Working With The Tools

I have been spending some time every day on focusing my thoughts on what I want to manifest in my life in the near future (1 day - 6 months out).  It has been an interesting practice that I intend to keep tweaking and perfecting (no, I'm not talking about perfectionism here, just that concept of continually striving for improvement, to get clearer on what I am wanting and my alignment with it).  

I had an interesting idea given to me about a new type of vision board.  With this new idea, you place pictures, words and symbols of what you are grateful for in your life today on the left side of the board, and pictures, words and symbols of what you want more of on the right side of the board.  This is a new twist to vision boards, but even though I've made a number of vision boards in my day, I thought I'd give it a shot.

I discovered a funny thing doing this new style of vision board.   I found myself putting very similar stuff on both sides of my board!

This was an amazing little aha to have!  I realized that I already have a lot of what I am wanting in my life ... I just want more of it ... and a few little extras.  Looking at my completed vision board I realized that the pictures on the right were also a little more specific than those on the left.  I take this as a sign that I am getting clearer on what I want (in other words, not just close friendships, but things I'd like to do with my close friends, like cross-country skiing, taking trips together and such).  Well, I knew that already, but this awareness soaked into my pores in a different way this time.  It was right there in front of my eyes, as plain as day.  Awesome!  

So, after letting this realization sink into my being a bit more deeply, I now realize even more how wonderful my life already IS!

I have love!

I have laughter!

I have deep friendships!

I have money!

I do work I love!

I am having fun with the hobbies I love already!

I travel regularly!

I have exposure to adorable pets through several friends and my sons (and no responsibility)!

I get to spend time with horses whenever I want!

I create art and have art around me all the time!

I have a beautiful home!

I have an awesome vehicle that is fun to drive!

I have 3 healthy, happy grown sons!

I have good health!

I live in a beautiful place!

Life is good!

The second tool that I found myself using recently was scripting.  Now, I love scripting.  I know it is not for everyone, but hey, I'm a writer.  I love expressing my thoughts and feelings through words and story.  So, one night I decided to curl up in bed to write a script before drifting off to dream land.  I figured filling my head with the script I might also encourage my brain to draw the story of my desires into my dream time, further amplifying the impact of this tool.

So, I got into my pj's and propped myself up on a pillow and let my mind drift to what I want more of in my life.  The pen kept moving, so I stuck with it.  It was a delightful story about a trip to Italy and meeting my mate.  There was plenty of abundance in it, and friendship, and art and travel, and synchronicity and joy, of course!  When the story came to a natural conclusion, I had written 16 pages!  I felt absolutely euphoric as I turned out the light and I did indeed dream about this luscious adventure.  

Anyway, I thought I'd share a bit of what I've been experiencing lately.  I hope that you will be inspired to create your own awesome stories, whether in writing, or in pictures!  I hope you'll also consider taking some time every day to nurture your dreams and intentions.  There is nothing like this kind of food for your spirit.  So, what are you waiting for?!

Enjoy!

CJ

Creating a Vision Board

A vision board (also called a Treasure Map, Dream Board or Creativity Collage) is typically a piece of poster board on which you paste images.  It's simple.

The idea behind this is that when you surround yourself with images of who you want to become, what you want to have or do, where you want to live, or where you want to vacation, your life will change to match these images and desires.

No matter which method you're choosing, have a little ritual before you begin your vision board.  Sit quietly and set your intentions.  Maybe just ask yourself "What do I want?" and then take note of anything that comes to mind.

Go through magazines and tear out images that you are drawn to, and try to find images that really make your heart sing.

Go through the images and put your favorites on the board.  Choose the images that make you feel REALLY good.  Let your emotions soar as you place the pictures, as if you are putting personal photos, of you doing these things, into a personal photo album.

Glue everything onto the board.  Add words and phrases if you want.

An option ... once you are done putting your vision board together, consider having it laminated.  This will greatly extend the life of your vision board and allows you to stick post-it-notes or taped notes to your board. 

Always remember it is about getting yourself excited that these things ARE on their way into your life for you to enjoy, so GET EXCITED!  They ARE you know.  It's as good as done!

Have Fun,

CJ

"This stuff really works!"

Today I want to share with you a Law of Attraction tool called Scripting. Scripting is writing out a story that represents something you want to happen in your life. You write it in narrator format, as if you are telling the story to someone you know as if it has already happened. Let me tell you what happens in your Morphic Field while you are writing this story. Once you get going, you will probably float way up the emotional scale on the topic you are writing about. You will feel excited, happy, loved, adored, and supported by the universe! The universe will sense your positive emotions, and in particular, it will sense that you are feeling this way ABOUT THIS TOPIC. Basically, it will then say, oh, this soul loves feeling this way about this topic, so let's give it more opportunities to experience this! And BAM, manifestations that match your desire will begin showing up all around you.

I'll give you an example of how this works. Once I was concerned about one of my sons. He was just launching out into the world on his own and something had come up in his experience that caused me some concern for him. Since we cannot create in another's experience, I focused on what I wanted. I wanted to experience a son who was independent, loved staying in contact with me, understood his connection to the world and his purpose in the world, and was happy, healthy and wise. So I wrote a Script. In the Script I focused on my perfect day, from the time I awoke until I tucked myself in at night. I didn't give my son a lot of focus in the Script, but at one point wrote in that I was driving to something fun and on my way there my cell phone rings. It is my son and as soon as I say Hello he is practically shouting in my ear, "This stuff works!" I asked him, "What stuff," and he told me, "This Law of Attraction stuff!" And then he proceeded to tell me how he had intended something and it had manifested. As I wrote, I could feel joy well within me that my son was calling me to share this special aha in his life, and pride was there too, as I realized he was gaining wisdom that would serve him well in life.

I put the Script away and went about my life. The very next morning I was driving somewhere and my cell phone rang. It was this very son and before I could even finish saying Hello he was shouting, "This stuff really works, Mom!" I asked, "What stuff?", knowing full well what I would hear him say. Sure enough, he had just had an experience of intending something, deliberately using the Law of Attraction, and it had manifested for him! I was so excited for him. I was so excited that my Script had worked so quickly and brought me my intention!

This is the power of the Law of Attraction. It can happen quickly, or slowly. It can happen exactly as you dreamt it up ... or, better yet, the universe is really good at thinking up ways that will surprise and delight you and that are even better than anything you would have thought up on your own.

So, if you are focused on Scripting, don't get too caught up in the details of how it happens in the Script. Just get into it emotionally and let if flow! The universe will bring to you those parts it feels you are a vibrational match to, so your emotions, your morphic field's vibrational frequency, is what will make it happen. The more you let go and let the feelings flow, the more the universe will be able to flow things into your experience.

So give Scripting a try. I'll be posting about other wonderful Law of Attraction tools in the days and weeks ahead, but this should be enough to get you started.

To your JOY,

CJ

Believing Versus Knowing

One thing that I discover over and over as I coach people on life issues is that at the bottom of a great deal of their challenges is a lack of faith in something.  

You see, there is a huge, yet subtle, difference between "believing" and "knowing" that something is true.  We can even convince ourselves that our beliefs are knowings, even when this is not so.  You see, our minds can believe something, while our hearts do not.  There has actually been a considerable amount of research done on this that indicates the existence of what has come to be known as the heart-brain (see www.heartmath.org).  This research actually indicates that the heart-brain is "stronger" than the brain we have all been told controls our choices, beliefs and actions.

Learning to differentiate between beliefs and knowings, and between what our head and our heart are telling us are some of the basic logistics we humans need in order to live deliberate, conscious lives.  A further look into the heart-brain suggests that it knows things that our logical brain does not recognize.  That these things the heart-brain picks up on are connected to our souls and to the whole web of life.  Research also indicates that our hearts can and do veto decisions of the logical brain and may even be the true driving force of our lives.  It would seem then a good idea to get more in touch with our heart-brain so that we make optimal life choices.  Coaching is one of many tools that can help with this process.  

I'd like to give you one small exercise you can do to help with these differentiations.  I'm sure you can feel the difference already, even as you read the first lines of this post.  But here, I want you to try this little experiment:

Say out loud:  "I believe I am worthy of living an abundant life."

Then pause and try to see how that statement made you feel.

Then say out loud:  "I know I am worthy of living an abundant life."

Again, check in with how you feel.

Can you feel the emotions each statement creates within your body?  Can you feel any difference in how you feel when you state the two sentences?  

One way to find out how much you truly resonate with something in your life is to try these two statements on the topic you are wondering about.  For instance:

"I believe I am __________."

"I know I am ___________."

If you feel strong, positive emotion with a statement, you know you are good to go.  If you waffle, feel agitated or any other negative emotion in your feeling center when you state the statements, then you know you have work to do.  And perhaps you'll get clarity about where you stand on the issue even more if you get the negative emotion on both statements.  If you get the negative emotion when you say "I believe ...," then you know you aren't anywhere near where you want to be.  If you get the negative emotion when you say "I know ...", but not when you say "I believe...," then you know you at least believe, but you need to fine tune yourself to knowing.

It could just be a slight pivot you need to take, or you may have a series of shifts to move through.  Never fear, for no journey is impossible ... 

... if you have a little faith. 

In Joy,

CJ

"Get a grip!"

One day when my sons were little, we were catching a quick bite to eat at some fast food joint.  We were short on time as I had to get them to a class, but I had us go inside to eat rather than just eating in the car as an opportunity for us to at least relax a little.  At one point though, I just had to get us back in the car and on our way.  

My son Christopher was not quite done with his french fries and was NOT happy to be rushed out the door before he was done eating.  But he came grumbling along and got in the car in the seat behind me.  The car we had at the time did not have electric locks and so you had to pull a pin up manually on the door to unlock it.  I could not reach it very easily from the front seat, so I asked him to get the door on the other side for his brother to get in.  As I said, we were in a hurry, so when his french-fry-oily hands slipped all over the lock mechanism and he couldn’t get it up, he got even more upset.  I kind of rolled my eyes and sighed and said “Get a grip, Christopher,” and reached to get the lock (not easy now that he’d greased it up good, but much easier for my clean hands than his).  

As I did this it hit me how funny it was that I was telling him to get a grip on his attitude when he was also struggling with the grip on the lock mechanism and as I returned to a proper sitting position I started to laugh.  It tickled my funny bone so much I couldn’t stop!  I was laughing so hard I was crying.  Christopher was not amused at first, even when I explained why I was laughing, but we were all laughing by the time we got to the place where they had class.

I haven’t thought of this in a while, and Christopher may not have either, but I’ll be sure to get him to read this post!  He’s in Iraq today, serving our country.  I often pray that he’ll have something each day that can bring him a smile, or laughter.  He’s in a very serious job in a very serious place and laughter can seem far away during such times.  But I believe that even in the most difficult situations we can keep our peaceful centers and find love and laughter. 

I recently heard a woman pose the question, “Is it a problem, or an inconvenience?”  I really pondered that question, which is quite subjective.  But if you really think about it, there is almost nothing that can’t be solved or overcome, and even the bleakest situations are just what is happening now and does not define who you are.  Each of us has the power to choose who and how we want to be at any given moment.  We can be the light in the darkness, the seed of faith in a seemingly hopeless situation, and the instrument through which the answer comes ... if we choose to be.  

Is being poor a problem, or an inconvenience?  Is being disabled a problem, or an inconvenience?  Is losing a job a problem, or an inconvenience?  Each of us have to answer these questions for ourselves, but if we open to solutions and use our ingenuity there is virtually nothing that cannot be overcome.  I don’t mean that the issue will necessarily go away, but rather, that we can find our way to live and thrive despite its presence in our lives.  

So my son can find ways to be happy and laugh in Iraq.  Someone experiencing financial issues can be happy despite the “money trouble.”  Someone with a disability can enjoy life despite their physical or mental limitations.  Jobs can be found.  And it is our individual choice to go through these situations with or without a positive attitude.  

So, Christopher, I hope you are finding ways to “get a grip” and “lighten up” over there.  And I hope that each of you are finding ways to your peace even when problems and inconveniences come to challenge it.

Namasté,

CJ

"We're Beyond Hope"

What do you feel when you hear the phrase “beyond hope.”  I’ll bet it isn’t a very good feeling.  In our world today, this phrase has quite a negative connotation.  It means something is hopeless, helpless, that there is NO chance of saving the situation, whatever it may be.  

But let me tell you a story.  I was traveling with two of my sons and a friend from Kansas City to southern Minnesota to drop off my sons at a summer camp that I had attended as a kid.  We were talking and laughing and singing songs while I drove and my friend navigated.  At one point, after a particularly jovial stretch of time, a shot of guilty anxiety swept through me as I realized we had been so engrossed in our fun that we hadn’t paid very close attention to our journey in quite a while and I felt we must be very close to, or even passed, our exit.  The sobering thought caused me to kind of hold my breath as I asked my friend where we were.  She consulted the map (not any signs) and quickly replied, “I think we are near Hope” (which happens to be the name of a town in southern Minnesota.  It just so happened that I had actually seen the city sign for Hope some time previously and so I just as quickly responded, “No, we are beyond Hope,” to which there was a brief pause of silence in the car before we all burst into raucous laughter once again!

(An additional note of humor I’ll add is that as we were enjoying this newest burst of laughter, my youngest son said, “I don’t know why I’m laughing, but this sure is fun!,” to which we all, of course, dissolved into fits of laughter yet again!)

Now seriously (no, I take that back ... laugh all you want before continuing to read this), I would like to offer a new perspective to you.  Let’s think for a moment about the levels of emotion.  If you haven’t seen the Emotional Scale offered by Abraham-Hicks, I’m including it as a tool in the right hand tool bar of this blog (scroll down and find it underneath my bio).  If you’ll please note where HOPEFULNESS is positioned on the Emotional Scale, you’ll notice that there are a number of emotions that are beyond hope.  In this case I am referring to those emotions that reside above Hope on the scale ... Optimism, Positive Expectation, Belief, Enthusiasm, Eagerness, Happiness, Passion, Joy, Knowledge, Empowerment, Freedom, Love and Appreciation.  

Could we, perhaps, create a new paradigm and turn this phrase, beyond hope, on its ear?  Could we dare to conceive that there IS no such thing as hopelessness in the Real World ... that hopelessness is a figment of our imagination, a word cooked up as a substitute for such things as:

Not knowing how the universe can deliver the miracle we are seeking

Not believing in the abilities or reliability of the Unseen Loving Forces that surround us

Not believing in ourselves, our dreams, our worthiness

???

And if there is no such thing as hopelessness, there is no need for such a word, or concept, as hopefulness, for it you could never experience hopelessness there would never be the experience of “finding hope” or hopefulness.  One would simply move from  Contentment to Optimism.  Could we, perhaps, collaborate on a scheme to replace this phrase’s current meaning with a new one that offers people ... optimism?  

Tell me, are you beyond hope?  Have you been striving to raise yourself above the feeling of hopefulness to believing, or knowing?  Have you made it a habit to reach for the emotions that are higher vibrational signatures than hopefulness?  Can you see the potential that lies in wait for you if you will allow yourself to contemplate reaching beyond hope for a better-feeling thought and a higher-vibrational emotion as you move along your path of your life journey?

Well, you may not be laughing all the way as we were that day so many years ago, but I’ll bet you’ll find greater happiness around every corner if you move beyond hope each step of your journey.

R.E.A.C.H. (Rise Energetically And Clasp Heaven),

CJ

A Twittle Manifestation

A couple of weeks ago I noticed the first birds flying in V-formation in the skies up here.  In Minnesota, March is sometimes unpredictable weather, so when you see the birds you know that winter is coming to an end soon.  They know you know.  Funny how we trust the instincts in nature, but not our own ... and we are a part of nature, too.  Huh.

Anyway, that isn't what I was going to tell you.  When I saw them in the sky that first day, my heart leapt for joy and I remember my thought was, "Yay!  My ears will get to hear birdsong again!"  And then as the days went by and I heard all the different songs outside my windows (I'm hearing them right now!) I had memories of delicious bird experiences in my past ... the time I was in the woods and a Great Horned Owl landed on a tree about 20 feet away from me, turned its head and gazed at me for about 2 minutes while I stood frozen and transfixed; the first time I heard a Meadowlark, perhaps the sweetest sound I've ever heard; and the seagull who kept bowing to me (for me) in Duluth last summer (I am including his picture so you'll believe me).  And the thoughts continued, and tumbled, and fed my soul and made me happy.

A few days ago I was driving and the thoughts were there again, making me happy, and I had a new memory ... of a morning when the window over my bed was open and the Spring breeze was delectable, and a bird was singing just feet from my head.  My heart had swelled with joy!  And as the memory trickled through my being, I felt a rocket of desire launch ... that I would have the kind of life where I awaken to birdsong instead of an alarm clock.

And as of yesterday, it seems this lifestyle is here!!  I set my alarm clock both mornings not wanting my fatigue to keep me sleeping too far into the morning.  Both mornings birdsong woke me about 10 minutes before the alarm was set to go off!  What a delicious way to start the day!

Here’s to Spring and the return of the birds!

CJ

Thought for the Day

“All you have to do is to WANT something, and then ALLOW yourself to have it!”

(from the television movie Halloween Town)

Let in your good,

CJ

Thought for the Day

(If you are looking for the Powerful Pivoting special offer, please see the March 15th post.)

Worry, fear, anger, frustration and doubt are our mind's attempt to take back the reigns of the situation and could undermine the talents of the wonderful universe that is designed to manage such things.  How clear it seems that trust is much more productive than fear and doubt.  There is a quote from the movie Under The Tuscan Sun that I truly appreciate:  "Regret is a waste of time; it is the past crippling us in the present."  I would say there is another, related quote that should always accompany this first one:  "Worry is a waste of time; it is future possibility crippling us in the present."

Just one of those thoughts I've been thinking and finally wrote down and wanted to share.

Peace (of mind) to you all,

CJ

Entering The Mystical

(If you are looking for the Special Offer, please go to the blog post from March 15th.)

I've mentioned my friend Diane on this blog before.  She was very interested in Native American wisdom.  She was so convinced that Native American wisdom held answers for humankind today that she kept walking into that experience, to the point that she invited a traditional medicine man (and his entourage) to come perform a healing for her terminally ill daughter.  When they came, we all contributed to the building of the inipi … the sweat lodge structure.  This was all foreign to me at the time, but we were told that our hearts and intentions must be pure and aligned in order to participate, so as we worked I worked on my acceptance and alignment.  This was important to Diane and I was going to stand with her on this.

When it came time to enter the inipi, I felt as if I was physically walking out of my body and entering an unknown spatial zone … a non-linear dimension where time stood still and everything that had seemed real to me all my life slipped away.  I walked into the mystical.  

As the rounds continued and more hot stones were brought into the structure, the small space grew hotter and hotter.  It was far hotter than any sauna I'd experienced.  I felt the smallness of the space and began to feel a bit claustrophobic.  It became difficult to draw breath.  I knew the feeling that was welling within me, and I knew the only antidotes were to get out, or surrender.  I surrendered.

The moment I did I was transported.  Though it was pitch black in the inipi and I could not even see my hand when I held it in front of my face, all of a sudden I saw tiny faces in front of me where the stones were lying.  I had heard the Lakota people in our presence refer to Stone People … these must be them, I thought.  Then I looked up where the ceiling would have been … should have been … and what I saw took my breath away.  There, where I should have seen nothing but darkness, was a night sky full of twinkling stars!  I blinked.  They remained.  I shut my eyes and lowered my head, sure they would go away, but willing them to stay.  When I looked up again, they were still there.  

I just watched them and watched them, my heart full of awe and peace.  My whole being was praying and I asked The Creator to help me with all I desired to do with my life.  Then an even more amazing vision appeared before me.  Out of the sky came two great hands and arms.  They were gigantic!  They came down, reaching for me.  There seemed to be a message coming with them, something like, “All you have to do is ask, to reach for me.  I am here for you.  I will help you with anything.  Everything.”

I began to reach up to the hands and they disappeared.  I felt like crying, “No!  Come back!” but immediately within me there was another message:  “You reached for Me.  That was all you had to do.  I shall do what you wish.  I am always with you.”

Tears ran down my cheeks and all of a sudden it was over.  The inipi was being opened and fresh, cool air was pouring over me.  I felt refreshed, invigorated, and alive.  And I felt so very loved.  

That message and vision have come back to me many times since that day.  Whenever things around me seem to be going sour, I remember. I remember to ask.  And help always comes.  And each time I feel again and again the imprint of love, support and peace I felt that day.  

Help is always only a surrender away.

May the mystical find and inspire you, too.

CJ

Heart Holding

(If you are looking for the Special Offer for the Powerful Pivoting, please go to the post from March 15th.)

One of my favorite quotes has always been, "The heart has its reason, which Reason does not know." We cannot always know the pains within another's heart, nor the spiritual reasons for their hearts walk through that pain, nor the many choices they make throughout their walk through life. Perhaps it is a vital part of their spiritual JOurneY. 

I see that there is much heartache in the world, even though I choose to make my focus on the joy in the human heart. But today I wish to enfold all hearts in prayer for peace, wisdom, comfort and love. If you'd just take a moment with me, maybe take one heart ... someone you know who has some heart-ache ... and imagine sweeping your spiritual hands through their chest wall to the cavity beyond and resting them on their heart (just as you might place each hand on their cheeks in a tender gesture). Hold their heart in your spiritual hands in your vision and send pure love from your heart, through your hands, to theirs. See and feel it enshroud their heart and filter through the layers of their heart and bring them peace. 

Then realize that you can do this for ANY heart on the planet. Try it with my heart, or the heart of anyone else whose name appears in these boards. You will feel the person, for in Truth, you know them ... we ARE all ONE. 

Other ideas for heart-holding: 

George W. Bush
the people of China & Tibet

soldiers in Iraq & the people of Iraq

Lightworkers 

Children

Even if they do not feel your heart-holding consciously, their soul will know and you may feel love being sent back to YOU! 

BE the love.  BE love.
CJ

"Silly" Wishes

(If you're looking for the Powerful Pivoting offer, please go to the March 15th post.)

Time for another manifestation story!  Today I want to share with you what I used to consider a "frivolous wish."  You know what I mean?  Like if a Genie showed up and you were granted three wishes, this one would be considered totally "silly" and frivolous, or a waste.  But this is a true story from the personal archives of my life, so I know there is more to frivolous wishes than we can explain.  Here's my story, and I'm sticking to it (because this is really what happened ... I have witnesses).  

My mother visited on Labor Day weekend 2002.  We found a little market where she bought some steel cut oats, which in our family is synonymous with Gritsawurst (an old German breakfast "sausage" recipe my grandmother had passed down).  It requires ground meat and all my growing up years I remember my father sitting at the table grinding it with one of those hand-cranked grinders that you screw onto the edge of your table.  Nowadays, there are food processors.  Not having either, I was a bit bummed to think we wouldn't be able to make this yummy breakfast during her visit, but not too terribly and I pushed that aside and enjoyed my mom's visit.

On a Thursday a couple of weeks later as I was driving to work, the scene in the market with my mom popped into my mind.  I felt a spontaneous prayer leave my heart area.  What I mean is that the "thought" seemed to rise up out of my chest, from a deep place in my being, and not from my mind.  My mind was actually an observer to this event.  Anyway, the "thought" that my heart emitted was kind of like this:

"Okay angels, I need a grinder.  I want some Gritsawurst.  And since I don't even know if they MAKE grinders like that any more, you'll have to help me find it."  And I released it, knowing that somehow they would figure it out.

The next day I stopped by a coworker’s garage sale and brought her a chocolate shake to cheer her up ... she was selling her mom's furniture to help pay for her mom's nursing home costs and had been very blue the day before when I'd spoken to her at the office.  Before I left I looked around at the items for sale, and WHAT did I FIND?  A grinder!  Just like the one my dad used for all those years!  It even had the original box and instructions.  

Simply amazing, don't you think?

May you encounter your own miracles and realize it is the universe trying to prove to you that it is at work, just for you!

Happy Manifesting!

CJ

Random Thoughts

(If you're looking for the Powerful Pivoting offer, please go to the March 15th post.)

You are never too old to learn ... so never allow yourself to stop learning.

Life is too short to worry; worry is all about things that MIGHT happen and what is the point of that?  Deal with the here and now and don’t allow yourself to focus on negative what if’s.

People are people, no matter where you go.  Love them and meet them where they are on the path of life.  They cross your path for a reason, even if it is just to give you a smile or because they needed one from you.  P.S. - Don’t be stingy with those smiles.

Laughter IS the best medicine, so let ‘er rip!  Sometimes we forget how wonderful wonderful things really feel until we do them again.  If you haven’t felt like laughing in a while, you need to make it a priority to FIND something to laugh about.  Rent a funny movie, get some good old buddies together, or whatever it takes and let the cackled fly!  (P.S. - Have you heard of Laughter Yoga?  What a kick!)

Money isn’t everything and the laundry can wait, but your life can’t.  If you are in a rut, sometimes you are in it so deep you can’t even tell you are in it!  Take the time to figure out whether you are or not and make sure to restructure your days if you are not honoring your life fully.  Schedules CAN be adjusted and life won’t fall apart.  (Remember the walnut story!  If you don’t know it, email me at cjspiritworker@gmail.com and I’ll send it to you.)

Love is free; give it away as often as you can!  You’ll be benefiting right along with everyone you give it to, so what are you waiting for?!

Don’t put your dreams up on a shelf for “someday.”  Someday never comes.  Even if you are just taking infinitesimally small micro-steps towards your dreams and goals you will be happier and saner.  Dreams are your natural biorhythms firing and to ignore them would be like deciding not to breathe ever again.  Silly rabbit, you cannot LIVE that way.

Plan regular inventories of your collection of beliefs.  Double-check that they are really yours and that someone didn’t place one of theirs into your inner warehouse.  Not only that, double-check that the beliefs you have actually meet your latest perspective of the world.  Sometimes we evolve and forget to tell old beliefs to stop firing in our psyches and they get in the way of our progress and our peace of mind.  VIP (Very Important Point):  Beliefs are simply thoughts you keep thinking, so be selective.  Okay?

Trust your intuition.  It is the voice of your soul guiding you to where you both will be happy.  It is the one thing you can trust above anything else.  It cannot betray you.  Move forward in faith.

Happiness is a choice, not a bi-product.  Choose to be happy.

Take time to enjoy nature ... not just looking at it on your television screen or computer, but being out IN it.  Soak up its charms.  Smell its secrets.  Embrace the waves of beautiful energy that nature emits every second.  Take it into your heart and let it fill your spiritual/emotional gas tank.

Remember that you are loved.  There is evidence all around you if you'll just take the time to look.

‘Til next time,

CJ

Choose Happiness

(If you are looking for the Powerful Pivoting Opportunity, please reference the post from March 15th.)

Some years ago a boss of mine told me that he heard a speaker once (Anthony Robbins, I believe) talk about choosing every morning before you put your feet on the floor to be happy and to feel the wonder of life ... OR to decide to have a rotten day. He told me that he started to do that, literally, and he found that when he faced himSELF with that choice each morning he found he never wanted to choose to be miserable.  So he always chose happiness ... and ... once he started to CHOOSE HAPPINESS, he never had a "bad day" again! 

So, I started to CHOOSE HAPPINESS too. And you know what? I have found that, even on a "difficult day," I AM HAPPY! There is a river of joy within us all. All we have to do is decide not to block the flow!

I hope that you can feel the joy I possess flowing to you through this amazing thing called The Internet!  For me, this is real.  This is a way of life.  This is what I have come to know is our natural state of beingness.  May it be infectious! May your own river of JOY be absolutely bursting from its banks!

Love, Joy & Happiness!
CJ

Don't Stop 5 Minutes Before The Miracle

(If you are looking for the Powerful Pivoting Opportunity, scroll down to the post from March 15th.)

From the book, The Alchemist, by Paulo Coehlo:  "What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we've learned as we've moved toward that dream. That's the point at which most people give up."

I wish I knew who first said, "Don't stop 5 minutes before the miracle."  I'm sure there are many other ways people have conveyed this same message.  The point is, one never knows when everything will turn around and a miracle will happen.  

I decided years ago that I was going to live my life by simply being in The Flow. I'm glad I can say "I'm only human," for I am definitely not perfect at staying in The Flow.  But I've come to realize the value of the times when I'm bumping up against the banks of my river (my Flow) and the times when I must have climbed completely out and been standing on the shore, dripping wet and looking pathetic, like a fish on dry land, and asking, "What the heck am I doing here?"  For those are the times I really dig deeply into life.  Those are the times I really appreciate what The Flow feels like, how it enhances and blesses my life, and how much I love The Flow.  Without those times where I felt the LACK of The Flow, I wouldn't have come to appreciate The Flow as much as I now do.

And what it naturally makes me want to do is ... jump right back in!  Of course!  What fish out of water doesn't want to be right smack dab back in the middle of that wet and wild current?  

But how did I get out of The Flow in the first place?  Well, I think I've figured it out.  The water got too hot, or too wild, or too dangerous, or too scary, or too turbulent, or ... is there such a thing as water getting too wet?  Perhaps you'll understand what I mean by that.  Anyway, instead of riding out the current and sticking with The Flow and allowing it to do its magic and take me to the next great thing around the next bend (or 3 or 4), I baled!  

Thankfully I know the feeling of being out of water is not good and that "out of the water" is worse than "turbulent water," so I typically jump back in pretty quickly.  Oh, and I've noticed that some of the landscape along those wild stretches is pretty amazing!  Truly lovely.  And sometimes I find real treasures there.  And SOMETIMES, this delightful thing happens where the rapids push me into these really gentle sanctuaries, full of peace and joy, almost like the calm after a storm, or like ... magic.

For me, now it's not so much that I want life to be this calm, in-control thing that is only there to soothe and please me.  Rather, I now appreciate all the colors, textures, flavors and types of currents and obstacles along the way because they make life interesting and fascinating and exhilarating!  The variety and contrast are what make the JOurneY such a JOY.  

So, are you going to make your JOurneY a rich and glorious ride and let yourself see all the miracles that lie around the next bend in the river?  Oh, and are you going to do it white-knuckled and screaming?  Or basking and appreciating all the way?

Every moment IS a miracle. 

Celebrating the miracle of the JOurneY,

CJ

Embracing Change

(If you are looking for the Powerful Pivoting Opportunity, please scroll down to the March 15th post.)  

My life takes me so many interesting places. I just did my taxes and I was really aware of how many trips I took last year.  It occurred to me that even beyond the physical trips, I took journeys to the inner sanctuaries and tributaries of my soul, and to the peaks and valleys of my life, and to new ideas and creations, and new friendships and collaborations.  At times I traveled to my future, my destiny and my divinity.  At other times to my past, my history, my creation.  

And what I found is that the future is boundless and there really is no going back.  The past we go back to is never the same as the one that we experienced as we were shaped, created, grown. Nothing stays the same. People change. Places change. Even the memories we had ... change. 

It has been said that the only constant in life is change. So why then do so many resist change?  (Yes, I'm including myself.)

Perhaps it is a form of control.  Perhaps it is wishful thinking.  Perhaps it is just a misunderstanding.  But no matter what it is, there is a definite resistance that exists within a lot of us regarding change of one sort or another.

I believe that when people can really look at themselves, their own ever-changing selves, and embrace the fact that they can change and are not bound forever to the Who they once were, well, I believe they will find relief in this thought ... and a type of freedom.  I believe there is a hidden key within the enigma of change that if found could send individuals, and the world, into transformations of astronomical proportions.  I don't mean to scare anyone ... I'm seeing this as a really good thing!

I believe that these types of amazing transformations have to begin within each one of us and that then they will ooze out, slowly or quickly, to the world at large.  I believe that in order to make these shifts within that all we have to do is recognize that we have been changing in little, tiny increments all along, due to things beyond our control, and that it is all good.  And if we can see all the change that has taken place within us and be grateful for it, I think we will be able to find our way to trust the changes happening in the world at large are also innately good, despite appearances, and learn to love and welcome them, too.

And then I believe we will be just a few small steps away from a global peace that has not been seen on this planet in a very long time.

Well, these are just some thought that I believe, but I'll bet you agree that these are really good thoughts to think!

Putting my two cents out into the global consciousness,

CJ

Dancing With Angels

(If you are looking for the post regarding the Powerful Pivoting Program, scroll down to the post from March 15th.)

I have an exercise I do. It started one day when I was stressed.  I was inspired to stand in my bedroom in the most open space available, and to close my eyes.  I imagined an angel was beneath me, downstairs on the floor below, holding his hands up over his head, to the ceiling in fact, and that he could see me upstairs above him.  Then, as my imagining continued, I saw him moving his hands to the exact positions of my feet.  And then I started to dance.  I moved about my bedroom, eyes closed, and watched the angel move to match each of my steps.  Then the idea came to imagine the floor had disappeared and the angel’s hands could actually touch my feet … in fact they would have to support my feet … my whole body.  (Angels are strong; they can do that!)

In my mind I saw it.  I saw it all!  I saw me dancing, the angel moving, the hands connecting with my feet each move they made.  I tried to imagine how that would feel.  And I could do that too!  It was as if there was no floor and I was landing on soft hands instead!  I was barefoot and dancing on angel hands!  What bliss!  I felt so totally supported by Spirit and the Universe.  It was an incredible new thing for me; it seemed so tangible.

Now there are times when I wish to feel that feeling again.  I may get stressed, or need to feel again the feeling of total support from the Universe.  I find an open area in my home or somewhere that feels like sacred ground.  I close my eyes … and dance with angels once again.

It’s true!  Every step we take is "supported" by Angels ... not just in those moments when we focus on The Dance, but always.  They are supporting your every step too!

Law of Attraction & The Four Agreements, Part IV

(If you are looking for the Special Offer for the Powerful Pivoting Program, scroll down to the post from March 15th.)

The Fourth Agreement from Don Miguel Ruiz’s book called The Four Agreements is “Always do your best.”  Again, this doesn’t quite seem like a Law of Attraction principle, but if you read the chapter on the Fourth Agreement you find a very different message than at first you might expect.  Ruiz focuses on how you do what you do.  I was quite struck by the LOA-ishness (my newest word; like it?) of his definition of the Fourth Agreement, particularly in this excerpt:

“If you take action because you have to, then there is no way you are going to do your best.  Then it is better not to do it.  No, you do your best because doing your best all the time makes you so happy.  When you are doing your best just for the pleasure of doing it, you are taking action because you enjoy the action.” 

And later in the chapter he says, “If you’re doing your best, you will feel good about yourself,” which is so similar to Abraham saying, “You will know you are on the right track because you will feel good.”  It is no wonder that the very closing sequence of the movie The Secret is of Rhonda Byrne, creator of The Secret, writing the words FEEL GOOD in the sand on a beach.  This is the key to everything; your emotional guidance system will tell you, via your emotions, whether or not you are on track with your life, with your choices, with your Now Moment, by whether or not you feel good.  

So I’ll rewrite this last Agreement into my own words, okay?  It’s my blog so I’m entitled, right?  So how about this:  

Do your best to always feel good.

Now that’s what I’m talking about.

CJ

Law of Attraction & The Four Agreements, Part III

(If you are looking for the Special Offer for the Powerful Pivoting Program, scroll down to the March 15th post.)

To continue my comparison of the book The Four Agreements to Law of Attraction principles, my focus today is on Don Miguel Ruiz’s third agreement, which states, “Don’t make assumptions.”  This is the one that seems the most ambiguous in the law of attraction material with which I am familiar, but I’ll do my best.  

My mind goes first to the LOA (Law of Attraction) principle that no one else can know what is best for you, and the reciprocal, you cannot know what is best for others, so don’t assume that you do, or can.  No one person can know the full range of experiences and dreams that shape the fine details that comprise another’s experience.  We cannot know exactly how they perceive the universe around them, nor the levels of interest or yearning contained in their heart, so how could we possibly assume that we would then be able to know what they want or how they want it delivered.  It is our business to focus on our own journey.

This becomes very complicated when it comes to marriages, but relationships of any kind are packed with possibilities for misunderstandings and assumptions, so this is an excellent area around which to set intentions for the highest good.  We can only be as open and honest about who we are and what we want in any given relationship, and encourage the other party to do the same.  Amplifying communication channels is the best path to optimal relationships, and therefore harmony, but never a guarantee.  As Ruiz states in his book, over time, people in long term relationships begin to assume that the other party “knows” them.  Then if something does not go as desired they often assume the other party did this despite knowing them, thus a perceived infraction of the trust that is supposedly at the core of the bond.  

Perhaps a good thing to consider is that we are in an ever-changing world.  In such an environment, anything, or anyone, can change.  Abraham goes to the extent of discussing a new form of wedding vows that would go something like this, “I like you pretty well and I promise to be true to myself and work on staying connected to my own inner guidance and you do the same ... and we’ll just see how it goes.”  I’m not sure many would agree to have that kind of statement at the crux of a ceremony that is supposed to be the epitome of “commitment,” but in all honesty, I see their point.  In the end, this kind of wedding vow is not making any assumptions but clearly states, up front, that neither party is assuming the arrangement will work forever (allowing for the changing self in the changing universe), and is also admitting that the only way this arrangement can work is if both parties commit to being true to themselves and their connection to their inner selves.

Given this ever-changing environment of ours, perhaps it would be best not to allow one’s self to become complacent, but rather to make our intentions LIVING INTENTIONS.  If our level of commitment never drops and we LIVE our intentions full out every day, we run a better chance of harmony and fulfillment of our desires.  And might I add, it is what all those vows are about after all; we don’t make a vow that says, ‘I’ll do my best, when I think about it, to live up to this agreement we are making here today.”  No, typically the vows we make in life are intended to be deep commitments of our heart and core to another.

The one area I would particularly like to discuss before I close is where the Law of Attraction material says that we should absolutely expect the universe to deliver our desires to us.  One might say that expect = assumes, and if so, then how could this Third Agreement truly be similar to the Law of Attraction?  I would ask you to take a deeper look at this.  Every word has a vibration, just like every person.  If you look at the word “assumption” with your senses, I believe you will find that this word carries a bit of the vibration of doubt in it.  I kind of relate assuming to hoping, which is five notches down from knowing on the vibrational scale provided by Abraham.  In other words, I could say, “I assume, but I do not know, and that is why I am assuming.”  Whereas the word “expect” clearly carries the vibration of knowing, as in “I am expecting my desire to manifest at any moment.”

So don’t assume your desires will come to you.  EXPECT they are already yours.  Don’t assume anything.  EXPECT EVERYTHING.  

Doing your part to live your intentions will keep you resonating in alignment with them and the universe must deliver.  Expect the relationship to evolve harmoniously, the job to come, the money to be there when you need it, the book to be a huge sensation, the dinner to be your best ever ... every moment lived in this state of expectation is a moment in total alignment to your desire and this means the universe can deliver it to you toot sweet!  So what is the best vibration to stand in?

Don’t assume anything.  Expect it!

Toodles,

CJ

Law of Attraction & The Four Agreements, Part II

(If you are looking for the Special Offer for the Powerful Pivoting Program, please scroll down to the post on March 15th.)

Well, because of yesterday’s experience, I have committed myself to moving through all  four of the “agreements” in Don Miguel Ruiz’s book, The Four Agreements, as I see the mutual message in his book and some of the messages in the Law of Attraction material, with which I am familiar, are very similar.  I am comparing these two sources of material because I find these kinds of comparisons refreshing, confirmatory and inspirational as I seek to tweak my own emotional center on the many topics that fill my life.  The catchy phrases become my affirmations and different sources of this information contain different nuances that can keep the journey fresh and cater to the different subjects and phases of our lives.

"Don't take anything personally."  This is the Second Agreement.  Ruiz really emphasizes the aspect of not taking things personally in the form of not allowing the opinions of others to become one’s own beliefs.  (He mentions that the last 3 agreements are all part of the first agreement.)  I invite you to read again the comments about “being senior” from yesterday’s blog on the First Agreement, and then to take this information in even deeper.  Taking on the beliefs of others is a common occurrence in our world today.  It is so prevalent that we humans sometimes don’t even think about how many beliefs we take on as our own but aren’t really our personal truth.  The way we can test this regarding beliefs in our own lives is to check in with our feeling center.  If we have any sign of negative emotion within our being, we can conclude that the belief in question is not in alignment with our own truth.  Then it remains for us to find a way to release this belief.

The reverse scenario, of course, is when we try to influence others to believe as we believe.  The higher course is to allow them to discard our beliefs in favor of their own as that is truth for them.  As Eckhart Tolle has mentioned several times as he and Oprah review his book A New Earth with millions of viewers via the Web, humans often see a disagreement with their beliefs by another as a persona attack.  We all see the world differently and we are all here having our own unique journeys.  Best to be at peace about that, allowing others their beliefs and finding a way to happily allow all forms of truth to exist simultaneously.  As someone once said, “Would you rather be right, or happy?”  Trying to force our beliefs on others can always be seen as an attempt to be “right,” when what we really want in our hearts is to be happy.  

The Abraham teachings uses the analogy of minding your own pie, as in you being the baker and selecting the ingredients you want in your pie, while letting others decide what kind of pie they want to make and to choose their preferred ingredients.  This analogy takes the emotion out of the process with the realization that there are so many choices in the kitchen of life and we all have our own preferences of ingredients, content and context.  So one question we could ask ourselves is why do we place more importance on some topics and not as much on others?  If we dealt with this agreement at the level of its truest intention, we would realize that all issues have the same importance, or rather lack of importance.  

My favorite comparison other than pies and baking are religions.  I know we’ve been taught that it isn’t safe to talk about politics and religion, but give me a second here.  In my opinion, there is beauty and purpose in all religions and religions are just human vehicles mankind created to give like-minded people ways to experience and explore the divine together.  So, what do you think the world would look like if no one interfered in the religious or spiritual pursuits of another?  

Now, just some final thoughts on not taking anything personally.  I like the "What If" game so here are some quick questions to ponder:

What if you didn’t allow others to sway you but pursued your truth and only your truth?

What if you were able to hear the opinions of others but wade through them to draw your own conclusions?

What if you were clear on what resonated as truth to you?

What if you were an expert at stating your truth but in such a way as to also graciously allow the truths of others?

What if everyone in the world understood how this really worked and could remain at peace even when there was more than one opinion (belief) present?

What if you could make a shift on the planet by starting to live this enlightened reality of beliefs?

You can! !

Will you?

TTFN,

CJ

Law of Attraction & The Four Agreements, Part I

(If you are looking for the Special Offer, please scroll down to the post from March 15th.)

In the famous book by Don Miguel Ruiz called The Four Agreements, he shares ancient Toltec Wisdom passed down from generation to generation and finally entrusted to him.  He breaks the wisdom down into four simple statements by which one is to live his or her life.  This little book is small and I often take it out and put it beside my bed to read in small snippets before drifting off to dreamland.  

Just today I picked it up to start this process again.  Instead of just putting it there for later this evening, I cracked the book open to grab a few words to tumble around in my head today.  I actually opened it right to page 25, which is the first page of the chapter on the first statement, or what he calls “The First Agreement.”  It goes like this:

“Be impeccable with your word.”

Well, I put the book beside my bed and kept moving about my tasks for the day, but the statement was tumbling around in my mind very persistently.  When I sat down for lunch, I had the thought that this is an important aspect of the Law of Attraction, too.  We need to focus on our intentions so completely as to abandon all negative thought that runs counter to what we want.  We need to “tend to our vibration” and “clean up our vibration” as Abraham says over and over in books and lectures.  We need to be, do, say, and feel only those things that resonate positive vibrations regarding the topic of our intent, or desire.  

I thought of how very recently two wonderful friends had sat in my living room and, when I responded to their asking about what was happening in my life, pointed out the times I said something that wasn’t absolutely positive in my words about that which I was wanting to manifest.  There was plenty of acknowledgement of the good, but some skeptical words crept out between the positive ones.  They were not necessarily negative statements as the world might perceive, but there was definitely skepticism, or statements of the “fact” that my manifestations had not yet come into being.  

I realized how insidiously these little thoughts and words had crept into my mind and speaking and how they had slowly contributed to the corruption of my dream.  They had not destroyed it, but they had corrupted it, tainted it, weakened it in some way.

I have been accused more than once in my lifetime of being a Pollyanna, one who seems blinded to the flaws of life as they look through their rose-colored glasses.  While I pride myself in being grounded, it is clear to me that in order to get what you want in your life (and I’m not just referring to physical manifestations here) you must be totally focused, as if you have horse-blinders on.  You cannot let your focus be swayed in any way.  If you look back through history, this is how the greatest inventions and thoughts have come to us ... through those who held to their vision and relentlessly pursued their dreamsl

So, I went to my bedroom immediately after finishing lunch and read the whole chapter on the first agreement.  I have set a new intention to clean up my words about this dream and make them impeccable once more, or for the first time, and let this intention spill over from this dream to all the other dreams of my life.  I want to be FULLY impeccable with my words!

One more part of impeccability I want to share with you today is the part regarding with whom you choose to share your dreams as you are bringing them into your reality.  No one but you knows how delighted your dreams make you feel or how much you want them.  I am reminded of a scene in a movie I saw recently (Last Holiday) where Queen Latifah is talking to her sister who is excited because she believes she is about to become a country music singer.  Queen Latifah tells her there is no such thing as a black country music singer and her sister responds, “I am not asking you to comment on the validity of my dreams.”

This is the impeccability level you need for your own dreams.  You don’t need anyone else’s permission to have a dream, so why discuss them with others and open the proverbial floor to those who might (not very impeccably, I might add) try to mar or nay-say your dreams?  Not speaking them out loud is one way to preserve their impeccability, but you might also be able to find your way to your highest, purest thoughts by sharply honing your focus.  Then no matter what anyone else says or does you will not allow yourself to be derailed from your course.

One of my teachers describes this process as claiming your seniority ... or “being senior.”  This simply means that YOU are the best one to know what is good for you to think, feel or be and you assert your seniority in choosing to believe and be that which you know over that which others are trying to impose upon you.  In other words, you don’t surrender your personal power or your dreams to anyone or anything else.  

Thank you Jamberry for your loving nudges, and may all of you feel the love in my nudge, here in this blog post, to make your own commitment to impeccable words for your life and your dreams.  The power to make your dreams into reality lies in your hands, and in your mouth, and the level of your dedication to this aspect of your manifesting will determine how slowly or quickly your dreams arrive, and the level of incorruptibility with which they reach you.