Take A Dive

We see ourselves rightly only when we see the Self that is in all. No one can have a real or lasting joy and happiness stored up for oneself alone, everything is meant to be shared.    ~Ernest Holmes

Last year, Patte and I were out at sea...on a cruise. It was my first cruise and four themes came up:

1) Movement towards somewhere
The month of October's theme was falling forward. We are always at movement and falling forward is our natural movement.

2) Abundance of opportunities and being provided for
If you haven't been on a cruise before, the journey offers you all you can eat, gamble, swim, buy, dance, and be entertained. You just have to be present and willing to receive … you just have to show up. Now all is available but not all is given. There's a map and a timetable, but you have to get yourself there ... you must walk the talk of your desire.

It is impossible for you to receive that which your mind refuses to accept. If you desire to receive more you need to consciously develop the ability to mentally encompass it. You make your life mean, little, and limit its possibilities when you refuse to accept the whole gift of God. ~Ernest Holmes, Thoughts Are Things 

3) Life is an adventure
Went zip-lining – reminders: ...strap in and take the leap or hike ...options: rappel, take the ladder or climb wall

God is Life and Life gives Itself to us. It does not give some of Itself, It gives all of Itself. But the gift without a receiver cannot complete itself in individual life. ~ Ernest Holmes, Living the Science of Mind 

And we went snorkeling ...you have to get in the water, with equipment, ...receiving the beauty that is within ...share the food (ourselves) and watch fish come

4) Receiving is as Important as Giving
Not taking....receiving

Until we can receive with an open heart, we're never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help. ~Brene Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection Receiving is as Important as Giving  

For some it is hard to receive. They say or think, “You shouldn’t have” or “I don’t deserve this” or “This old thing, I’ve had it forever.” When you accept without qualifications, you honor the other person's flow of giving and abundance, as you receive abundance. Giving and receiving not just spiritual idea - survival ...photosynthesis: we exhale carbon dioxide which nourishes plants ...plants use carbon dioxide and release oxygen -necessary for our life ...28% rainforests, 70% marine plants

Every breath is making a difference for all life by this giving and receiving ...is ultimate source of our continued abundance ...awareness shows the Universe we are living a prosperity consciousness Generosity and gratitude is living with arms wide open ….like photosynthesis - free to give and free to receive automatically ...is ultimate of embracing the gifts of life ...recognizes Something greater than we are, infinite and available, is the Source of all that we have, give and receive The magic word here, is living in gratitude.

Rudyard Kipling was a very famous writer late 1800's, early 1900's, and made a great deal of money at his trade. Wrote Jungle Book, Gunga Din, The Man Who Would Be King. A newspaper reporter came up to him once and said, "Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over $100 a word." Mr. Kipling raised his eyebrows and said, "Really, I certainly wasn't aware of that." The reporter cynically reached into his pocket and pulled out a $100 bill and gave it to Kipling and said, "Here's a $100 bill Mr. Kipling. Now you give me one of your $100 words." Rudyard Kipling looked at that $100 bill for a moment, took it and folded it up and put it in his pocket and said, "Thanks.” 

Everything in life works in circles, spiritually and materially. While there is more attention on how to give, the consciousness of receiving is just as important ...it is a mutual experience, reflecting our unity with each other and with Spirit. You don't have to be out at sea to notice all that is being offered to you and meet it with openness and gratitude. Meditate on what it means to receive; and, in that, the gift you give to others by receiving generously. It's one of the ways we keep on singing. 

Affirmation 

Today I know with all confidence... 

A glorious Divine abundance is active in my life. My prosperity comes through the source and substance of my supply...SPIRIT ...all Knowing, all Being, all Love, and all Giving. I dedicate my mind and heart to the thoughts, feelings, beliefs and actions that honor this glorious Divine abundance. Knowing it comes from an inexhaustible supply, I joyously receive my bounty right now. I live, breath and thrive in the flow of my bountiful Good.

An Ethical Morality

Archaeologists in France discovered traces of copper wire located in a thousand year old cave and announced it was really a French scientist who invented the telephone. Upon hearing this, British archaeologists told of traces of plastic in a 2,000 year old cave and declared an English scientist had discovered fiber optic cable 2,000 years ago. Not to be outdone, Israeli archaeologists laughed as they told of investigating a 5,000 year old cave where they found nothing...declaring ancient Jews had discovered wireless communications 5,000 years ago.

Our best communications are wireless, voiceless and use no plastic. They are communications in thought, feeling, belief and action. No words need be said aloud ... being is the key. But what is being? You could describe it as your nature or essence. "Great," you might say, "what is our nature, our essence?"

A lot of things are inherent in life - change, birth, death, aging, illness, accidents, calamities, and losses of all kinds - but these events don't have to be the cause of ongoing suffering. Yes, these events cause grief and sadness, but grief and sadness pass, like everything else, and are replaced with other experiences. The ego, however, clings to negative thoughts and feelings and, as a result, magnifies, intensifies, and sustains those emotions while the ego overlooks the subtle feelings of joy, gratitude, excitement, adventure, love, and peace that come from Essence. If we dwelt on these positive states as much as we generally dwell on our negative thoughts and painful emotions, our lives would be transformed. ~Gina Lake, What About Now?  Reminders for Being in the Moment

Our essence is interwoven with the Divine. We express this essence through personality and volition.

The true essence of who you are, balances itself upon a cushion of purity, benevolence, and holiness. ~Garey Gordon, The Values Pursued Life: Excellence and Greatness from Within

So, it begs the question, is our Divine Nature ethical or moral? Let's get some definitions on the table, first. Ethics are a code or rule of right or wrong. Morals are a personal ideas of right and wrong which comes from ones conscience. The Science of Mind and other New Thought philosophies are not guilt-based or rooted in a rigid set of rules. They teach an alignment with our true nature of divinity, and respect and recognition of divinity in others. This way of life is holistic, stemming from a matrix of mind, heart and intuition/imagination. It's not about what to think, but how to think!

"How to think, what do mean by that? And what is this "Being" thing?" Maybe this will help:

You don't be happy - you Be joyful

Happy is an experience, joy is the essence of our nature. Joy comes from an intentional connection to all that is in creation.

You don't be learning - you Be transcendent 

Evolving in the revelation of knowledge learned and experienced, especially in "aha" moments and spiritual practices, is a transcendent transformation of you.

You don't be smart - you Be wise 

Knowledge and intellect never override intuition. Intuition, always constructive, is a knowledge-gift sourced from the Divine.

You don't be surviving - you Be on purpose 

Instead of playing the averages or statistics, let's live with intention and deep meaning. Instead of a lackadaisical, rudderless existence, let's be empowered by a purpose. One that gives, as well as, receives.

You don't be thoughtful - you Be the Thinker 

Don't just be part of the creation - Be a creator.

You don't be an exploration - you Be an explorer 

What do you Be? What is your nature?!? The essence of being is our enactment of our Divine nature

The Science of Mind is reaching out to a truer concept of God, immanent in the universe as the very substance, law and life of all that is. The difference between the older way of thinking and the new is that we have come to see that the One Supreme Cause and Source of all that exists, is not a separate Being outside His world, but is in fact the actual Spirit of Life shining through all creation as its very Life Principle, infinite in Its working and eternal in Its essence. ~Ernest Holmes, How to Change Your Life

The title of this blog is An Ethical Morality. And that is conduct which is becoming of your authentic self. But how is this done?  Let's look at two ways:

1) Stay in integrity with your own divine nature. People feel conflicted by two potential courses of action. Unfortunately, most focus too much and too often on the fallacy that outward choices come first. Then they attempt to reason their way back to the greater truth. Like a politician who says what he sees as the 'in' thing or lie to opine, then when caught in this falsehood or a change it public opinion, has to walk back that opine, speaks out of a lack of integrity and authenticity. Instead, if  we focus on aligning with our own highest nature and what represents the greatest in all concerned, then we can allow choices to move from the greater truth and lead to the natural actions that flow from Divine Intelligence.

Right action will be compelled through right knowing. Therefore, when we know the Truth, It will compel us to act in a correct manner. The Science of Mind

2) Non-judgment opens us up to allow divine love and wisdom to be the guiding light for inspired moral action and to see people and situations as they are, rather than through our own biases. Divine Love invokes our compassion, brings warmth to our choices, decisions, and actions and Divine Wisdom grounds us in our intuitive discernment of the situation, moving from clarity of sight to pragmatic action, inspire, motivated and moved from love and wisdom, not fear.

Our essence is a Divine discontent. Like the Universe, we are bred to spread, ever-expand, and journey to an adventurous life. While we do so, let's do it with an ethical morality.  I invite you to be bold and courageous, go the distance with your creativity, find truly enlightened, intuited solutions and actions; and move from seeking comfort, to seeking Divine right action. Seek a sincere inquiry into Truth, removed from fear and personal bias.  Lift your gaze to a higher consistent standard of Truth. It will lift us all into the more expansive possibilities of the soul, where graceful living thrives.

Affirmation 
I Am Living Gracefully
I move with simple elegance, showing my Divine Self with honor, dignity, and kindness; as well as respecting the Divine Self in others. I have goodwill for all, sharing compassion and benevolence to those in need. I know I Am held in the hands of grace, safe in the arms of Love, and rejuvenated, strengthened and enlightened all day.
I Live This Day in Grace!

Your Impeachment Primer

Song (My Declaration by Tom Baxter):

Gonna be someone, Gonna give something,
I'm taking it on, I'm taking it on,
It's gonna be my life, so I'm gonna live each day and each night,
Taking it on, I'm taking it on

We all have stuff to take on. In our falling forward, we sometimes trip. Some call that failure, others mistakes, and still others just red-flags of mental stuff to work on. We all have them, including basketball great Kobe Bryant, who once said...

I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I’m like, ‘My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don’t have it. I just want to chill.’ We all have self-doubt. You don’t deny it, but you also don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it.

And some seemingly start out coming from behind. This gentleman was considered a failure from early age. He didn't start speaking till he was nearly four years old and then not fluently until he was 12. His teachers said he, “wouldn't amount to much.”  Years later, this gentleman said this...

If you've never failed, you've never tried anything new.   ~Albert Einstein

Or this woman, Ursula Burns. Ms. Burns was raised in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, in a public housing project, by a single mother. So, you could say, she grew up with three social strikes against her: she was black, a girl, and poor. But Ursula did not listen to such garbage. She did not give up. Her Mother would tell her, "Where you are doesn’t define who you are." Ursula dreamt of being an engineer and eventually received a graduate degree from a NYC Ivy League college, followed by an internship at Xerox. She worked her way up, mind you, among predominately white males, to become the first Afro-American woman to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

Now don't think all this is for the young and athletic. Perseverance is not a young persons game, it's a life-long journey game for all. Which brings me back to the song:

I'm gonna be a braver soul than this,
I'm gonna jump at all those many chances that I've missed,
I'm gonna live my life beyond all these fears and forms of cowardice that keep leading me on.
I'm gonna shine out like a beacon in the night,
I'm gonna wrap my fingers around the stars tonight,
'cause I'm taking it on, 'cause I'm taking it on...

That's what we are going to do today....were are going to take it on:  the worries, stories, negative thoughts, victimizing, stupid social beliefs....we are going to IMPEACH THEM.

Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye. The Articles of Impeachment shall now begin. All those present to bear witness to the release of limiting beliefs shall be heard. Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye. We shall begin by the defendant reading the articles of the Constitution of the United Belief System and the history of these charges.

I, the Person of the Belief System, in Order to form a most perfect Life, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to self and the Posterity, Love and Grace of the Human Race Consciousness Magnificence, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Belief System of this Thinker.

Article I – Legislative
When in the course of falling forward, we may trip upon habitual thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that no longer serve us. In that instance, a process of impeachment must be served.

Section 1
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the Thinker by Spiritual Practice means, which shall consist of Conscious Mind and Thinker

Section 2
The Thinker shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

Section 3
The Conscious Mind shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, one shall be on Oath, Affirmative Prayer, Contemplation, Meditation or Focused Deep Affirmation. When the Beliefs of the individualized United Belief System is tried, the Divine Mind shall preside: And no Belief shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two-thirds of the Thoughts present.

Section 4
Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to the removal from Mind, and subsequent disqualification to hold and enjoy any additional thought and feeling of honor, Trust or Profit under the United Belief System; but the Belief convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment of Removal, according to the Law of Cause and Effect.

Article II - Executive

Section 1
The Executive Power shall be vested in a Thinker of the Belief System. It shall hold its Office during the Term of eternity.

Section 2
The Thinker shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United Belief System, except in cases of impeachment.

Section 3
The Thinker shall from time to time give to the Mind information of the State of the Belief System, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as the Thinker shall judge necessary and expedient; the Thinker may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Conscious and Subconscious Mind, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, shall respect the Conscious Mind. The Thinker may receive Ambassadors of Prosperity and other positive Ministers; and shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, through the Commission of all the Thoughts and Feelings of the United Belief System.

Section 4
The Thinker, Thoughts and all civil Officers of the Beliefs, shall be removed from Mind on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treasonous Lack, Briberous Limitation, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors of negativity.

Thus is your impeachment primer. We shall proceed with the history of complaint.

To the House of Mind, I hereby officially request an impeachment investigation of the Thinker's negative thoughts that no longer serve the Thinker and other conditions to be named per affidavit ad infinitum.

The House of Mind Judiciary Committee has received said request and the Subcommittee on the Constitution of the United Belief System has investigated said complaints and finds merit to the charges. Therefore, articles of Impeachment describing the specific offense(s) have been prepared, forwarded to the full Judiciary Committee for a vote, approved, and voted in the majority in the full House for approval to deliver such Articles to Conscious Mind and Thinker. We shall now hear from the prosecution.

At a previous time, you took the belief that you were not worthy and moaned and groaned by your lack of funds. Your thoughts were on some lack of faith in yourself. Is that true?

Yes.

At a previous time, you took the belief that you were not lovable and sat home alone, feeling lonely and not attempting to call a friend or go out on your own to meet people. Is that true?

Yes.

At a previous time, you believed the diagnosis of a medical professional, thinking your prognosis was only that which you were told and not that Divine Right Action, along with the prescribed medication or procedure, would make you well. Is that true?

Yes.

At a previous time, you thought often with feelings backing those thoughts, that your career was never going anywhere and you were past your prime and didn't deserve having a career in your passion. Is that true?

Yes.

These are the charges and have been confirmed by the Thinker. The prosecution rests.

The impeached thoughts and beliefs of the Thinker may speak.

Well, I just want to say that I shoulda-woulda-coulda and my upbringing and fear and shame are strong and the self-talk and doubt is rampant and there are good reasons for these thoughts and beliefs because life gets confusing and dramatic and woe is me, you know...and basically I'm just unlovable and everything is in my way ... there's lack, limitation, victim-hood, low self-esteem, and a family medical heirloom to hold onto, not to mention an insufficient background and education, goofy height, inappropriate age, and a few phobias and addictions to loneliness, anger, fear, shame, blame, and guilt. Furthermore, in my defense, I believe that none of these thoughts have happened... and if they did, it wasn't that bad... and if it was, that's not a big deal... and if it is, that's not the Thinkers fault... and if it was, then I didn't mean it... and if I did... you deserved it. The defense rests.

It is time for the vote. All those in favor of the Thinker having these thoughts, feelings and beliefs impeached and removed from it's belief system and hereto prohibited from all future thought-holding...say aye. The vote is unanimous. So says the Conscious Mind and so it is.

Take your negative thoughts to the impeachment floor. Train your mind to not allow the negative junk that makes you fall back stick around. This is how you fall forward.

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. One is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allow is it to be invaded with fret and anxiety. Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

You have the capacity and power to bust through anything to soar and zoom into your Divine Powered abundant, love-filled, creative, vibrant life. Impeach those suckers out your office of belief!





Affirmation

I Am Walking the Talk 

As I journey through my magnificent life, I see the beauty in all things. I smell the fragrance of prosperity. I taste the richness of wise choices. I hear the beating of a loving heart. I feel the power of the harvested Spirit in me being vibrant and full of vitality. And all this I share with the world in peace, grace, and gratitude.

Hallellujah For This Grand Day!

Stop Resisting

From Dona Oxford's song, ON MY WAY TO WHERE

Here I stand before the road that others have walked before,
But this is new to me
I leap and say a prayer,
I'm on my way to where

Do you know what your where is?

It has been said, “the right use of the Law will set us free and through a 'wrong' use of it, we may again be entangled in bondage.” Well then, you may ask, "is there a wrong use of the Law? The Law is non-judgmental, right?

Yep, It is. I am not sure I would call it a "wrong" way, but I would definitely say I believe there's a dumb use of the Law. We all do it...allow thoughts of gunk and junk to repeat in our minds, thoughts, feelings and beliefs.

What we persist in recognizing, we persist in holding in place. ~Ernest Holmes

I know, I know...we get confused - there's a lot going on – we have to take shortcuts sometimes, I mean:

'everyone else thinks this way'

'I've got proof from the past'

'its easier'

But, really, where's a mind like that get you? I'll tell you. It's a mind that holds on to resentments, addictions, hurts, bad relationships or types of relationships, the supposed good ole days, the way things “ought to be,” etc. .... add to list at your leisure.

If a man takes his images of thought only from his previous experiences, then he continues in the bondage which those previous experiences create … Eventually, we shall understand that all human bondage is an invention of ignorance. ~Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind

Anybody been ignorant lately?

Here's another verse from the song:

Will there be monsters, devils, demons, obstacles galore?Fairies, mermaids, unicorns, the stuff of old folklore?        Will it change the way I see things or affect me drastically?   An open heart is just a part of a discovery.

When we become an open channel for infinite Good, we experience that infinite Good. We can stay narrow and stagnate, we can stay too broad and never specify or we can dip into the Law of Mind in Action and manifest abundance. Many believe there's only so much to go around or they had their chance … it's a lie! The Law, the Universe is an inexhaustible source, always expanding. Hubble's Law tells us that we live in dynamic universe.

The source of all creation is pure consciousness…pure potentiality seeking expression from the unmanifest to the manifest. And when we realize that our true Self is one of pure potentiality, we align with the power that manifests everything in the universe. ~Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

I can hear it from many of you...Oh yeah? OH YEAH?

Chopra says, "Our true self is one of pure potentiality."
I can hear, "Oh yeah?  I never went to college!"

Chopra says, "...align with the power that manifests everything in the Universe."
I can hear, "I ain't got time for that!"

Ernest Holmes tells us, "...release the bonds of ignorance and the past."
Some people say, "Oh yeah, I have legit issues from my past to hold!"

Eric Butterworth in Spiritual Economics writes, "establish ourselves in the omnipresence of universal substance."
Others respond with, "Oh yeah, I got bills, who's gonna pay them...God?"

Jean Houston teaches in her Unlocking Your Quantum Powers course to "live in the light."
Too many folks sigh, "With my aches and pains, I am barely living at all."

Bills, aches and pains, past trauma, ageism, class-ism, able-ism, not enough-ism, time pressure... excuse, excuse, story, story, woe is me, lack, limitation ... resistance! But...
        “It's overbearing,” one says,  “Overwhelming,” another says, “Your stepping over the line,” still   another, “You don't know my spouse, lover, partner, mate, parent, child, dog, cat or canary they're all jerks....my life is a living hell!”

Well, yes it is, a living hell, and congratulations you are using the Law perfectly....not very smartly or advantageously, maybe...but perfectly.

The game of life is the game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy.      ~Florence Scovel Shin

What are you throwing out there? It’s like planting an apple tree. Your mind is the rich soil; your thoughts are the seeds; your action is the water; and your feelings are the light of the sun. Most people don't get what they want because they are trained to think about what they don’t want.
Just like weeds that come up in your fertile soil, we get obsessed with drama in our lives. When negative thoughts show up, tell them to go away -  take control … it's just a habit. It may not leave your mind immediately, but it will in time. Keep at it. Stop resisting. What we resist will persist

Dr. Elisha Goldstein, co-founder of The Center for Mindful Living in West Los Angeles, wrote in the article, "K.N.O.W Your Resistance," this acronym:

Know resistance is inevitable and relentless—it’s not personal.

Notice it in your day. The moment you’re aware, you have created a little space between your and it.

Open to the experience of it, how does it feel in your body? Get intimate with it so you can recognize the sensations, the thoughts surrounding it and behaviors it defaults you to. This begins the left prefrontal shift.

Whack it! Or welcome it and let it go.

The last one is my favorite. It reminds me of a sketch on some comedy show, with Bob Newhart parodying his character from a past sitcom of his. In the sketch, a client comes to the psychologists office with a story about their woes. This patient goes on and on before finally asking what to do about these thoughts. Bob Newhart's character looks at her and yells, "Stop it!" When fears, lack, limitation, past traumas, unforgivenesses, shoulda-woulda-coulda's, etc. show up? Tell them to stop! You have the power, no matter how long these thoughts and feelings have been showing up, ultimately, it is only you that has the power to rid your belief system of them.

How would we use this Power that is near to us? Certainly we would have to use it in an intimate way. And we have to believe that the power exists, and we have to believe that it is done unto us as we believe. What is belief anyway? …. Is it so hard to believe? We believe that tomorrow will come. We believe that the sun will rise in the morning and set at night….We believe that the grass will grow. And we believe that our food will digest. When we believe that, with faith, we can use the Power.     ~Ernest Holmes, Secrets of Belief

Do you believe the sun will rise tomorrow?

Do you believe gravity will hold you down on Earth?

Do you believe you will digest the food you ingest?

Do you believe you have the Power to manifest, co-create, demonstrate, proclaim, reveal, declare, and showcase the Divine within? If you didn't say yes or hesitated to say yes, then I will believe it for you. In the meantime, remember these two things:

Put your awareness on what you want!

Spirit can do for us only what It can do thru us.

Stop Resisting...

And Get On Your Way To Your Where!

Affirmation
I Fully Express My Divinity Now!
I accept into my heart the ever evolving richness and abundance of the Indwelling Presence. Today I walk upon this world consciously creating my best life. I Am liberated with joyous  thoughts, feelings, beliefs and action that shine my Light brightly, make my body radiate vitality, open my heart to fill with Love, and create a life of  abundant prosperity.
I Am Rockin' It And It Shows!

Holy October, Batman!

That was the sound of the Shofar ... the horn of a wild goat or ram used to announce the new moon on the first day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar (Tishrei), which was a little over a week ago.

The Shofar calls are as follows:

TEKIAH - Calls all to attention to search their heart, forsake their wrong thinking, and forgive ones self and others. It is the calling note to listen to the Divine within and to receive the wisdom of the day, removing lack and limitation in their beliefs

TERUAH- typifies the sorrow that comes to one when they realizes their destructive thinking patterns and calls them to begin to change their beliefs and break from the damage of fear and hate.

SHEVARIM - calls upon all to stand by the banner of the One Loving Mind.

TEKIAH GEDOLAH - the final appeal for sincere repentance of those limiting thoughts, sitting in atonement to the Divine within.

Happy 5780!  Happy New Year!  L'Shana Tovah!

I am God your Lord Who lifted you out of Egypt. Widen your mouth and I will fill it.    ~Psalm 81:10

During ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we take time to contemplate our life; take note of that which no longer serves us and remove it from our belief system. On Yom Kippur, we seal the deal with the Universe, intentionally, purposefully, and spiritually refresh our at-one-ment with Divine Intelligence. These are the High Holy Days for the Jewish people, when they are drenching themselves in, filling up with and falling forward into the beauty, wisdom and love of Divine Nature. It ends this Sunday with the celebration of the Fall Harvest – Sukkot.

There is also a fall harvest celebration this month by the Hindi's called Sharad Purnima. It is a day which brings together two major aspects in the lives of farmers - the prosperity promised by good harvests and the spiritual blessings from the Divine. It is also the month of the Holy Rosary to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, though there are a few more holidays this month, the possible holiest of them all this month is National M & M Day. Have a bag!

Let us draw a lesson from nature, which always works by short ways.
When the fruit is ripe, it falls. When the fruit is dispatched, the leaf falls.
The circuit of the waters is mere falling. The walking of man and all animals is a falling forward.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Walking is an acting of falling, a controlled falling, mind you, with a potential failure waiting to happen. Fortunately, this act is controlled through knowledge, learning, coordination, confidence, consciousness, and habit, and sometimes some assistance. Many people walk leaning backwards a bit in there pursuit to move forwards. Looks great if your doing Fosse-like choreography, but for most of us it is counter intuitive; we work harder, waste energy, lose momentum and generally get in their own way. It's not only bad for our posture and muscle issue, but it shows a negative confidence, self-worth condition - keeping ourselves just far away enough to never get there.

You learn how to confidently look the prospect of failure in the eye and move forward anyway.      ~John C. Maxwell, FALLING FORWARD

Here's a couple of success examples of people who fall forward:  

While developing his vacuum, Sir James Dyson went through 5,126 failed prototypes and his savings over 15 yrs. The 5,127th prototype worked, and the Dyson brand became the best-selling bagless vacuum in the U.S. Now worth an estimated $4.5 billion.

Stephen King grew so frustrated over his attempt to write first novel, he threw away the entire early draft. Talk about falling back. King's wife, Tabitha,  found the manuscript in the trash and took it out. "Carrie" became a hit and launched his career. His novels have since sold over 350 million copies. Only novelist of his genre to earn The National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. 

What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true capability. It is more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are.  ~Anthony Robbins

Tony likes to tell these two falling forward stories:

64 year old man in a funny white suit, string tie, and goofy goatee drove around the country for two years trying to sell his recipe. He promised increased sales and only wanted a percentage of the increased sales. In two years he heard 1009 “no's”. 1009! Sounds like my acting career. But five years later, there were 400 franchises using his recipe and four years after that, he sold the company, in today’s' dollars, $15M. That, though I am sure you already guessed it, was Colonel Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fame.

This man:

...at age 21, failed in business

...at 22, defeated in a run for the legislature

...at age 24, failed again in business

...26, experienced the death of his sweetheart

...at age 27, had a nervous breakdown

...34, lost a race for Congress

...at 36, lost another race for Congress

...45, lost a race for the Senate

...47, failed to become V. P.

...at 49, lost another race for the Senate

...and at age 52, elected President of the U. S., changing the course of our country and putting into law that which the Constitution had guaranteed - respect for all. Were you ahead of me on this one? That is a brief synopsis of the story of Abraham Lincoln.

When you get to a place where you understand that love and belonging, your worthiness, is a birthright (not from education, Mom and Dad, your net worth, or how many Broadway shows or movies you've done) … not something you have to earn, anything is possible.  ~Brene Brown

Heed the call of the Shofar. I invite you to use this month to fall forward into the holy you....now!

Affirmation
I Celebrate The New
I affirm this very moment that I Am in a sea of abundance. I rejoice to the sound of the Universe blasting Its horn announcing that everything in my life is now expanding through Divine Intelligence. I acknowledge that I am now revealing the ideas, consciousness, creativity and conviction that my abundance is alive and well.  Everyday, everywhere, and in every moment, my life gets better and better.
Life Is Holy And I AM Holy In It!

Upaya the Maya – Your Bending Reality Tools

What have we learned this month in Bending Reality?

Perception (use stress to motivate, not aggravate)

Spiritual Practice and Healing go hand-in-hand

Your brain, thus your body, thus your life works better with Spirit purposely at hand

Focus on what you want, always keeping your headlights on (inner / outer eyes open)

Today I want to discuss two Hindu concepts. The first tells us that reality is an illusion, it is called Maya. 'Ma' means the source, the cause, and 'ya' means that which proceeds, goes, walks or spreads out. Literally it translates to 'that which issues forth, expands or arises from the source - universal mother.' Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote:

Illusion works impenetrable,
Weaving webs innumerable,
Her gay pictures never fail,
Crowds each on other, veil on veil,
Charmer who will be believed
By Man who thirsts to be deceived.

It's not that life is not there or does not exist; it's that it is constantly changing, but our connection with creation does not change. You see, we are the thinker, not the thought. We create the thought that is thunk into reality and our attitudes and perspectives are from our intention and the degree of connection we have with the Divine. "Reality" relies on our perspective of it. We are the artist making the art piece, which is our lives, using beliefs and spiritual practice to, you might say, bend reality by molding our reactions to it; beating the odds or attaching a name to the experience that fits our belief about it. That's why reality is an illusion, it is bendable, because it shows up and is experienced by each of us based on our point of view of the experience ("reality"). It is a vibration / frequency to which we attach ourselves. It may not change the fact, but it changes our thought about it and thus our experience of it. This is why to understand others, we must see things from their perspective, we all bend reality based on our perception of it. Maya teaches us that one person's illusion, is another's reality.

The other concept is Upaya - the art of knowing how to flow through the world's illusions by skillful means or expedient means. It is any activity that helps one or another realize enlightenment. It is illustrated in the following parable from the Lotus Sutra.


The Parable of the Burning House

A man comes home to find his house in flames, while his children play happily inside. The father tells the children to leave the house, but they ignore him, because they are having too much fun with their toys. The father finally promises them something even better waiting outside. “I have brought you pretty carts drawn by deer, goats, and oxen, full of toys,” he said. “Just come outside and see.” The children, eager to play with these new toys rushed out of the burning house just in time. But, instead of the carts that he had promised, the father gave them a cart, though draped with precious stones and pulled by white bullocks, with no toys.

Is the father guilty of lying? According to the Upaya, no, because the father used expedient means to save his children. He told them what they needed to know in the moment to achieve enlightenment!
So too when you are using the  Entertaining God Only ego or have your brain on God - you hear what you need to know now. So too, when you listen for and to Spirit and, so too, when we focus on what we want - we get informed to expedite the enlightenment required now.

The other aspect of Upaya is by skillful means. That is when we use our own specific methods or techniques that fit the situation in order to gain enlightenment. There's a story about rivers in India that have quite fierce rapids. The fisherman learned to navigate around them instead of forcing thru them. They understood that life has infinite possibilities in navigating it.

Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430), in his Confessions, reminds us that God cannot be found “out there” until God is first found “in here,” within ourselves. So too, the experiences we require!

Only when we are eager to love can we see love and goodness in the world around us. We must ourselves remain in peace, and then we will find peace over there. Remain in beauty, and we will honor beauty everywhere.  ~Richard Rohr

Why does one see a problem and another an opportunity, when witnessing or experiencing the same situation? Because, they are bending reality to their belief, their perspective, their attitude about the situation or condition.

When we believe in unlimited possibilities, no matter what the experience

We Upaya the Maya - Bend Reality

When we meditate to open up to know what we know what we know

We Upaya the Maya - Bend Reality

When we use affirmative prayer, simultaneously revealing and declaring the best information, ideas and requirements in our life

We Upaya the Maya...Bend Reality

When we see opportunity in the face of adversity or tragedy

We Upaya the Maya...Bend Reality

When we generally live a wow is me life instead of a woe is me life

We Upaya the Maya...Bend Reality

All God's children got stuff and stuff happens to us all, but so too does shift happen! Shift into who you really are – the Spirit in you - and...

Allow your hands do Its work

Allow your lips speak Its Truth

Allow your life be the image of Spirit's love

Hear your voice sing It's song

Feel your heart at peace

And allow your soul be the laughter of a child

And as you shift into doing all that, watch yourself bend reality to your greatest good!

Affirmation
I Bend Reality!
The I AM within me is ignited at all times, all days...all year. I am friends with all experiences in my life, loving the lessons and transcending through them all.  I live life fully conscious, focused, aware, and steeped in love, peace, humor and wisdom for every situation and decision.
My Brain, My Mind, My Gut and My Heart is Lit with Divine Fire!

Your Brain On God

We are all storytellers ... when we pray or even think, we are telling the Law our story

What story do you want to tell?

A Cherokee elder is teaching his grandchildren about life and says, "a fight is going on inside of me it is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves.

One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, pride and superiority … lies, lies, lies.

The other wolf stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion,faith and Truth.

This same fight is going on inside of you and every other person too," the elder said to the wide-eyed kids. The grandkids thought about it for a while and then one of them asked "which wolf will win?"

"The one I feed," the old Cherokee answered, “the one I feed.”

What are you feeding your mind?

My desire for knowledge is intermittent; but my desire to bathe my head in atmospheres unknown to my feet is perennial and constant. The highest that we can attain to is not Knowledge, but Sympathy with Intelligence. ~Thoreau

Sympathy with Intelligence? That's with God, Spirit....

In the book, HOW GOD CHANGES YOUR BRAIN, Andrew Newberg MD and Mark Robert Waldman talk about the science of faith. Using our brain's plasticity, we can change our lives through faith, meditation, prayer and other spiritual practices. The reasons for this change come through our desire, focus, conscious regulation of breath, and posture/body movements. The mechanism for change is faith. It is a practice that stops you from ruminating or focusing on fear and/or anger. Meditation or prayer and other spiritual practices are the opposite of rumination and cause your brain to change.

You may say, "hey, Jay, I don't always have time to meditate or pray and my mind is tired from a full and busy morning at work." Or you may not have any spiritual practice at all. Then just take a moment and Breathe; breath replenishes neural energy and gives you a coffee-like boost.

I'm sure most of you have heard of Jill Bolte Taylor. Ms. Taylor is a Harvard-trained neuro-anatomist who experienced a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain in 1996, at the age of 37. She lost judgment, critical analysis, sense of past and future and was finding herself existing just in now, using her right hemisphere. She wrote"

...and for me it was a total experience of peacefulness and euphoria. ... "The Blue Sky is Always There", and to me the blue sky is the consciousness of the right hemisphere. And then the clouds come in, which is the consciousness of the left hemisphere and the verbiage and it blocks our ability to see the blue sky, but the blue sky is always still there. And to me that's what going on with our consciousness. We always have that blue sky, that right hemisphere experience of euphoria is at the essence of what we are. You always have the option, moment, by moment, of saying in this moment, I'm going to sit back, I'm going to look at the world around me. I'm going to escape all the things that I'm thinking about. And I am just going to pay attention to how the air feels, the temperature of the air, my breath... Look at the colors in the field around me, stop thinking and analyzing everything that is going on in your left hemisphere; all the jargon. ...consciously choose to have that experience at any moment. …. we are biologically designed to have this experience of feeling at one with all that is.

You can watch her TED Talk to learn more. And she has written a book on the experience, as well.

With your brain on God, the chemicals zapping around lowers anxiety and depression and relaxes you; it lights you up like the sun. I don't want to get into the electro-chemical descriptions of it all, but suffice it to say, different hormones and the like are excreted on a moment-by-moment basis, when you daily use spiritual practices. And I don't mean just prayer or meditative modalities. What lights you up in positive way? What music, reading, affirmations, walking the beach or the mountains, etc. are you including in your life on a daily basis? And if not on a daily basis, why not? There's enough junk floating around in your head that gets in your way, why do we not set ourselves up for greater success by setting a mental experience, along with goals and other success tools?

Some of you might ask, "Do you need God to do all this?" "God," it's just a term/name for the energy that surrounds us. But most importantly, it is an energy or frequency or vibration that we surround ourselves with. The breath, the music, the animal friend we hang out with, enjoying he company of our children, reading inspiring words, sitting on the porch and watching the sunset, etc. It is the consciousness of Universe being allowed to step in and refresh the brain and thus the body, spirit, et al. Call it what you will, the name is irrelevant. But if you are okay with the term 'God,' realize that that word is a noun....and a verb....and an adjective.

In the book, How God Changes Your Brain, they list five fundamental neurological truths that coincide with New Thought:
1-Your thoughts clearly affect the neurological functioning of your body
2-Optimism is essential for maintaining a healthy brain
3-Positive thoughts neurologically suppress negative thoughts (conscious optimal ones even more)
4-When you change the way you think , you begin to change your outward circumstances
5-Consciousness, reality, your mind, and your spiritual beliefs are profoundly interconnected and inseparable from the  functioning of your brain

Let's all get in the Zone everyday...the zone of Spirit in our lives. Stay interested, be in wonderment, use your imagination, have smiles at the ready, release anxiety in your mind and body with yawns, and increase your playfulness. You will see that when your perception changes...reality bends! Yes, negative experiences may occur, but how you deal with it will change; gratitude will step in quicker, your neutrality to the negative condition will rise up and free you from emotional blockages in wisdom and action . You will still have compassion for yourself and others' plights in the moment, but you will react from strength not weakness and love not fear.

Affirmation
I AM IN  UNITY WITH THE DIVINE!
Peace surrounds me. Peace upholds me.  Peace is what I surrender to, with which I inhale, and from which I begin and end my day. Peace is where I flow from and what I travel with.  In me is embedded an attitude of peace, a bias of peace, a philosophy of peace, and a mind set in peace.                       
LOVE, ACCORD, AND FRIENDSHIP ARE MINE!

Driving With Your Headlights Always On

Congrats...you made it through one of the two Friday the 13th's in 2019.

The term for the fear of Friday the 13th is Paraskevidekatriaphobia. Interestingly, this fear has no reference to itself or Friday the 13th being unlucky before the 19th century. There isn't a lot of information of where this fear started or became popular. It's possible it started with a fear of the number 13 first. That is called Triskaideka-phobia. It's origons have to do with the idea that Judas Iscariot sat in 13th place at the Last Supper, which occured on the 13th day of Nissan on Maundy Thurs, the night before Jesus' death...Good Friday. That ties it in with the Friday phobia, I guess.

Other occurrences adding to these phobias:

• 1888 - Jack the Ripper's final victim and disappearance
• 1914 - Rasputin became Russia's ruler-in-fact
• 1942 - Hitler began major attacks on Soviet Union, Poland, Netherlands, Austria, Greece and Yugoslavia
• 1956 - Bela Lugosi died and buried in Dracula cloak
• 1970 - Beatles disbanded (probably the most horrible of them all)

It is mostly an American and British phobia. The Italians are far more concerned about Friday the 17th, the Spanish-speaking countries fear Tuesdays more, as well as the Greeks (influenced by Ares, the God of War). Dutch researchers found F13 a day one would be less likely to be injured, supposedly because people are more careful.

Mark Twain was once invited to be 13th guest at a dinner party. Several of his superstitious friends warned him not to do it, to decline the invitation, but he went anyway, not believing in such things. Twain later commented, "It was bad luck. They only had food for 12."

In 1882, a Capt. William Fowler founded The Thirteen Club of New York, a place where skeptics defied superstitions by hosting dinner parties on Friday the 13th. It usually comprised of 13 members performing a series of "unlucky feats." such as passing under a ladder, having a 13 course meal, lighting the evening with 13 candles, and tipping over salt shakers and not tossing any over shoulders. It later evolved into a national organization with such luminaries as Presidents Grover Cleveland and Teddy Roosevelt.

The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute estimates that more than 17M people are affected by this fear of the number 13 and especially the Friday the 13ths. But it's all a learned fear, like most not based on reality. Now I am not talking about a logical fear, such walking down a dark urban alley or putting our hand in a fire. Those actually aren't fears as much as logically learned things you just don't do. 

False Evidence Appearing Real

The above is the usual anagram for the term, fear. And keeping with our theme this month, fear is something that bends reality. But all those fears are not true, they are merely a story choice we accept. Fear is a closed energy that exists when we do not trust our connection to the infinite part of who we are and buy into some story about what usually will not unfold.

Fear is the opposite of faith.  ~Bishop Carlton Pearson

I believe it is time to detach from fear. To leave behind that something from the past that we allow in the present and prepare with for the future. All that is required is a simple shift in perspective, a surrender to the Universe - to who you are.

I ask you to turn on your brights and illuminate it all....be a witness in present time to what it is, what this kooky idea is that is getting in your way. Here's a couple of ways to do that:

1) Become an observer of your thoughts, ask questions about them, and write it down. Write down all the reasons your fear is irrational and kooky. It is in this practice that you start to re-organize and re-frame that story that has been whirling in your head about the fear or phobia.

2) Get your hand on your heart, breath, and perform this mindful Buddhist practice. Imagine a stone being thrown into a pond. Observe in your mind the ripples it creates. Allow this vision  to distract your mind's eye. This process opens you up to get centered and grounded so that you can then unfold, without doubt or self-sabotage, the story; attack it with heart and logic and rid yourself of the fear. I do it all the time. My brain comes up with some crazy ideas about things sometimes through some dumb fear and, when that occurs, I use one or both of these techniques to sift through the fear, laugh at it, give it a big "so what" that it showed up, challenge it and remove its power. Only your conscious mind can interfere and dismantle these fears. Use affirmations, tell the fear to take a hike, and open up to allow the Universe to inform you of the new story, the True story.

The secret of prayer and its power in the outward life depends upon an unconditional faith in, and reliance upon this inner Presence. ~ Ernest Holmes

BE YOUR SPIRITUAL VISION
Is achieving your goals the only thing that gives life meaning? That's a big NO! Your state of mind and state of being awakens you to a life of purpose. A purpose of revealing the Divinity in you and vibrating at the speed of Divine Intelligence.

RE-DISCOVER YOUR INNER TRUTH
Is your default mood one of irritation or dissatisfaction? When you reboot your perceptions by bringing peaceful attention to your authentic self, a calm starts to guide you away from unhappiness and self-obsession in connecting with your purpose through love and joy.

AWAKEN TO THE UNIVERSAL INTELLIGENCE AROUND AND WITHIN YOU
You trust your strategies and the clever hacks you've learned to find solutions to your problems, yes? Consider tapping into the miraculous power of universal intelligence with meditation, contemplation, visioning, visualizing, using deep and thoughtful heart-felt affirmations and affirmative prayer. 

PRACTICE SPIRITUAL RIGHT ACTION
Know spiritual right action is always there. The Universe is here to serve you through the spiritual Law of Cause and Effect. Remembering this and embodying this into the very cells of your being will give you the courage and clarity to find your way out of any of life’s conflicts.

Trust is what we learn when we want to overcome our fears. It’s called “taking a leap of faith” and trusting in the Power within that’s connected to Universal Intelligence. Remember, the Power that supplies our breath is the same Power that created the Universe.    ~Louise Hay

The opposite of fear is love. Affirm the power of your thought to overcome any fear. We have to drive this life with our headlights always on; making ourselves visible means we're less likely to have another dumb idea of a limiting or lack nature or a fear to drift into our lane. Have our headlights always on reduces and eventually eliminates the  risk of daytime rear-enders of these limiting idea.

Fortunately, Friday the 13th is days past. This Wednesday, September 18th is National Rice Krispies Treats Day...make some, enjoy some. And this Thursday, September 19th is Talk Like A Pirate Day...one of my favorites.

I will leave you with this affirmation/affirmative prayer:

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, I Am that I AM, the Kingdom of Heaven is within, between God and me, there is no between...these words, biblical and philosophical are the Truth I live by.

I am reminded of my gift of the wisdom of Divine Intelligence that flows within me and the sacrament of volition, the ability of choice. So I now choose to look beyond appearances to see the wholeness of every being in every situation, and from there act with love, compassion, respect, and wisdom. False evidence appearing real is null and void in my life. I live my life only through, with, for and as my individualized expression of the One Spirit, God, the energy of the Big Bang, the Living Spirit Almighty; one, indestructible, absolute and self-existent Cause. And I do so intentionally, joyfully, consciously and with the full embodiment of a life of vitality, prosperity, love, peace and creativity. 

I remember my faith and love surrounds me. The Divine Presence is here and my headlights are always on to see, know and reveal the Divinity within me. With deep gratitude, knowing the Universe says yes to my Word, I release this revelation....and so it is!

Affirmation
The Lights Are On And I AM Home
I see my greatness, it shines in the Light. I listen for my greatness, I hear It's Call. I feel my greatness, a texture just right. I smell this greatness, a rose of perfection. I taste my greatness, a perfect blended bite. I sing the Light in all I do and power this luminescence into all my words,  thoughts, and feelings.                                                                                                                     
I Am Home...Home In The Light!

Stress Is Our Friend

Stress Is Our Friend....Whaaaat?

Watching some TED Talks last week and came across one with psychologist Kelly McGonical. In it she taught showed the participants how stress can be our friend. We've been told, I've told you, that stress makes you sick anywhere from the common cold to cardiovascular disease. The release of cortisol makes the heart rate goes up and the blood vessels constrict.  Something quite unhealthy in a prolonged state...usually. But what if you changed your perspective on stress? What if you chose to think and feel differently about stress? Could your body react to your belief and thus make stress be your friend? The answer is yes.

In 2011, the Health Psychology magazine published an 8 year study by Dr. Lauren Wisk and her colleagues that tracked 30K US adults. They asked the group, “How much stress have you experienced in the last year?” And, “Do you believe that stress is harmful to your health?" Then they tracked these people using the public death records to discover who died. Those who reported a lot of stress and believed stress greatly impacted their health, had a 43% increased risk of premature death. I took a look at the study and their conclusion was that when you change your mind about stress, you can change your body’s response to stress. As Hans Selye, a well-known endocrinologist and stress research expert, said, "It's not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it."

What happens to the body when there is stress? Well, it lowers dopamine levels, a chemical that signals the brain for motivation, feelings of pleasure, and happiness and increases cortisol levels, a chemical that triggers the body to produce epinephrine which affects cognitive performance. And this is very interesting:  in the brain, the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical  axis (HPA), which regulates the release of cortisol, cannot distinguish the difference between a physical or psychological stressor; thus a psychological stressor can produce a physiological response as much as a physical stressor. So the belief (psychology) that stress creates illness or death, prolongs and worsens the physiological aspects. But the belief (psychology) of stress as a clue to take action, decreases or eliminates the negative physiological aspects of the condition.

You are braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. ~Christopher Robin

How does my belief change the physiological conditions of stress. Well, your belief in stress as a help to a situation vs. a hindrance and danger to your health, will bend the reality of the ravages of cortisol, etc. by knowing and informing the brain that it is time for another hormonal release to occur …. oxytocin, the cuddle hormone.

Here's an experiment Kelly McGonigal did with the TEDX audience. It is a Social Stress Test. Imagine you are giving a five-minute impromptu speech on your personal weaknesses and that there's a panel of expert evaluators in the audience. Remember, you are on a stage with bright lights and a camera in your face. All the audience have been trained to give you discouraging, non-verbal feedback...hemming and hawing, sighing, moving around in their seats, etc. What would that be like for you...telling your deepest, darkest secrets onstage, lights a-blaring and a camera filming you, while an audience does practically everything to show their boredom and disappoint, but boo and heckle you. Pretty demoralizing, yes?

Now how about taking a math test? We're going to all do this together and it's going to be fun...but not for you. I want you to count backwards from 996 in increments of seven. Do this out loud and as fast as you can...starting with 996.....Go! Come on, go faster. Faster please. You're going too slow!!
Stop. Stop, stop, stop. You made a mistake. We are going to have to start all over again. Imagine that scenario. Feel a little stressed out...heart pounding., breathing faster, maybe breaking out into a sweat? Normally that would equal anxiety, signs we aren't coping with the pressure.

But what if you viewed them as signs that body was being energized, preparing you to meet the challenge at hand? Well, that's what participants were told in study at Harvard University. Before they took the social stress test above, they were taught to think the usual stress response as helpful to them. That the pounding heart was the body prepping for action. That your breathing faster meant more oxygen was going to the brain. The participants who learned to view the stress response as helpful were less stressed out, less anxious, and more confident. The usual physical stress response of constricted blood vessels stayed relaxed and the heart pounding became like the hearts response while in joy or courage. It was the oxytocin.

Oxytocin is a stress hormone. The pituitary gland pumps this stuff out as part of the stress response and, like adrenaline, it makes your heart pound. Interestingly, this stress hormone, when released, motivates you to seek support. It's biology nudging you to tell someone how you feel. When life is difficult, this hormone wants you to be surrounded by people who care about you, primes you to do things that strengthen close relationships, and makes you become more compassionate and caring. Oxytocin acts on the body, too. It protect your cardiovascular system from the effects of stress, is a natural anti-inflammatory, helps your blood vessels stay relaxed during stress, helps the heart cells regenerate and heal from any stress-induced damage, and actually strengthens your heart muscle.

Here are a few activities (not including sex and childbirth) that naturally raise oxytocin levels:
1.  10 Hugs a day
2.  Playing with animals
3.  Playing games
4.  Guided meditation
5.  Getting a massage
6.  Dancing or Exercise
7.  Sharing a meal
8.  Soaking in the tub
9.  Give gifts/notes of encouragement/appreciation
10.  Laughing
11.  Karaoke
12.  Talk with positive people
13.  Holding Hands / Love

Your choice in how you perceive the stress equals how you receive the stress

Winston Churchill tells the story of an old man who, on his deathbed, said that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened. I think of stress as a message from the Universe, through your hormonal response in stressful situations or lifestyles, to get in touch with your heart. After all, a compassionate heart creates social connection and more oxytocin release.

We don't want cortisol streaming through our bodies, unless we need to lift a car or are being chased by a lion or tiger or bear. But we do want to bend the reality of stress and cortisol to not mean death, illness or destruction of our immune system, and to mean the reality of stress and oxytocin equals motivation and courage, and choosing love and compassion.

Make stress your friend. Take a breath, take a moment and take back your stress response. It's your decision!



Affirmation
I AM OPENING
My heart is ready to receive the insight I require with ease and love. From this moment on, I transform all my thoughts, feelings and beliefs into a powerful prosperous party. I celebrate my ability to bend reality for my greatest good, best life and optimized fabulousness. I am open to any inspiration, suggestion, revelation, influence, genius and vision that reveals how to bust through, soar and zoom.
I AM OPEN AND ATTENTION IS PAID