wisdom, the Divine choices brought through our communion with this loving intelligence that Ernest Holmes describes in Can We Talk to God like this:

Consider the Spirit as a warm, pulsating, reciprocal thing. It presses against us, It flows through us. It is our intelligence. It is a great universal urge and surge. It is a warm colorful thing. It is a beautiful thing... Know that there is something more than law; an intelligence to which we may come for inspiration, for guidance, for direction; a power responding to us, a Presence pressing against us, an animation flowing through us, a light within us. 

Where do I go when the whirling dervish seems to take over in my head?...HOME

Where do I go when I have lost something, and going cray-cray finding it? ...HOME

Where do I go to keep the motivation of my passions alive when I'm frustrated about manifesting them on time?  Or have doubts, worries, and other junk?

I go Home ...to commune with the power and presence of Creation here in the Divine Matrix, where the wisdom of the One Mind occupies the body in head, heart, and gut – toes, elbows, and spleen. Richard Strozzi-Heckler, a somatic leadership coach says:

When we connect with the core energy [of the body] we contact a vast reservoir of wisdom, compassion, and intelligence that we have neglected, over three billion years of embodied knowledge of survival, adapting, social intelligence, coordinating, intuition, and reciprocity lie largely unused in us.  If we learn to listen to this life energy, and to act from it, there’s much it can teach us about living spiritual values while our feet are firmly on the ground. This somatic intelligence [the living process where neither mind nor body is separate from the other] affirms the truth of our interdependence, interconnectness, and a power that lies beyond the self. 

Though It is a living process, we must choose to get in it and take the ride. While on the ride, we shall turn away from the past, turn away from the conditions that do not serve us. This is not to bypass the conditions, not to ignore our feelings, or stock them away in some attic of the subconscious, pretending they did not happen, but to transcend them

Our teaching can be attractive to those who think they can bypass their emotions using such phrases and mantras as: 

“We are 100% responsible for our experiences” 
“Everything happens for good or for a reason” 
“You are exactly where you are supposed to be”

Though these statements are true, they become heartless platitudes; unhelpful, unsupported, dis-empowering spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks. As we march forward past the breach of this first month of 2021, let us not deny the complex nature of our lives and of our Universe, let us not deny we played a role in what manifests. 

We all have unconscious patterns and beliefs that we let go wild with our thought choices; they may be unconscious or subconscious, but they are not out of reach. We can face them and...

• process the emotions through our systems
• learn from them and re-calibrate our thinking
• awaken our factory-setting perspective from the depths of our core
• reveal and declare the Truth of who we are by drowning the head voice with the heart, responding instead of reacting, and changing those beliefs that are in our way to the ones that lead the way

…if you want to live a more spiritual life, live a more human life. Be more truly madly deeply human.   ~Jeff Brown, Grounded Spirituality 

I know I have some of that to work to do on myself. Join me and be not afraid! By constantly and consistently expanding our awareness and understanding that too many of us swim in some form of privileged 'you against me' mentality, or victim-hood, systemic racism, sexism, ageism, and other isms perspective, and then communing with the Divine within more often than the brain within, we will be able to step up, lean in, do the mental work in brain, heart, and gut. Here are your marching orders:

This is the...

day ... we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid.
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we're brave enough to see it
If only we're brave enough to be it

Be brave enough to be It ... to be the highest you can be and go forward....always forward. You've got the strength of the powers of creation behind you to get through it, get past it, and manifest your best life yet. 

Believe It, Work It, Be It, Live It

I'll be joining you....let's go forward... and march!

Affirmative Incantation

inspired by St. Teresa of Avila

The Divine has a body on earth...mine:

Hands that are mine and feet that are mine.

Eyes of mine from which It looks out,

And ears of mine with which It hears the cry, listens for its meaning, and begins the healing.

With my feet, Divine’s compassion to the world goes about the movement of doing good;

And with my hand to my heart, It blesses as I answer the call of the Divine urge to be in joyous song.

Today I use these hands to take out the trash of my past

Today I use these feet to walk away from the dump of my junk

Today I use these ears to hear the sounds of forgiveness and peace in my mind

Today I use these eyes to see the best in me, the Highest in me....and in all who surround me.

Today I use this mind and heart to know gratitude and grace flows freely within me

And today I use all of the Divine in my body to be the holistic harbinger of prosperity for all parts of my life

I am the ever-evolving living embodiment of Divine Love and Intelligence and I use It every day and spread It around the world in every way.

FROM THE GROUND...UP

 

In a very real sense, we are all aliens on a strange planet. We spend most of our lives reaching out and trying to communicate. If during our whole lifetime, we could reach out and really communicate with just two people, we are indeed very fortunate.  ~Gene Roddenberry, visionary & creator of Star Trek

This week I have been thinking about communication -words, intentions, purpose. I also have been thinking about safe harbors, peace of mind, our nation, our democracy, who we are at our most basic, and what that means in the scheme of things.

Some people seem not to get It. By It, I mean the Mother/Father/God Source within us. Their hearts are closed and their mind is blocked. But a block can be broken – the core revealed. If I can communicate that there's a power that is within you, that you are not only a child of the Universe but an individualized expression of the Universal Creation Itself. If I can convince just two of you, inspire just two of you in the whole world, then I have done my job. Because two begets four begets sixteen and so on and so forth, exponentially like a constructive virus.

The effects of the events of the U.S. Capital violent unrest reminded me of Andra Day's song from 2015, RISE UP:

You're broken down and tired

Of living life on a merry go round

And you can't find the fighter

But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out 

And move mountains

When we can't find the fighter in ourselves, the fighter that brings us back and makes us feel safe, whole, with a future, we tend to go negative. Or...

When the silence isn't quiet

And it feels like it's getting hard to breathe

And I know you feel like dying 

When those things happen

...it makes you feel like an alien in your own skin

An alien in your own skin. Allow me to remind you who you are. Let us start from the ground...up. 

The Sacred Books of all peoples declare that God is One, a unity from which nothing can be excluded and to which nothing can be added. All people are expressions of the Divine. All people have a connection/unification with Divine Intelligence / Divine Love. This is the most basic tenet of our teaching...and most others:

One God, One Source, One Father/Mother of All, One Mind, One Life

...that is the basics, the ground floor of belief.

When we have long weeks, when we have trauma, when we have negativity that scares the living perfection out of us, we must feel our feelings, take care of whatever needs to be taken care of in the 3D world about it, and most importantly:  start from the ground...up.

What do I mean by that? Lao Tzu, the purported author of the Tao te Ching wrote:

Those who are highly evolved, maintain an undiscriminating perception. Seeing everything, labeling nothing, they maintain their awareness of the Great Oneness. Thus they are supported by it.

Well, we are always supported by the Great Oneness. But how are we using It – communicating it to ourselves and the world? We observe social inequities, racial injustice, and disenfranchisement of people throughout our world, a world that has deeply held beliefs of race superiority, preference, and privilege not consistent with our spiritual and universal principles. So...

What are we to do?

How do we become or teach humanity to live in alignment with spiritual truth?
How do we have a world with less idiotic behavior...less desperation? less fear and chaos?

Some seem not to get it, but that's only because their hearts are closed and their mind is locked. But a lock can be opened. The key is love...the love of our Oneness...that all are created in the likeness of the Creator. It's not philosophy, religion, spirituality, or metaphysics, it's all of them and it's science.

A person experiences life as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. Our task must be to free ourselves from this self-imposed prison, and through compassion, to find the reality of Oneness.  ~Albert Einstein

Conclusion and Call to Action

From the beginning of Creation, this Unity of Life was set in motion.  It is the play of Life upon Itself; the action of a limitless Imagination upon an infinite Law. Through this Unity, this One Mind, any individual has the ability through the power of belief, through our thoughts and feelings, through our word, through our daily spiritual practice to ground the self in the absolute knowing and practice of Oneness, to manifest through from our GodSelf. And when we must, to remember who each of us is.

And to turn to each other, even if it's one or two of us, and say:

But I see it in you [this fighter spirit] 

so we gonna walk it out

And move mountains

And from the ground...up, we shall...

 Rise up...like the day

rise up...unafraid

[we'll] rise up...

High like the waves

[we'll] ...rise up

In spite of the ache

[we'll] ...rise up...

And … do it a thousand times again

In peace and love of self and others, let us fly like the God's we are into any diversity with the strength of our Oneness, the power of the Universe at our back, the Light of our Word manifesting our best, and the unconditional love of Spirit flowing. Let's take off from the ground...up.

Let's Fly!

Affirmative Incantation

I rise up...awake and wiser. I Am forever One with the loving intelligence that supports my body.

I believe in my power. 

I believe in my deserving of a joyous and happy life. 

Today, I declare my good health and feeling vibrant. Today, I take a stand, solid from the ground up and centered in my Divine nature, to think, feel and be in the best health possible. 

My blood sugar, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, body mass, physical activity, and diet improve every moment of every day. My blood is oxygen-rich, my cells round and flexible, my bone density higher, and my organs function optimally.  My brain, nerves and muscles fire up with Divine Intelligence, calm and ease, and strength.

My body shall reflect my belief. And I step boldly and bravely in believing in my great health.

NOT A LOOK BACK

Photo by Elia Pellegrinia on Unsplash.com

Our theme for 2020 has been Perception...

What is our impression of life and us in it?

What do we grasp, acknowledge, understand, believe, recognize, and reveal?

Amid the pandemic, the fires, and other conditions, we brought you answers, tools, and more questions in order to upgrade your perception about how your life works. 

This may be the final blog post of 2020, but it is not a look back. I am sure many would like to forget 2020...the lockdown, work, and school on Zoom, toilet paper shortages. If 2020 was a person, I'd sue him for pain and suffering. If 2020 got an Amazon or Yelp review, it would get one star – not recommended. I did get to read a lot of books and, I don't know about you, but I finished all of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Disney+ by July.

2020 was much like an episode of Twilight Zone...it made Tiger King seem normal. And for me, sweats were the predominant pant for 2020 – I'm wearing some right now. And social distancing? I never thought “I wouldn’t touch them with a six-foot pole” would become a national policy. Oh, and remember singing “Happy Birthday” -twice- while washing your hands? For a while there, every time I went to the bathroom, kids expected me to walk out with a cake.

This morning I want to review our year of Perception. But not to look back … to move forward

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. ~Talmud

We started our year learning about perception through the elements ...air, earth, water, fire. The air taught us to have ventilation through revelation:

To clear the air of conditions
And breathe the air of Truth

To keep away the fear, the despair of the news, the climate, or the idiots in government we grounded ourselves to Mother Earth, gaining strength from her profound power. And to live at our fullest, we learned to become the lake; flushing out the negative with overflowing positive by filling our minds and hearts with the best words, the loftiest ideas, the most loving thoughts. All this to give us a base, empowered by Truth to endure, optimize, be smart, be centered, and have vitality, joy, wisdom,and love on high.

All the power and intelligence of the Universe is already within, waiting to be utilized. The Divine Spark must be fanned into a blaze of the living Fire of your own divinity.  ~Ernest Holmes, Creative Mind and Success

We all have heard that seeing is believing, however...

Believing creates the seeing!

  ...and seeing God in everything creates harmony. When we remove the obstructions in our perceptions and our histories, we have a vision of infinite possibilities.

But don't squint to try to focus on that vision...to change, update, upgrade, or transform/transcend. It leads to double vision and a false sense of clarity.

Don't squint -you don't have to- open your eyes wide, the ones in your head and in your heart. Open them to the luminescence of Divine Wisdom and It will reflect in everything you think, feel, and do.

As we perceive through the Divine Feminine in us all, we tap into our foresight and creative wisdom; nurturing the nature of our inherent spiritual perfection, and thus suiting up for constant success. Walt Whitman wrote:

The moment you stand up and claim your divinity,

Christ is reborn within your heart, Buddha rejoices,

Mohammed dances upon the mountaintop,

Lao Tzu winks approvingly

And the Promise of the Tree of Life is Fulfilled.

And I know that the hand of God is the promise of my own,

And I know that the spirit of God is the brother of my own

And that all the men ever born are also my brothers,

And the women my sisters...

Perception and Focus go hand-in-hand. Remember this story?

A small boy was wandering in the woods and saw a monk sitting on a rock. He went up to the monk and asked him to impart a bit of wisdom.

The monk looked at the small boy and said, “My child, be a Lion, not a dog.”

Puzzled, the boy asked, “What does that mean, be a lion, not a dog?”

“When you throw a ball at a dog,” asked the monk, “what does he do?”

“The dog chases the ball,” the boy replied.

“Yes,” said the monk, “but if you threw it at the Lion, it wouldn't care at all about the ball. Its attention would be on you who threw the ball, not on the object....you. Now think about it:  if someone is throwing balls at a lion, what happens next when the lion turns to look?”

“The person throwing the ball better run away before he gets eaten,” the small boy said.

“Correct, my boy. The Lion stays put, focused on you, waiting to grab hold of you.

Confused, the small boy asked the monk, “that's a scary story, teacher, what am I supposed to learn from that other than don't throw a ball at a lion?”

“Like the lion, my friend, always focus on the source.... not the incidents, not the effects....go to the source.”

And that Source is Spirit....our highest self....with Clear and present certainty, we are free to see It and Live It.

Do you perceive yourself as a maverick of intention?

Do you use imagination and faith, knowing the Universe is your ally to end the war on lack or limitation of any kind?

As we perceive life through the roots of our Nature, we commune with the Power of all Life, consecrating ease, and awareness in our thinking. With the seeds of faith as part of our Divine tapestry, unified in the One, we dedicate our mind and heart to just do the God in us. We may pray and meditate with persistence and gusto (which sometimes is hard), but we no longer toil.

Staying in tune with the Divine gives us the tools to carve out what it is we want, desire, require in our lives.

Perception taught us to give credit where credit is due...right here (in the heart-brain) within you. Each of us is the conduit, the sun, the connection. When we soak in the energy of the Universe and Creation with gratitude, commune and be in tune with the Divine, put foundations under our castles in the air, we can wrap up our greatest manifestations with a bow. As satirist Jonathan Swift reminds us:

Real vision is the ability to see the invisible. 

For even when frustrations arise

We can weep, rage, breathe, then sing, and let Divine Love Light the way to laying down our burdens and shadows. I ask you not to forget 2020, but to learn from it. Not to be pissed about it, but to release the anger and forgive it. I ask you to not look back but to look forward.

Some of 2020 events will follow us into 2021, but our perception of those events, how we relate or react to them doesn't have to. Let's take 2021 with advice ala King Henry from Shakespeare's Henry V:

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;

...imitate the action of the tiger:

Stiffen the sinews, conjure up the blood,

...set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide;

...breathe and bend up every spirit ...to [Its] full height. 

...show us here...the mettle of your pasture:  let us swear that you are worth your

[Divine] breeding; which I doubt not;

… [and] hath … noble lustre in your eyes.

The game's afoot [the year anew]:

Follow your spirit; and upon this charge,

Cry 'God [is] for me! and All the world

...in peace, vitality, joy, prosperity, and love!'

 

Happy New Year...HAPPY NEW YOU!

Affirmative Incantation

I look forward to this new year. 

I look forward to this prosperous year. 

I step into my wealth and soak up my good health. Vitality, vibrancy, and victory are abundant in my life this year of 2021. It shall be state-of-the-art, cutting-edge, advanced, and unspoiled.

I look forward to a creative year full of loving relationships, peace of mind, and good flowing in of inspiration. I acknowledge my Divinity and Its vibration will show through during all of 2021. 

Happy New Year and Happy New Me.