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| MY LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD. . . . . ARCHIVES (Here is where I put all those articles from the "Home Page" when I get tired of seeing them. Maybe you're not tired of seeing them yet or maybe this is the first time you have seen them. Whatever is the case, enjoy. . .)
September-October 2008 The world is on the verge of an awakening. It is so tangible that if you take a moment to stop and tune in, you can actually feel it. There is a quickening in the pulse of humanity that stimulates an excitement even in the midst of what appears to be the most calamitous world events in history, because we are in the process known as transition. . The world is in a transition that is occurring both collectively and individually--from microcosm to macrocosm--and it is scary but oh so awesome!
What we know is that breakdown always precedes breakthrough. The world as we have known it is breaking down and making room for the breakthrough that creates an opening for a world that works for all.
We can no longer sit back and bask in the contentment of "I've got mine, now let them get theirs." We are not an island unto ourselves; we are part and particle of everything from the air we breathe to the soil under our feet; from the highest mountain to the tiniest blade of grass. We are one with everyone and everything. We are our brother's keeper and the time has come for us to see that what we've been calling the enemy is "us.”
It is no longer possible to wait for any one leader to step up and take us to the promised land. Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain is the new Moses. We are the leaders we have been waiting for and it is time we stand up and take responsibility for our world, but in order to do that we must first take the time to heal. In order to lead others to healing and wholeness, we must be whole or at least working toward wholeness ourselves. The day of the Wounded Healer or, better yet, Wounded Leader, has passed.
I have worked with Wounded Leaders and they do a great disservice to others, because they project their woundedness upon them. The world awaits the Healed Leaders to guide them toward their own healing.
This healing takes place on several levels: Mind, Body and Spirit.
To heal the body, without healing the mind only sets up a cycle of continually healing one part of the body after another.
To heal the mind without healing the spirit does not promote a permanent healing of the mind, because as soon as something arises to shake our spiritual foundation, the mind will revert back to its Standard Operating Process of falling back on outmoded belief systems and soon the body will follow.
The messages that this is so are everywhere. Oprah Winfrey has taken the lead for some time now in opening our minds to the need for mind-body-spirit healing and now almost every news show and talk show is featuring programming regarding this subject. There are a multitude of TV series about spirituality, intuitive abilities, guidance, time shifts, cosmic intervention and more. Hundreds of books are being published every year to help us awaken to the greater power that is within us, not outside of us. It all points to the same thing: We must let go of the past, heal our wounds and create our own world within to uplift and elevate the world at large.
How do we do this? I thought you'd never ask: Through forgiveness.
As long as we are stuck in our "victim-perpetrator stories," as Colin Tipping calls it, or our "pain-body," as Eckhart Tolle calls it, we will have neither the energy nor the inclination to create a life that works for us and a world that works for all. It is essential that we break the chains that bind us to the past so we can facilitate a future that is filled with love, joy, peace, compassion and brother-sisterhood.
There is now scientific proof through Biology and Quantum Mechanics that what we hold in our thoughts and emotions impacts our bodies, our personal world and the entire planet. There is also evidence that the key to releasing this is through forgiveness. All we need are the proper energetic tools to facilitate the release.
Right now, at this time and on this planet, there are no better tools or a simpler, quicker and more guaranteed process than Radical Forgiveness. It holds the key to world transformation. 
November 2008 More Than a Political Mandate—A Clear Spiritual Mandate
As we celebrate the history-making election of Barack Obama as our 44th President of the United States, I reflect on a phrase repeated frequently by the analysts that his margin of Victory was a “clear mandate for change.” This is obviously very true; yet, I see this “clear mandate” from a different perspective—as a Spiritual Mandate. The faces of the millions of people in the crowds around the globe reflected a hunger for “possibility” as I watched the TV screen on Election Night. It reminded me of what I had written right here on these web pages:
The world is on the verge of an awakening. It is so tangible that if you take a moment to stop and tune in, you can actually feel it. There is a quickening in the pulse of humanity that stimulates an excitement even in the midst of what appears to be the most calamitous world events in history, because we are in the process known as transition. . The world is in a transition that is occurring both collectively and individually--from microcosm to macrocosm--and it is scary but oh so awesome! Those faces looked “awakened.” It was as if a bright light had been turned on inside of them and was illuminating them and casting a glow that lit up the world. They had seen the face of hope or, what Martin Luther King called, “The Promised Land.” They hugged each other, stranger and friend, and cried in each other’s arms—forgetting the color of skin or the texture of hair or the power of a position or socioeconomic differences—in celebration they became one, which was the real mandate all along. It was the mandate of our Creator that made all of us in its own image. It is clear that the mandate was: “United we stand; divided we fall. Hope is not an individual experience but a collective journey.”
Now that we have our clear mandate, what is ours to do? Although this is clearly one person’s perspective, I have a few ideas. These ideas are based on truth principles, Radical Forgiveness and basic values.
1. Hold on to the energy we collected on Election Night—no matter what happens on Wall Street or with the economy or even with our bank accounts, hold on to Hope; hold on to the fact that, together, we can turn this ship around and get her back on course. 2. Remember your one true Source. You are not in this alone. There is a power within us that is greater than what we see playing out on paper. Don’t be a numbers’ junkie; get addicted to the unlimited, always-providing, all-powerful goodness of an abundant God. The job is not your source; the paycheck is not your source; and the stock market is not your source—God is your Source and God has not run out of anything. 3. Stay connected with each other. Let everyone be your neighbor, and see no one as a stranger. We are all brothers and sisters, globally, and we are each responsible for the collective success or failure of the whole. Remember “The Butterfly Effect.” Every action, every decision and every thought has a direct impact on someone or something on the other side of the world. Act cautiously, decide wisely and think lovingly so that we continually contribute positively to the collective well-being everywhere all the time. 4. Volunteer. Find a way to contribute your time to something that helps others who are experiencing more difficult circumstances than you are. Giving and receiving are the exact same energy—as you give, you also receive. By helping others, you set up a reciprocal arrangement with the universe to simultaneously receive in your own life. 5. Forgive. If you are harboring any feelings of anger, vengeance or ill will toward another or yourself, forgive. Those negative emotions we are harboring add fuel to the fires of any anger, vengeance or ill will within the collective consciousness and manifests as hatred and violence in our country and in the world. Let’s take our negative contributions out of the collective stew and free ourselves from the burden of unforgiveness we are carrying around with us. Our Mandate calls for a grass roots effort. It has been proven by the very successful grassroots campaign strategy of Barak Obama that, when people come together at the first level of society, anything can be accomplished. If we are going to do our part in helping our new President renew, revitalize and re-energize the United States of America as well as spreading this out into the world, we must first get our own house in order—we must first align, personally, with what we know is right and then we will be automatically led to help build bridges to what is right in the world.
Take a moment to determine where you are out of integrity, how you are failing to live up to your true potential, in what ways you are being critical, judgmental and condemning and where you might replace your negative emotions and words with something more uplifting and healing. Clean up your own back yard and then go help your neighbor. That is the Spiritual Mandate and it is very clear.
PLAYING THE HAND YOU ARE DEALT. . .AND WINNING December 2008 Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and Happy Kwaanza,
How will you experience these next two weeks? Will they be filled with joy, lots of fun activities, great food, opportunities to celebrate with happy people? Or will they be endless days of pain and suffering, depression, loneliness, irritation and isolation?
Player’s choice. . .
How you experience these days is totally up to you. It is a clear and conscious choice. Regardless of the hand you are dealt this season, you may still choose the cards you wish to keep and the ones you wish to play. You are not the victim of a holiday season; you are a powerful energetic being, who was created with the ability to craft the life you wish to experience. You can be the co-creator or you can be the victim. The choice is yours.
How?
By making the decision to step into life and play full out—to get involved in the design and development of your life. This holiday season is a great time to put it into operation, because if you can make it now you can make it at any time.
Don’t choose to sit around and complain about how “commer-cialized” the holiday has become; create, instead, a meaningful and spiritual holiday for yourself, family and friends. Notice I said “you” first—if you have it within you, it is easy to share with others.
Suggestions:
Get some people together and go caroling in your neighborhood or any neighborhood. Here is a web site where you can go to print out lyrics and make a booklet for your group: http://www.nevada.edu/~blake/Christmas.carols.html. Tell everyone to bring a flashlight or one of those battery-operated candles. I believe you can get those from Target and Wal-Mart; perhaps, even the Dollar Store. Have Eggnog and goodies waiting when you return. It will delight your neighbors and make you feel absolutely wonderful.
Read the story of the birth of Jesus, tell the story of Hanukah or Kwaanza, light candles; exchange only gifts that are made by you and your friends and family. At the table on the actual day of whichever is your holiday, have everyone at the table express what they are grateful for and how they will make a difference in the world, then pray for all the people of the world.
Don’t isolate yourself during these next 2 weeks. Call people you haven’t spoken to in a long time. They may be wondering where you are and what you are doing. Accept that invitation to dinner, even if the person is not a very good cook; at least you’ll be with someone. Get out and be around people; be around noise, music, bright lights and colors. Go to a holiday service; it doesn’t matter that you haven’t been to church, temple, or mosque since you were 12 years old—just go. Crash an office party—they probably don’t know who works there anyway. Let yourself be drawn into the spirit of things. Participate!
If all else fails, call for help. There is absolutely nothing wrong with letting someone know you are hurting. An African Proverb says, “He who hides his disease cannot be healed.”
Know that you are loved—the Supreme Power that created you loves you unconditionally, even if you don’t believe in a Supreme Power. Besides that, I love you. That may sound like the traditional platitudes of a minister; however, anyone who knows me also knows that I mean it. My heart is big enough and my love is expansive enough to love each and every one of you. In fact, the more I love the more love I am given to love with. I offer it to you and am holding you in the warm embrace of that love, praying that it empowers you to walk through these days enshrouded in “the peace that passeth all understanding.” Although this message has been primarily for those who have a difficult time during holidays, I offer the same suggestions to those who love this season. Perhaps it has become very commercialized. You can play a big part in bringing it back to the original reason for the season by turning toward more spiritually-centered activities. You might even try being more loving, friendly and compassionate toward the difficult people you encounter and offer them peace in the place of conflict. Those of us who embrace this season can light the way and open the door for those who are suffering.
Take a look at the hand you were dealt; discard the cards that you don’t want; and play a winning hand for the empowerment of the world.
God Bless you, your family, your friends, your enemies, our troops, our leaders and our world. Remember the words from scripture, “. . .and I, if I be lifted up, will draw all unto me.” Lift up your spirit, let your light shine and draw to you those who are seeking the light so you can share it.
Happy Holidays and may you have a New Year filled with love, peace, prosperity, joy, harmony and forgiveness.
I really love you,
Sheila
January 2009
Happy New Year! Happy New You!
Wow, what a ride 2008 turned out to be. My entire life was turned upside down, inside out and sideways by the sudden and unexplained end of my marriage; however, it was the best year of my life. I know you think I’ve lost my mind, but just hear me out.
2008 provided me with the opportunity to see myself without the handsome, supportive and loving husband, without the safety net of a second income, without what I thought kept me grounded and without having to care for anyone except me. There was nothing else but me and I had to not only look at the “me” I saw in the mirror, but the “me” that was mirrored by the experience—its pain, suffering, challenge, survival and ultimate empowerment. There was so much clarity in the midst of the extreme pain, and I realize that I could never have reached that degree of clarity had I not been through that very experience. I was stripped bare and had nothing to fall back on. I had to fall into me. And what a wonderful revelation that turned out to be.
I learned that I had more resources within me than I had allowed myself to connect with; I rediscovered that amazing woman who had healed from a serious illness and raised her young children by herself while maintaining a very nice lifestyle; and I discovered a more powerful “me” that is secure in her abilities, confident in her inner wisdom and grounded in the Holy Spirit that directs her life. Like the Phoenix, I have risen out of the ashes of the painful demise of my relationship to become more powerful than ever; and this year holds the promise of an even greater awakening and unlimited spiritual growth.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I did not do it alone. If it weren’t for Colin Tipping’s Radical Forgiveness tools, I’d be in prison for murder or in a mental institution drooling down the front of my pajamas. I used those tools every day—no, really, I mean every day—until I began to feel the anger, grief and pain replaced by this sweet peace that just started creeping in one day little by little. I’m one of the Poster Children for Radical Forgiveness. That is how I’m able to step in to 2009 feeling alive and totally free.
What did 2008 hold for you? What do you desire for 2009?
Look back on 2008, like the Roman God Janus for whom the month of January is name and who has two faces—one looking back and one looking forward, and reflect on what occurred in your life. Whether good or bad, find the gift and the power it held. Look at 2008 as a Rites of Initiation, preparation, for this year and the unlimited possibilities it holds for you. Then, “choose”. . .choose the year you want 2009 to be. Make your choice right now and claim the wonders that await you. Before you is a clean page upon which you can write the greatest story ever told—or, you can copy down the same story from the past year. The choice is yours.
If you think you might want to write a “bestseller” life in 2009, get yourself some Accountability Partners.
On New Year’s Eve, 8 women and I partied together like it was 1999. We danced and jammed at the Radisson in Sacramento until 2 a.m. We had a blast! Just us women and all the single men in the place wanted to dance with us, because we were okay with being single and making no apologies for it. That same group of women have made a covenant to make each other accountable for creating and following a mission for ourselves in 2009. We have decided that we will not let each other fall, fail or flail; that we will have each other’s back; and that we will not rest until each one of us has fulfilled the mission we have chosen.
Get yourself a group of guy friends or girlfriends, who are willing to make a covenant with you and step into 2009 with your Network behind you.
If you find the past repeating itself this year, check out the Radical Forgiveness pages on our web site. Perhaps, there is someone or something you haven’t forgiven. Attend one of our Events or surf over to Colin’s Web Site to see if there is something in your area; do a worksheet online at the Radical Forgiveness site or print one out from our site; or call or visit a Radical Forgiveness Coach. Just don’t do this year like you’ve done all the years past; try something different. You might surprise yourself.
Whatever happens, may your find God’s neverending grace every step of the way. Happy New Year! Happy New You! |
| CONGRATULATIONS MR. PRESIDENT! Congratulations on your beautiful, spiritual, harmonizing Inauguration Celebration that sparked an excitement within the very depths of our being. As we watched from dawn to your last dance and beyond, we were held captive by your thoughtful, calm, poised demeanor and the light of that amazing smile you so willingly share with your family, friends, colleagues and the American people at large. At such a time as this, we needed what you gave us yesterday.
As you begin your time of service, may you find comfort in knowing that by your very presence you spark a light of hope and happiness in us and by your calm bearing we are comforted and our fear is quieted.
We know that there are some tough times ahead but, with the confidence and love we see radiating from you, we are willing to be patient and give you time to come up with a plan and await the marching orders for ourselves, that we may join with you in uplifting this country and this world individually and collectively.
We are proud of you, for you are definitely a President of the people, by the people and for the people—not just those who are influential and wealthy, but the average, everyday person who works, struggles, prays, plays, hopes and dreams. We look forward to the days, weeks, months and years to come as we witness the evolution of the America you guide us toward creating.
God Bless you, Mr. President, we pray for the safety and best life ever for you and your family. Be brave, be bold and be blessed!
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FEBRUARY 2009 God is Still in the Miracle-Making Business
I was one of those people who watched in amazement as Captain “Sully” Sullenberger landed that big U.S. Airways Air Bus upon the Hudson River in New York City, setting it down like a sleeping baby being put down in its crib. When I couldn’t find any more recaps or new angles from various cameras, I went to the Internet and watched some more. As a former Flight Attendant, I was blown away. It was beautiful. They said it was a miracle. It was.
Some days later, I watched as Captain Sullenberger and his wife were celebrated by his hometown of Danville, California, and noted he was a reluctant hero. His wife expressed her gratitude and spoke with pride about her husband. He only said, “We were just doing our job.” I was impressed.
A couple of days ago, I had an opportunity to speak about it with my friend Margy, who is an airline pilot with another airline. She is a brilliant woman, who ran down to me all of the procedures for handling a situation like that and how he should have turned around when it first happened and gone back to LaGuardia where there were an infinite number of possibilities for safely getting that plane and those people on the ground. She indicated that he put all of those people’s lives in jeopardy by the decision he made.
When I told her how humble he was and how he refuses to grandstand about it, she said he was under investigation and was wise not to say anything.
I went away feeling kind of let down. I had hoped my friend would be as excited as I was about one of her colleagues.
I went home that night and looked again at this cartoon, sent to me by  congregants Rodger and Georgia Tellefson, and a thought hit me: “My friend, Margy, didn’t really get the deeper significance of this event.” Yet I knew she would, because she is a very smart woman.
You see, at a time when New Yorkers were feeling the steady downward slide of the Dow Jones and a limping Wall Street, God sent a “rainbow sign,” like the one he gave Noah.
Captain Sully had no choice, regardless of his training in emergency procedures; he was being guided by something far greater than himself. He could have turned around and gone back to LaGuardia and put it down on the edge of a runway or even a marsh that was not as deep or as dangerous as the Hudson River, but that was not God's direction. There may have been several options in the procedures manual, but God's plan had a procedure that called for a demonstration that had to be BIG to get our attention and remind us of who we are and whose we are.
New York needed the “Miracle on the Hudson” to help them believe again. They needed a sign like Noah’s that everything was going to be alright; that the flood would end if they just keep their faith; and that God has them in the palm of His/Her hand.
God wanted us to know that He/She is still in the Miracle-Making Business and if you think God is down and out for the count, think again. If you are currently facing a challenge in your own life, remember: "God is still in the Miracle-Making Business." If the current state of the economy, corporate downfalls or layoffs have you concerned, remember "God is still in the Miracle-Making Business."
If your engine is failing and there is no place to land, turn the controls over to your Captain and just remember: “God is still in the Miracle-Making Business.” My friend Margy? After hearing my message on Sunday "Dancing on the Edge of Chaos," she got it. I knew she would. She's a very smart woman.
March 2009 FINDING OUR VOICE
Recently, I had the experience of losing my voice. Now, if you know me even a little bit, you are aware that for me this is a really big deal. I make my living as a Speaker, Coach, Teacher, Minister, Choir Director, Singer and Writer. Only one of those does not require having a voice—Writing—so you can imagine how difficult those 5 days without the ability to speak above a whisper might have been for someone who spends 90% of her time using her voice. Although this was extremely difficult for me, it gave me time to think about all those other people who have lost their voice as well.
I’m not talking about an epidemic of laryngitis. What I am talking about is not having the ability or the power to speak up for oneself, which is not a condition caused by physical illness but a condition caused by being taught one of the following:
To speak is dangerous—I could be killed What I have to say is unimportant Women should be seen and not heard No one wants to hear what you have to say Don’t tell Shut up!
I’m sure many of you can relate to one or more of these. In my work as a coach with people who have been severely abused as children, speaking or using their voice in any manner—even to cry out—could get them killed or bring on more abuse. In cases where children are being molested, they are told “don’t tell.” For many generations, women lost their voices and were relegated to being the property of men and having no voice in the matter. In many African countries, like Darfur, people who escaped the mass slaughters of their villages had to hide out in attics, basements and in small cramped spaces for months at a time without uttering a sound. But we don’t even have to go to those extremes to find people who, for whatever, reason have lost their voice.
The voice issues forth from the larynx, or the throat chakra, which represents the power center. When we are unable to give voice to our feelings, thoughts or ideas our power is diminished. That is why, in so many of our Radical Forgiveness tools, we use the voice as an energetic process for healing old wounds and past hurts. Having our say is taking back our power. If we are feeling powerless, the key to empowering ourselves is to “speak.”
Speaking into the ethers what we wish to have show up in our lives is also a powerful tool for manifesting. That is why Afirmations are so effective. Speak out loud what you want and say it with power, conviction and authority and watch it show up in a powerful way.
Take a look at your life right now. Are you able to speak up for yourself? Do you feel free to give voice to your needs, opinions and idea? Is it difficult to express yourself? Do people in your life fail to listen to and hear you?
Speak! Stand up and speak! Give voice to what is going on inside of you, even if you have to practice by speaking to a mirror. Find your voice and speak even if you’re the only one listenting.
FEELING YOUR WAY THROUGH THE PAIN If you have been alive more than a few minutes you have probably experienced “pain” to some degree. If you have never experienced pain in your life, stop reading this article, navigate away from this web page, put your wings back on and get back to heaven. If, however, you know what it is to have pain show up in your life this is the article for you—keep reading.
“Pain” is one of those things I often question God about: “God, what were you thinking? Why do we need to have pain? Isn’t there something you could substitute it with?”
God just usually smiles and responds: “That’s the beauty of the journey.”
That’s when I usually hang up.
But what if this is true? What if our “pain” is the beauty of the journey? Let’s take a look at this.
Since I have experienced tremendous pain in the last 18 months, I’m going to approach it from what I’ve learned about it from some Master Teachers as well as the perspective of my own journey through this Pain.
There are 2 types of pain: (1) Physical Pain and (2) Non-Physical Pain (sometimes referred to as “emotional pain” or “mental suffering.”
“Physical Pain” is the awareness of an unpleasant sensory experience resulting from a physical injury or illness.
“Non-Physical Pain” can be divided into (1) Emotional and (2) Psychological.
“Emotional Pain” (often experienced as a broken heart) is the intense pain you feel at the heart or emotional level as a result of losing someone from death, divorce, rejection or even just moving away. Although it is not considered a physical pain, there are still physical sensations associated with “emotional pain.” It can manifest as an ache in the heart, chest pains, tightness in the throat and pain or a sinking feeling in the stomach area.
“Psychological Pain” is any mental or non-physical suffering. Emotional Pain is a type of “psychological pain” associated with the emotions. Other types of “Psychological Pain” are spiritual pain and soul pain.
What I have discovered as a result of my own journey through pain is that often what we experience when we have been deeply hurt by someone is the full spectrum of all of these categories of pain—from physical to psychological along with every subset of each of those—and the key to it all is where your feelings take you at any given moment or phase of the process.
What do I mean by this? Let’s use a composite of actual case studies. First, the case: Marjorie is a 55 year-old wife and mother of 2 children. She is a very intelligent and skilled corporate type who made the decision to put her career on hold to raise her children while her husband worked and moved up the success ladder. With no warning, her husband leaves and her whole world is turned upside down.
Her first pain encounter is “emotional” and is accompanied by sadness, rage, shock, fear, and tremendous self-recrimination. Additionally, Marjorie is having headaches, shortness of breath, fatigue, anxiety and is having trouble sleeping, which indicates pain at the physical and psychological levels; therefore, it appears that a serious challenge may take us through all 3 types of pain and our healing process must address all of them.
The step-by-step Radical Forgiveness process does, in fact, address and heal our pain at every level and the key to this is “feeling our feelings”—letting ourselves fall deeply and freely into whatever we are feeling and allowing the intensity to burn away the plaque and open the passageway for healing to occur.
When coaching someone through a process or during a workshop exercise where we are creating a space for the feelings to be expressed, I help push the person to Ground Zero of their emotions by helping them be totally the victim in order to clear the way for moving out of their victimhood. Getting the feelings flowing by any means necessary is extremely critical. Colin Tipping says: “No feeling—no healing!”
As the feelings begin to flow, there is an energy shift happening simultaneously that almost acts as a vacuum cleaner to suck up the imprinting of those Core Negative Beliefs from the outer layers (cell membranes) of the 50 trillion cells of the body. There is actually a tangible feeling of relief and release by the person following the experience. Many people say they “feel lighter.” Sometimes the feelings have been so deeply repressed that we have to use the cushion and tennis racket or conscious breathing to help dislodge them and begin the healing process. At times we may even have to get them to just start screaming. The important thing is that we get to them so we can feel our way through the pain. When we finally connect with the core of the pain (often having nothing to do with the current upset), it can be really scary and may cause us to want to pull back. The pain may seem to be devouring us and it may feel as if we’ll die if gets any stronger. That’s the touchstone of the healing and, when we let it wash over us no matter how much it hurts, we get to the other side and step into our real power—EMPOWERMENT!
I can remember being down on my knees with my forehead buried in the carpet begging for it to stop because it hurt so badly. Knowing that it was absolutely necessary, I let it ride and when it was finished it felt so much better; however, during the process it was as if I had stumbled into hell. So I am speaking about this from a place of knowing—not from the concepts espoused by Radical Forgiveness or Colin Tipping—but from having endured and healed through the process myself. We absolutely must get through our pain by digging into that deep wellspring of our emotions. Doing this often allows us to see that the pain of the current upset is closely connected to things going all the way back to our childhood where the first rejection, abandonment, loss or trauma began. When we let ourselves fall into these emotions, we often find ourselves crying for the little child within us not for the adult having the experience right now. And that is a good thing! If you find yourself in the midst of a challenge that feels so bad that it seems unbearable, jump into your feelings and if you feel you are drowning surrender to it and allow it to carry you in its wake to the shore of the beach where you can walk upon warm sand and feel the sunlight of freedom shining down upon you.
Of course, if you are unable to go it alone, call for some coaching. That’s what we’re here for.
As for my little conversation with God, I wouldn’t substitute my pain for anything in the world because it has made me who I am today. Embrace the pain and empower yourself. It hurts so good! The beauty of the journey is that our "pain" is the signal that something is calling to be healed; without it, we would never discover what our "healed" life feels like.
With great respect and love,
Sheila
Living Between the Contradictions
A couple of years ago, I was watching reruns of a TV Series called “The Pretender” and someone referred to the main Character, Jarod, as “a contradiction inside a paradox wrapped up in an enigma.” I had absolutely no idea what it meant but, as a serious Logophile (word buff), it sounded so cool so I looked up all the words and created the closest thing I could come to as a definition that would satisfy my curiosity. A challenge inside an irony, surrounded by a mystery/riddle or, simply put, something that may or may not have significance but compels you to make some meaning out of it. As spiritual beings, we live out a myriad of contradictions. The very fact that inside an impermanent structure (the body) lives an eternal being (the soul/spirit) is a contradiction in itself. This contradiction creates an ongoing stream of confusion in our attempts to live between the contradictions. In “between the contradictions” is the space. The space is the place where the Holy Spirit stands as the interpreter that sees both sides and acts as our guide to bridge the gap between what is real and what is Reality. Real implies that it is actually apparent to the senses—it can be seen, touched and experienced from the three-dimensional viewpoint. It is something that has been made from the capability of our co-creative powers of imagination and thought, but has no basis in Truth. Reality indicates that it is something eternal and often unapparent to the senses—it cannot be seen with the outer eyes nor touched with the outer nerve endings. It can be felt or experienced, but from a place that has no actual tangible construction. It is the realm of fourth-dimensional Reality that exists beyond the physical plane and occupies the etheric or quantum field. Truth is what remains after the tangible is stripped away. It is a field of clarity, where the fears, doubts, anxieties and other barriers to our spiritual freedom cannot exist and only love abides. “Between the contradictions” is where we begin our journey to the Godhead. Living between the contradictions requires an adjustment not so much in our lifestyle but in our beingness. What do I mean by this? Much of New Thought and Metaphysics is a process of monitoring our thoughts, watching what we say, taming our emotions, praying, meditation and giving. Beingness is just that. It is being the thought, being the words, being the prayer and being the meditation. You’re probably asking, “Isn’t that the same thing?” Actually, no. Beingness is beyond the activity. It is living our life in full awareness. It doesn’t mean monitoring our thoughts; it means observing our thoughts to see where they are headed and what they bring to us. It means observing how we relate to others and how they relate back to us and vice versa. It means being aware of how life connects with us. It is living with our inner and outer antenna tuned in. For example, I love driving down the highway with my convertible top down, some great music coming out of my CD player and feeling the breeze on my face. That is a moment of serenity and connection for me; however, add to those same elements a lot of traffic and the very same things that brought me such serenity are forgotten as soon as I look ahead and see a bottleneck. Living between the contradictions through beingness would mean staying with the serene elements in the midst of the traffic; taking our attention away from the tangible to the intangible while living in the tangible. It is what Paul meant when he wrote in his letter to the Romans to “be not conformed to the things of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2) When I encounter traffic now, I shift my mind back to "top down, music playing and the breeze on my face," and my attachment to the traffic is released. I get to be serene in the midst of traffic. I have tried it and it works. Of course, I’m not simply talking about the traffic on the freeway during rush hour; I’m also referring to the traffic within our minds, the traffic or chaos in our lives; and the traffic that is always pulling us away from Reality into what is real. When we live between the contradictions, we avoid being flung about by happenstance or circumstance and, instead, retain our own power to “stay poised and centered” in divine consciousness. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (John 17:16)
Alive, Alert, Awake June 2009 Early in my Unity years, I learned the affirmation “I am alive, alert, awake and enthusiastic about life. My mind knows it and my body shows it.” I’m not sure who the author is but it is a very popular affirmation in the Unity Movement; even a song was composed about it and, for some reason, I woke up this morning with that silly song running through my brain. Why?
It might have something to do with the fact that the first thing I say each morning is “Thank you God for waking me up this morning and giving me another opportunity to serve you and all of humanity.” This morning, immediately after saying that, the song popped into my head. . .so I decided to write about it. Never waste a good article or talk title.
So, I guess we’re to look at what being “alive, alert and awake” means in this three-dimensional realm of human activity with its preponderance of evidence to the contrary. How can we live in the midst of fear, anxiety, perceived failure, loss and limitation without simply giving up and going to asleep or—in the extreme—putting a gun to our heads and pulling the trigger?
We can begin by simply connecting with the feeling or experience of being “alive.” Being alive is not merely breathing in and out, keeping the heart pumping and the blood flowing through our veins. Being alive means really “living” in such a way that all of our senses are engaged and all of our emotions and feelings are recognized, felt and acknowledged—feeling the pulse of the planet and the heartbeat of humanity. It means never wasting an experience, regardless how it may appear to us or how we may opt to judge it. It means allowing ourselves to fall into the “allness” of it and letting it have its way with us.
What do I mean by this? No, I’m not stoned.
Every moment in life is there to shape us through the experience of it. As Souls, we signed up for the “experience” of being human and, as spiritual beings in a physical container called “human being,” we get to have the “experience” through feeling things. If, therefore, we get to have the experience our Soul wanted by feeling what is occurring, wouldn’t it better serve our Soul Purpose if we totally “allowed” the experience—totally embraced the experience—and gave in to the feelings and emotions that came with it?
Wouldn’t we, then, feel fully alive?
Imagine it—all our senses fully engaged, with no barriers to any sensation—free-falling into whatever is happening right here and right now. Wow!
What could that mean for our evolution?
I was having lunch with one of my mentors and the person who was my breathwork guide, and I was describing what it felt like when I was in the midst of my Dark Night of the Soul after my husband left the marriage:
My body was on fire and my skin was being ripped away and everything was falling away leaving me with nothing and the pain was so intense—all that I had been was ripped away, everything I identified with was shredded, and all that I thought made me who I was had disappeared—and there was nothing left but my soul. I met my soul and I knew.
I allowed myself to freefall into my pain and feel it with all its intensity. From that moment, my life took on new meaning and direction. My Soul’s Purpose began to live itself and all I had to do was follow obediently. I felt “alive” for the very first time in a very long time. I felt real and released from “should” and “need to” and I could feel my heartbeat and the blood flowing through my veins. I looked around and everything looked different and felt different. I knew I was alive in a way that alive had never meant to me before. Wow!
Feeling alive? Kinda like that!
Being “alert” follows that “aliveness” because you begin to be aware of everything around you and you connect with life itself in a way you never have before. You become aware of your thoughts as they enter your mind and your words as they are being formed as sound upon your vocal chords just before they express through your lips. You’re aware of feelings and emotions as they emerge from the center of the first glimmer of your perception about what you see and what you experience. You begin to have mastery over how you will see your life in order to value the experiences and comprehend their deeper meaning and the gifts they bring.
“Alert” means being in this moment only.
Eckhart Tolle says we are never fully in this moment because we judge everything by our past experience of that or something like it and we are, therefore, always in the past.
We live in the present moment as if it were the past and project it into the future; therefore making past, present and future one continuous experience.
When we are alive and alert, we are awake. To “awake” is to realize that we are here for one reason and one reason only: To serve humanity—to light the way of awakening to all for the healing of the planet. When we awake from the sleep of forgetfulness, we remember who we are, whose we are and for what purpose we have come.
How do we get to “alive, alert and awake?” By being willing to experience each event of our lives as it comes just as it is and with whatever it brings without resistance to what does not feel good.
Is it challenging? Yes! Is it painful? Yes! Is it worth it? Absolutely yes! In Love and Forgiveness, Sheila
SCENES FROM A STORY July 2009 What if we could see the world from the inside of our story? Oh wait! That’s exactly how we see the world, isn’t it? So what does it look like from in there? a.) Is it mixed up and confused? b.) Dark and scary? c.) Lonely and isolated? d.) Shaky and insecure? e.) All of the above?
Answer: e.) All of the above and that’s my final answer.
That is exactly how we view and experience life—from the inside of our Story—and, yet, we think that what we are seeing is how it really is and we live our lives as if what we are seeing is actually Reality. In other words, we are living in Neverland.
I don’t think Michael Jackson would mind if I borrowed the name of his fairytale ranch to make a point. In fact, as he is making his life review with his Soul Guide, he is probably asking “What was I thinking?”
Neverland. Why Neverland?
Because what we see and are living from can NEVER be true or Reality. It is the illusion constructed from the story we made up about who we are and what our life is, as a result of what we thought happened to us in the past.
Would you like me to repeat that?
It is the illusion (delusion, false impression, fantasy, figment of your imagination) that you created out of the story (the emotional energy added to what actually happened) you made up (misperceived) about who you are (bad, unworthy, unlovable) and what your life is (empty, lonely, poor, homeless, jobless), as a result of (because of) what you thought happened to you in the past (Father/Mother abandoned you, Mother/Father didn’t love you, Teachers labeled you “dumb”).
You see, inside the story or from the perspective of the story the world is colored grayscale and holds no possibility or purpose. The story becomes the background upon which we paint the lack and limitations we believe are the landscape of our lives—all shading and no light—and if anything shows up contrary to that, we instantly recolor it to fit the predesigned perspective.
I remember, in Middle School (then referred to as Junior High School), when I had my first actual art class where we learned to do Perspective Drawings. Prior to that we just drew and colored whatever our little creative or non-creative skills brought forth on the drawing paper.
Perspective drawing is an art form used to represent a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional plane, with which you use a ruler to create a very structured view of (for example) a city street with buildings on each side that diminish in size as it reaches the center of the page, representing the furthest viewpoint of the observer. This is referred to as the “vanishing point.” When we look at the image it seems to disappear at that point.
When we look at life from the inside of our story, what appears before us is like the part of the Perspective Drawing that is closest to us. It is large and looks and feels real; however, if we could shift our focus to the vanishing point, we would no longer see what appears to loom before us. In other words, we would see it from another perspective or viewpoint.
Another analogy within the perspective drawing is that it is constructed rather than created. You don’t need to be an artist to draw one. All you need is a ruler to make one. It is more mathematical than expressive.
The same can be said about our Story. It is constructed from what we made up and is not expressing either the truth of what happened or the truth of who and what we are. It seems bigger than what it really is and, if we could shift our perception and see it from the higher viewpoint, we would see that what actually happened is easier to forgive than what we made up about it.
Yet, there is a certain enjoyment and certain benefits to seeing the world from our story and living in our story.
We get to be victims—people feel sorry for us and want to help us and take care of us. We get to relinquish responsibility for the things that are happening in our lives and blame it on the story. We get the support and acceptance of other victims.
If these benefits are valuable enough to us, giving up the story and seeing the world from outside of the story can be extremely difficult and many of us hold on to those stores as long as we possibly can because we’re afraid that without them we would be nothing.
The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know. Giving up the story leaves you with the unknown and that is very scary.
Are there benefits to giving up the story? You betcha.
You get to be free, living without the burden of carrying the heavy energy those stories bring with them. You get to see that you are the creator of your life and that you can paint the most beautiful landscape your imagination affords. You draw to you people and circumstances that are loving, fun, joyful, peaceful and free. You get to have your Power..
How do we get rid of the story? Through forgiveness—through Radical Forgiveness. Healing the situations and forgiving the people that were the catalyst for the story, forgiving ourselves and releasing the toxic emotions associated with them, turns the perspective around and helps us see that everything was a stepping stone for our souls to evolve and to fulfill the purpose for which we came here.
Step out of the story and step into your power—step into the life you wish to live into—and find that peace and happiness awaits you.
In Love and Forgiveness,
If you are interested in the Radical Forgiveness Process, go to our Events Page to see what workshops and other events are coming up. Also, you may visit Colin Tipping’s web site for Radical Forgiveness events in your area. Go to www.radicalforgiveness.com.
GETTING TO THE BEST PART August 2009 Remember when we were kids and our parents gave us Oreos and a glass of milk for a snack? Of course, it wasn’t called a “snack” when I was a kid; it was called a “treat.” But I digress. Let’s get back to the Oreos.
How did you eat your Oreos?
Did you bite into it, enjoying the creamy-crunchy mixture of the crispy cookie and the smooth, rich milky center? Or did you ease the two halves of the sandwich cookie apart, lick the creamy center until it was gone—getting to the best part first—and then eat the crunchy cookies with your milk?
Funny, huh? All of us did not eat Oreos the same way. It would be interesting to know what percentage of Americans eat Oreos one way or the other. I’m sure someone has taken that survey. I’ll have to research that at another time. But, again, I digress. Back to the Oreos.
Why is it even important how you or I ate our Oreos?
I use Oreos as an analogy for how we take on our spiritual journey and, ultimately, fulfill our purpose for being on this planet—how we play out this role of “human being” in the process of discovering that we are “spiritual beings.”
Some of us just step up to life, with all of its ups and downs, good and bad, pain and pleasure, and other polar opposite experiences, and take a big bite out of it. Sometimes we taste the creamy center of peace, ease and contentment; however, for the most part, we get more of the flavor and experience of the crunch of the outer. At times our lives seem to run more smoothly than other times and the crunch is superseded by the sweetness. Those are the times when we connect with the flavor of the Divine Part of us and the noise and weight of the crunch of life is stilled.
Some of us deliberately take our time to find the sweet creamy center of the Divine Part of our selves and ingest that before taking on the crunch and crush of life. We want to get to the best part as quickly as possible. We then feel content with the process of life whether it takes us up or down, sideways, zigzag or in a straight line.
Which is best? Both!
You see, it is all about what our Souls have chosen for this particular “treat” called incarnation. We might come into this human experience to develop certain spiritual muscles, experience certain challenges, in order to learn how to know the power and the presence of the Divine Part of us even in the midst of the weight of the crush of the crunch of life. On the other hand, we might have decided to connect with the Divine Part of us at an early point in our lives so that we might anchor ourselves in Truth for the purpose of standing as a Lighthouse for others who are seeking it in the midst of their challenges.
For example, our elder brother and Master Teacher Jesus the Christ chose to eat the center first and walk through his challenges fully aware of the Divine Part of him to show us what was available and what was possible with that which was available—to show us the way.
Martin Luther King, however, chose to eat the cookie as a whole and walk the rocky road with its ups and downs while discovering the Divine Part of him as a demonstration that whichever way life leads us—through the slings and arrows of hatred or the valley of the shadow of death—we could find God if we looked in the face of our so-called enemy and saw the Christ—to give us hope.
Each of these Teachers, just as each of these ways of taking on the “treats” of life, is absolutely perfect according to what our Soul’s Plan and Purpose might be. Ultimately, the only relevant thing is that we find the Divine Part of us—the Creamy Center—and savor it. However we choose to get there, we will get to the best part.
Who is that in the Mirror Looking Back at Me? September 2009
It is so strange being someone who has a public persona. I get to hear all the time how people perceive me—good or bad, correct or erroneous—and I’m not certain exactly how I’m expected to respond when I hear it. It would be really easy to be either puffed up about it or, alternatively, to feel hurt or insulted about it; however, it would not serve my spiritual growth either way. After all, that is what we’re here for isn’t it?
The great thing about facilitating this life-transforming Radical Forgiveness process is that I am constantly being called upon to do my personal forgiveness work. Colin Tipping, author of the Radical Forgiveness Therapeutic Process, emphatically stressed in our training that we must “do the work ourselves.”
In Radical Forgiveness, we teach the concept of Projection as extremely important in helping us discover what aspects of us we have disowned, denied, repressed or suppressed so they can be revealed, embraced and accepted as a process for healing and incorporated as part of our lives for balance. "Projection" is an unconscious process by which we attempt to get rid of our shame, guilt, self-criticism and any other subconscious-level pain by labeling someone or something outside of us with it hoping we no longer have to remember we ever had it. We believe by giving it to someone else, we get rid of what we don't want to acknowledge, accept and heal within ourselves; however, according to the Law of Compensation: What we give we get; the activity of giving and receiving are one and the same. In fact, it returns to us increased. So when I hear something that makes me feel good about myself, I send it in my mind back to the person who said it as a fact that what they are seeing in me is actually an aspect of them calling to be recognized and embraced.
Well, the same actually goes for the things people say that cause me to feel hurt, sad or angry. While I make sure to do either a worksheet, 13 Steps, Satori 7-Step or 4 Steps around it, I also realize that it, too, is an aspect of them that is calling to be recognized and embraced.
As children, we learn what brings us praise and what brings us punishment or condemnation and from that we set aside those things that don’t foster praise (Colin Tipping calls them “Cool” and “Uncool” stuff)—creating the denied, disowned, repressed Shadow Self or Subpersonality—and we split ourselves in half. We often then totally forget about what we have rejected until we see it in someone else and criticize, condemn, judge, praise, exalt or glorify it. Our shadow is pretty much fully formed by the time we are somewhere between 5 and 7 years of age and lives in the Subconscious and Unconscious levels of our mind.
Our Shadows sabotage our lives, destroy our relationships, bring our careers to a screeching halt, bring down shame and humiliation upon us and cause us to do things so completely out of character that we almost seem possessed. They appear to lie dormant but the more they are ignored the more energy they gain and when they gain as much energy as the ego, they erupt in some form or other.
How do we determine our Shadow Stuff?
If we want to know what we’ve denied within us that makes up our Shadow Stuff, all we have to do is look at what we point to in others—good or bad.
Debbie Ford, the Master Teacher of the Shadow Work Process and author of The Dark Side of the Light Chasers, tells us: Our shadows are often hidden so well from us that it’s nearly impossible to find them. If it weren’t for the phenomenon of projection they might stay hidden from us for a lifetime.
Pointing out someone else’s great qualities or negative attributes is a wonderful way to determine what personal shadow stuff we are projecting on them. Point your finger at something and notice where most of the fingers are actually pointed—back at you. Colin says, “If you spot it, you got it! It’s you in the mirror.”
Sometimes, when we get really upset because a person constantly behaves a certain way, our Shadow may be revealing itself in one of two ways:
(1) It may be a quality we’re ashamed of and have suppressed it; or (2) It may be something we’re angry about not having the courage to be.
For example: If you see someone as arrogant and aggressive, you may actually be projecting upon them what you’re angry about not having enough of or what you’re afraid people will discover is a part of you that you hide from the world. On the other hand, if you find yourself constantly worshipping someone and feeling they have something you don’t have, it is actually that quality in you calling to be acknowledged and embraced.
I found myself constantly criticizing my daughter for being “selfish” until I realized that I was angry that I didn’t have the courage to be more selfish. I have now embraced my selfishness and give myself permission to take more time for me, do more things for me and to say “no,” when it is unhealthy and unloving of self to say “yes,” without feeling guilty or being afraid I won’t be liked. I must say, it feels good too.
Painful, though it may be, unearthing and acquainting ourselves with our Shadow or Shadows is absolutely necessary if we are to truly achieve wholeness while dancing on the edge of chaos in the midst of this realm of duality and paradoxes.
Shadows are also referred to as subpersonalities and these subpersonalities when ignored and left to their own devices will rise up and sabotage our lives when they gain enough energy. Have you ever seen a mild-mannered person suddenly go ballistic? Shadow Stuff. Have you read about famous people who have it all and throw it all away by doing drugs, driving drunk. hosting dogfights, condemning homosexuality and then getting caught in a homosexual liaison? Shadow Stuff. How do we heal our Shadow? It is really quite simple at the basic level: Look closely at what you judge in another person or something outside of yourself; acknowledge it ("Oh! That's my Shadow Stuff!); embrace it ("It is a part of me that I can use to become whole."); and love yourself for having it ("I love my Shadow and it loves me."). You may also look into participating in some seminars or workshops that teach techniques for getting to and healing the Shadow. The key is to do something.
We have a choice: Face it and free it or ignore it and energize it. The first choice gives you the power of choosing when, where and how to deal with your Shadow Stuff. The second choice puts the when, where and how under the direction of the Shadow Stuff itself. The choice is yours.
The next time you find yourself judging or praising someone, ask yourself “Who is that in the mirror looking back at me?” Might be your own Shadow.
With great respect and love, 
If you are interested in knowing more about this phenomenon called “The Shadow” there are many great books by authors such as Debbie Ford, Robert Johnson and Robert Bly. Additionally, the entire Radical Forgiveness Process helps us identify, accept and embrace our Shadows and forgive the people and situations that caused us to lock them away in the first place. Visit www.debbieford.com; www.radicalforgiveness.com or click through the pages on this web site for information about workshops and other events that will support you in facilitating your own Shadow Process.
Choose Well TODAY! October 2009 Choose—choice. We spend a lot of time “choosing” in our day-to-day lives. We even fight for the right to “choose” in many aspects of our lives—becoming upset when our power to choose is taken away from us—wanting to make up our own minds about what we want and don’t want. Yet, do we realize that we give up our right to choose more times than we embrace it? Are we aware that our emotions, our happiness, our reactions, and how we perceive our world and each other is a choice?
Probably not.
More than likely we believe we are at the mercy of what happens in our lives and that what occurs determines whether we are happy and how we react to those things that show up. It is in fact, just the opposite; we have the power and the ability to choose at each moment how we will accept or not accept what has happened and whether we will retain our joy in spite of it. Our emotions, happiness, reactions, and perceptions are a choice made by us either consciously or unconsciously and what we choose determines our ultimate experience.
There is a scripture in the Bible that says “choose you this day whom you will serve.” (Joshua 24:15)
It is speaking to the people who are torn between worshipping the multiple gods their forefathers served and the One God.
From a modern-day context, I interpret it as speaking to those of us who are torn between following the wisdom and guidance of our Spiritual Intelligence, which is always leading us to and along a path aligned with The Divine, or our Ego (human selves), which is always leading us to and along a path paved with pain and suffering, heartache and disappointment.
Seems like a “no-brainer” doesn’t it? Yet we continue to give up our right to choose and surrender to the Ego the outcome of our lives and our ultimate joy.
Colin Tipping, author of Radical Forgiveness—Making Room for the Miracle, says we live between two worlds: the World of Humanity and the World of Divine Truth. We are continually, in each moment, making a choice to live in one or the other. Sometimes, once we awaken to the truth of our being, the two overlap and we are able to live simultaneously in both and make a choice to apply the Divine Standard to the human experience. In fact, he says, that is our ultimate goal—to bring the two worlds together and live in them as one.
Our elder brother, Jesus the Christ, referred to this as “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10) and the Apostle Paul wrote that we should not be “conformed by [the things of] this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Rom. 12:2)
The Message Bible states it this way:
Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what God wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Rom 12:2 MSG)
This is often paraphrased as “be in the world but not of the world” from the Sufi tradition.
So where am I going with this?
When life shows up in a challenging way we can, in that moment, make a choice to experience it from our human perspective of suffering or from our divine perspective of perfection, spiritual growth and the opportunity for the manifestation of possibilities; and the choice we make will determine whether the challenge takes us up or takes us down.
I am not saying that we are not to have whatever feelings or emotions arise in the face of the challenge run their course but to choose to feel or emote from a place of power/co-creator rather than as a victim. If we are feeling sad, angry or any other genuine upset, it is truly important to express those feelings fully and allow them to run their course; however, at the same time, we can know that something else may be occurring at a spiritual level: We are being given an opportunity to heal an issue that occurred during our early years (or a Core Negative Belief that arose from it) that has energetically attracted the current situation into our lives for this very purpose; or
- This is a chance to move beyond a wall or roadblock in our path to reach a goal or manifesting something we have desired; or
- It is something that serves as a test of our progress in some deep spiritual work we have been undertaking. (Please don’t take this as saying God is testing us. God does not test us; we test ourselves.)
When the situation arises, we can feel the pain of it and still stand in our power by recognizing that there is a big spiritual picture behind the appearance that we may not be able to see right then and be willing to see it even if we cannot. This is where the Four (4) Steps to Radical Forgiveness are very powerful and effective:
- Wow! Look what I created.
- I notice my feelings (emotions) and judgments and love myself for having them.
- I am willing to see the perfection in this situation.
- I choose the Power of Peace.
Wow! Look what I created. By acknowledging that we are responsible for creating the situation before us, we are immediately transported from victim to co-creator, recognizing that we cannot be a victim and a co-creator at the same time. This is the first step in taking back our power. It does not mean that the actions of any persons involved are being excused or that there is no penalty for their actions. It does mean that you drew the experience to you for a deeper, more spiritual reason than that you were simply a victim of a random act meant to bring you pain and suffering.
I notice my feelings (emotions) and judgments and love myself for having them. Noticing our feelings or emotions is a way of allowing them to be what they are, not holding them back or denying that they exist, but recognizing that we have them. Eckhart Tolle (Power of Now) says that simply acknowledging the Pain Body is the first step in letting it go and being freed from the hold it has over us. Loving ourselves for having those feelings prevents us from moving into guilt, shame, blame or other negative self-judgments.
I am willing to see the perfection in this situation. Here is the step where we choose to be “in the world but not of the world.” This step is the bridge to the World of Divine Truth. We don’t have to actually be able to “see” the perfection but simply to be “willing” to see the perfection—the divine big picture—in whatever is happening and allowing the spiritual process to evolve as we grow into it. Here we only need to be “willing” to make the final choice.
I choose the power of peace. The final step. Choice. Choosing the power of peace removes the fear, anxiety and other emotions that paralyze our movement from World of Humanity thinking to World of Divine Truth perception. To choose “peace” is the ultimate choice, as it frees us from the internal conflicts of the mind where we are vacillating between condemning and forgiving.
The act of “choosing” calls into action all of the powers of the universe to rise up and support us in having it be as we have chosen.
Choice is a divinely ordained gift of Will, given to us by our Creator to provide us with the tools we would need in order to have dominions over the “things of the earth” (Gen. 1:26) not for the things of the earth to have dominion over us. Metaphysically, “things of the earth” means those things we have created.
Wow! Look what I created.
I had a coaching client who was totally stuck in an inability to move forward because of Core Negative Beliefs of unworthiness and a need to be punished, so this person would not do what needed to be done regarding work that would bring in money that was essential to survival because the need to be punished was so strong. While we were working on healing the root cause of the Core Negative Beliefs through the process of Radical Forgiveness, I recommended that each day every step be a “choice” rather than what had to be done for a period of 21 days until it had become a habit.
For example: “I choose to get out of bed; I choose to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth and wash my face; I choose to go to the kitchen and prepare and eat my breakfast; I choose to turn on my computer; I choose to open up a client request; I choose to complete the first step of this client request; etc.”
This turned out to be a very effective process as long as the client kept it up. The moment the process was stopped before the 21 days had been completed, the client reverted back to inaction and the Core Negative Beliefs took over.
Quantum Mechanics has shown us that everything we create first exists as a particle in the Quantum Field (or Universe) and once we turn our attention to it or choose, it becomes a wave.
How does a wave function? It begins to move toward shore. It immediately jumps into action. That is what I mean when I say that the moment we choose, all of the powers of the universe rise up to support us in having it be so.
Yet we give up our power to choose every time a negative situation arises in our lives and we allow victim consciousness to prevail and forget that we are powerful creators who have the innate ability to establish a thing “on earth as it is in heaven.”
Make a commitment TODAY to take back your power from the people and situations you give it to each time you have chosen to be the Victim rather than the Creator of your life. Choose TODAY, or rather this moment, to stand in your power in spite of what is standing in front of you. Choose peace and bring heaven into the realm of your earthly experiences.
Choose well TODAY! What is the Lesson in THIS?!
In every spiritual process, we are guided to find the lesson or the blessing in our challenges either great or small. In the forgiveness work I facilitate, we tell our clients and students that we are “not the victims of random acts of good or bad luck or being in the right place at the right time or the wrong place at the wrong time.” We tell them that “life is purposeful and has meaning” and that everything that occurs happens not “to us” but “for us.”
Okay, sounds good, but there is a caveat: “In the midst of the challenge, you absolutely cannot see it.” By all means, if you are grounded in spiritual discipline or a forgiveness process, make an attempt to see it; however, if you cannot, don’t beat up on yourself. It usually comes in hindsight; it is clearer when you look back at the situation from a more objective perspective.
I can personally testify to this because of my own recent experiences.
Two years ago, when my husband gave me 18 hours notice that he was leaving the marriage, I was too angry, hurt, disappointed and devastated to even attempt to find the lesson or blessing in the situation; however, now I can honestly say that it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Two days ago, when my birthday trip to Paris came to a screeching halt due to a series of unfortunate events, I was too angry, sad, and devastated to open the door to find the lesson or blessing in what happened. Know what? I still can’t. I’m being very honest with you. I know that it is there, but for the life of me right now I don’t even want to look for it. Why?
Because right now I need to experience the anger, sadness and devastation because that is the gateway to my healing and the exact experience my Soul needs in order to feel the energy of separation for its evolution toward wholeness.
And, let me tell you, I am feeling it down to my bones. I’m so angry and feeling such deep grief that all I can do right now is sleep—that is how I process my grief. I sleep all day and all night and when I’m not sleeping, I’m sleepy. But I’m letting it happen just as it wants to happen. When I get too sleepy to stay up, I go to sleep.
Now, perhaps, this is a blessing right there as I usually don’t get a lot of sleep because my mind is always going at warp speed. This was to be the first non-working vacation in many years, so what I may need is just to sleep so I can be ready for the multitude of activities on my schedule for the next 3 months. Wow! Okay, this is good.
You see, even finding a little blessing when you are still feeling crappy can lighten the load a little bit. The key is to keep on moving through the negative emotions brought on by the challenge until you get all the way to the other side. Then, and only then, you may be able to see the lesson or blessing—and notice I said “may be able.” In the case of the end of my marriage, it took me almost two years.
Why do we need to find the lesson or blessing anyway? Because that is exactly what leads us toward fulfilling the purpose our Soul chose for this life path and/or balancing whatever karmic debt we desired to complete during this incarnation. Our challenges are like Spiritual Aptitude Tests that strengthen us and expand our consciousness; they bring us in closer contact with the divine part of us and, thereby, closer to our Creator.
As we expand our awareness and elevate our intention toward wholeness, we are presented with greater opportunities to practice the principles which serve as rungs on the ladder leading to our highest expression of living as Spiritual Beings. These opportunities, or tests, are mechanisms by which the universe extracts all of our flawed belief systems and past mis-creations to be healed in the light of new awareness. We could be thought of as Initiates experiencing our Rites of Passage – passage into the Kingdom of Heaven as an actual experience right here and right now. With each new test, we have an opportunity to exercise our spiritual muscle and when we move through a test successfully it adds to our muscle mass. When the next test comes, we are stronger in our knowledge and faith and stand a better chance for successfully completing the new test of initiation. As we become masters of our thoughts, words, beliefs, behavior, feelings and emotions, we become the channel for inspiration to draw others farther along in their spiritual awareness and transformation. We become teachers for God and join in preparing others for their SATs.
(“Taking Your SATs,” Gautreaux-Lee, Messages, IN:Author House, 2005, pp. 122-123)
So our challenges and the things that cause them are our greatest opportunities for the upwardly progressive movement of our Soul toward its highest expression, and discovering the lesson and the blessings awakens us to the truth of our being and reveals for us who we really are and why we are really here.
Is it difficult? Yes. Will we still experience our victimhood? Yes. How do we move through it? By moving “through” it and not anchoring ourselves “in” it. Be sad, angry, upset, disappointed and whatever other emotions arise; however, use tools to help you get to the other side.
I cannot think of any greater tools than the tools of Radical Forgiveness. Call a Coach for a one-on-one session either in person or by phone; pick up and complete a Radical Forgiveness Worksheet; or listen to the 13 Steps to Radical Forgiveness CD. Then, once you get to the other side of it, review the situation and see if you can find the lesson—what it meant for your spiritual growth—and the blessing—what gift it has brought to you or your life. Usually, by that time, it is very easy to find it. If not, keep looking.
I know that I will keep looking for the lesson and blessing in the loss of my Paris trip and when I do I will let you know. In the meantime. . .
Be Blessed, Be Bold, Be Brave,
I'M IN A CHRISTMAS STATE OF MIND Let's Get Back to Basics I’m really in the Christmas mood this year. The past two years have been merely an exercise in order to maintain the holiday spirit and joy for my family; however, based on what I’m feeling this year, my heart wasn’t in it. This year, the spirit and joy are bubbling up inside me and I’m really getting excited about making this the best Christmas ever.
Notice I said “Christmas.” I didn’t say “Holiday.” I realize that during this period of time, there are many cultures and religions celebrating their own beliefs; however, since my belief is based on the teachings of Jesus and on the Christ Presence and Consciousness that lives in and expresses through me as it did for my Elder Brother, I am personally celebrating “Christmas.” I have made a commitment to keeping “Christ” in Christmas while also acknowledging and honoring the celebrations of others.
In my book Messages there is a chapter titled “Putting Christ Back in Christmas.” It was written, as were all of the chapters in that book, for an e-zine called EmpowerMag.com in 2002. It was my original intention to write a message for this web page about keeping the holiday of Christmas about the birth of Jesus the Christ, but I asked myself: “Why reinvent the Wheel?” I have, therefore, decided to reprint the entire column here. It is rather long but well worth the read.
Rest assured that I give full respect and honor to Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and other traditions. Please forgive me if anyone is offended; however, here is where I get to share what I believe.
May the Christ be reborn in you this day and in the years to come. Merry CHRISTmas.
Putting Christ Back in Xmas For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. (December 2002) As I prepare this column Thanksgiving is only a couple of weeks away and, already, the commercial marketing frenzy has begun by retailers and toy companies to sell us Xmas. As a child, I remember that the appearance of Santa Claus at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade heralded the official kick-off of the season. Now, each purveyor of potential profits attempts to get a jump on its competition by initiating their sales pitch a little earlier each year. Pretty soon the Fourth of July will pronounce the commencement of the Xmas season with a fireworks-generated Santa Claus. Forgive me if I sound jaded, but I have almost forgotten why we even began this holiday observance in the first place. As I sit and contemplate what my husband [now ex-husband] and I are going to give our family and friends this year and whether or not we will send out cards this year and what I’ll cook for dinner and what new clothes I’ll need for the many parties, this leaves little room for celebrating the 2000+ birthday of that little kid that was born in a barn in Bethlehem. You know. . .old what’s-his-name? Oh yes, Jesus the Christ. In case any of you have also forgotten what this season is about, I refer you to this beautiful story: And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; because (he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. On that blessed night in Bethlehem the Christ Potential was born as Jesus, son of Mary, and all of heaven’s angelic host rejoiced. The possibility of the Christ that gestates within each of us was expressed through an elder brother who came to demonstrate its availability for all of us. The power of the Christ – not the Power Rangers or Power Puff Girls. With the exception of our obligatory Christmas Eve or Christmas Day church service, which we attend as a family to make mother or grandmother happy, we have wandered so far away from the original purpose of this season that it may take a search and reconnaissance mission to bring us back. We have even developed Xmas for the “X” generation, a kind of shorthand that keeps us from having to write out that long word and leaves us with a little more time for our PCs, laptops and Palm Pilots. How on earth did we get “X” from Christ? How about putting Christ back in Christmas? What would that mean for us individually and what would that mean for humanity? Well, first, let us look at what the Christ is and what the birth of Jesus meant metaphysically. Charles Fillmore, co-founder of the Unity Movement, defines Christ as The incarnating principle of the God-man; the perfect Idea of God; the Divine Potential within each of us; Image of God; Word of God. Christ is the spiritual DNA within each and every one of us that indicates we are descendants of God. It is that which scripture calls the “image and likeness of God.” It is the potential within us that we must activate, develop and express if we are to fulfill the true purpose for which we were created; that being, to carry the message of Christ in you, the hope of glory that will inspire all of humanity to live out the true meaning of their divinity and affect the at-one-ment that will reveal the Kingdom of God throughout the planet. The Christ is the homing signal implanted within us at the point of creation to bring us back home if we got lost. It has been beeping for thousands of years and we’ve been wondering “what is that noise?” It has been calling us home, but we forgot what it was. So, an elder brother volunteered to come to remind us. That elder brother was Jesus. His birth increased the frequency of the homing signal so that we might be more aware of it. Jesus’ birth was a call to us to be reborn into our true identity as sons and daughters of God. It was a wake-up call. Now, you are probably wondering how this impacts upon non-Christians. Well, first of all, Jesus was not a Christian. He was a devout Jew and practiced all of the sacred Judaic traditions. Secondly, our spiritual DNA does not have a basis in theology but, rather, in ontology (the nature of being). The Christ Potential, therefore, is not a theological potential but a spiritual potential. We are all spiritual beings and, therefore, we all have that “Christ” Potential or Divinity within us. The Dictionary defines Christ as “an ideal type of humanity.” Since all of us have the potential to become “ideal” when we align with the spiritual laws of God, we all have the “Christ Potential” within us, whether Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or any other theological belief system. Jesus, therefore, was a Way-Shower for all of humanity. The sign of Christmas is a star, a light in darkness. See it not outside yourself, but shining in the Heaven within, and accept it as the sign the time of Christ has come. Observing the birth of Jesus each December (even though scientific data shows he was not born in December) causes an increase in the universal vibration because of the number of people who are focusing their attention during that time toward the occurrence of a divine incident. Each year the frequency is elevated to a greater intensity and causes a deepening of our own awareness of the Divine Potential and an increase in the power of that potential which, then, radiates outwardly as a wave of energy that joins us in a collective experience of love, peace and hope. Even those who are not participating in the observance are caught up in the wave because we are all connected. It is important, however, to be aware that the ego is also working overtime during this period to distract us in every way possible. For every Christmas Carol that is played or sung, there are a dozen commercials and ads for toys, electronic gadgets and clearance sales. For every telling of the Christmas Story, there are at least a couple of party invitations. We are inundated by television programs, movies and holiday catalogs that are designed to bind us to the surface-level observance of this season. If we are to stay spiritually grounded during this time, we must be vigilant to the ego. Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying toys and gifts for the holidays; however, when that becomes the most significant aspect of the celebration, we have been suckered by the ego to observe “it.” We can give our gifts, but with the awareness of the greatest gift that has ever been given to humanity – the birth of The Christ. When we give from that consciousness of giving, our presents are wrapped in the Presence of God. It is beyond all your littleness to give the gift of God, but not beyond you. For God would give Himself through you. He reaches from you to everyone and beyond everyone to His Son’s creations, but without leaving you. Far beyond your little world but still in you, He extends forever. The greatest gift we can give to each other this Christmas is the loving reminder that the Christ (Divinity) is within everyone and is reborn each time we remember the birth and teachings of Jesus. Because the ego will be working overtime to distract us this season, we will need to spend some extra time in prayer and meditation to stay centered in our relationship with God and with each other. As the shopping and financial stress weigh heavily upon us, we need reminders that our peace and prosperity are anchored in relationship to our Source. When we begin to feel the loneliness of spending the holidays without family or friends, we need to feel the loving presence and assurance of God. We need some quiet time now and then to simply remember why. . . Take this meditation, record it for yourself and play it in your car, at work or at home when the whole holiday scenario becomes too much for you. Today I give birth to the Christ Potential within me and a new life is born.
You may not be looking forward to this holiday season. Perhaps friends and loved ones are too far away to connect with. Maybe a friend or loved one has recently departed from your life and you feel sad and alone. You might feel that no one cares about you right now.
Remember, Beloved One, the angels have come to tell you of the Blessed birth that is about to take place within you. You are favored of God and the new Christ is being born in you this day.
The new Christ is the eternal Christ Potential that has been growing within each of us for 2000 years. It is the unlimited possibility of Spirit that provides us with the love that comforts us in our aloneness, the peace that soothes us during our turmoil, the power that strengthens us when the way seems too difficult to maneuver and the joy that makes us happy when the sadness comes.
Right now, connect with that new Christ that is coming forth from you to prepare for you a new life, created in the perfect image and likeness of Spirit; filling you with the wisdom of the ages, the insights of the ascended masters and the miracle-working power of Jesus. Say to yourself: Today I give birth to the Christ Potential within me and a new life is born.
This new life brings forth light within the darkness and I am so filled with that light, that I extend it out into the world and share its glorious warmth with my brothers and sisters everywhere. Say to yourself: Today I give birth to the Christ Potential within me and a new life is born.
Joy bubbles up within me and my laughter spills over to bring happiness to others.
Say to yourself: Today I give birth to the Christ Potential within me and a new life is born.
Peace settles deep within my soul and I bring peace to all humankind.
Say to yourself: Today I give birth to the Christ Potential within me and a new life is born.
Love fills every cell and fiber of my being. I am so filled with love that it radiates to everyone and they are transformed.
Say to yourself: Today I give birth to the Christ Potential within me and a new life is born.
I am grateful that Christ lives within me and within every living creation. I allow the awareness of this to create a joyful holiday and a perfect new life.
Say to yourself: Today I give birth to the Christ Potential within me and a new life is born. Thank you God. Amen.
This Christmas let us hold the Christ light deep within our hearts in all that we say and do, and extend that light to everyone we meet on the street, in the crowded malls, on the buses or subways and in our workplaces. Let us be a reminder this season of the true meaning of Christmas and hear the angels sing “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to all humanity.” Let us put Christ back in Christmas. Let no despair darken the joy of Christmas, for the time of Christ is meaningless apart from joy. Let us join in celebrating peace by demanding no sacrifice of anyone, for so you offer me the love I offer you. What can be more joyous than to perceive we are deprived of nothing? May the joy of the Lord be upon you and may this Christmas be the awakening within you of the glory we had with our Creator before the world was. ANOTHER YEAR ANOTHER WOO! January 2010 Happy New Year! Happy New You! What's a WOO? A Window Of Opportunity, and we just got another one with the curtain going up on 2010. With this new year, we can write upon the pages of our lives any story we want to have play out. We can write an exciting new story filled with what we've always dreamed of or, conversely, we can write the same story we've written year after year. The choice is our's. We are the creators of our reality. By choosing what we wish to live into and writing the script to carry it out, it is kind of like having our cake and eating it too. This year, I'm writing a thrilling saga of exciting journeys, quantum leaps and major success. My script includes the re-write of my first book, which is being picked up by a publisher, the completion of my third book, national speaking engagements, and opening a window into specialized community groups to present Radical Forgiveness and world travel. Now here's the exciting part, it is already happening. Windows Of Opportunity are opening for all of my script to play out in a phenomenal way. The Radical Forgiveness work I've done is really paying off. I'm not bringing unhealed baggage into this new year and the results are quickly showing up. You can have the same results. Use the Radical Forgiveness tools to release and let go of anything that didn't bring you joy in 2009 or before. There are worksheets on this web site that you can download and compelte. Click Here. There are workshops, breathwork sessions, Radical Empowerment Program and otehr events coming up. Visit our Events Page. One-on-one coaching is available to you by phone from wherever you are or in person. Click Here for more information or visit www.radicalforgiveness.com to find a coach in your area. Don't allow this year to look like last year, unless last year was absolutely spectacular. You have the power to close the door on 2009 and open a Window Of Opportunity in 2010. Seize the moment and create the life you wish to live into. Be Blessed, Be Bold, Be Brave
LOVE & FORGIVENESS February 2010 There has been much debate within the African-American Community about February being selected as Black History Month. Some say "It is the shortest month of the year; we got cheated as usual." Others say: "It is perfect because it is the month of love." Regardless of what side you take in the debate, this is the month of Love and Forgiveness. We celebrate Valentine's Day and we celebrate the survival and continuation of an ethnic group that has much to forgive. Love calls us to leave our pain behind and luxuriate in its perfection. Who has not felt the sting of abuse, intolerance, criticism, condemnation or judgment? Whether you are of a different race, different religion, different size or different sexual orientation, there has come a time in your life when someone has hurt or harmed you because of it. Although in February we honor the experiences of African-Americans, it offers a Window of Opportunity to turn our awareness toward others who have been harmed by our ignorance of the fact that we are all one and the pain and suffering of one is the pain and suffering of us all, and to bring it to the light to be healed through love. A Course in Miracles has a phenomenal process for freeing ourselves from the pain we have projected onto others that has kept us locked in pain as well. This month, why not honestly reflect upon our biases as well as the biases that have been projected upon us and use this process to forgive ourselves and others: I give you to the Holy Spirit as part of myself. I know that you will be released unless I want to use you to imprison myself. In the name of my freedom I choose your release, because I recognize that we will be released together. (A Course in Miracles, p. 329)
Unforgiveness keeps us in bondage to the people or situations we are unable or unwilling to forgive. In order to release ourselves, we must release others. Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door and releases us, so that we may release others. (Gautreaux-Lee, Praying Through a Storm) Love directs a flow of healing energy toward the one forgiven that speaks to the soul where all healing takes places, and bridges the gap we have created from our belief in separation and differences. In the Holy instant the condition of love is met, for minds are joined without the body's interference and where there is communication there is peace. (ACIM, p. 328)
I am so grateful to those trailblazers who paved the way for me to have the freedom to express these words upon the pages of this web site. Thank you for loving me enough to make those Soul Contracts. MARCH FORWARD! March 2010
As we begin the month of March, let us see this as a call to "march forward"/Leave the past behind and whatever it held or holds--good, bad or indifferent/Let go of our attachments and March Forward/Look to this moment for perfect guidance and a light upon the path toward our future/Seek inspiration from the Christ of your being, take on the Power of Truth and March Forward. (Facebook Post 3/1/2010) Sometimes my writing is inspired by something I see during my journey; sometimes by a song, a movie, a TV Show or even a commercial. More often than not, words pop into my head as a gift from the Holy Spirit that send me off on a roll. Interestingly, this article was inspired by one of my recent Facebook Posts totally inspired by the Holy Spirit.
I happened to be thinking about the fact that we were already in the month of March, when the words came “march forward.” Wow! That was so cool, so I began to write and what came out was the post you see above.
Rarely do we really march forward. What we actually do most of the time is walk backwards. We are so fascinated with and attached to the past that we cannot stop looking back at it. Life is happening right here, right now, and we mostly miss the event. A Course in Miracles tells us that we live in the present as if it were the past and project it into the future making them one continuous stream (paraphrased); so, we never really live beyond the past. We simply move it around from one time frame to the next. We then wonder why we continue to suffer, not realizing that we never left the suffering behind but carry it with us and cherish it.
The “Course” says that past, present and future are not continuous unless we force continuity upon them.
What we do, therefore, is force suffering upon ourselves by continuing to carry the misperceptions and erroneous messages of the past that caused it in the first place. We walk backwards when our joy is found in marching forward.
How do we march forward? By forgiving what occurred in the past and looking in the other direction—forward; by letting go of what "was" and accepting what "is;" and by freeing ourselves from our yearning for the "good old days." These are the "good old days" March 2010
As we begin the month of March, let us see this as a call to "march forward"/Leave the past behind and whatever it held or holds--good, bad or indifferent/Let go of our attachments and March Forward/Look to this moment for perfect guidance and a light upon the path toward our future/Seek inspiration from the Christ of your being, take on the Power of Truth and March Forward. (Facebook Post 3/1/2010)your being, take on the power of Truth and March Forward.
Sometimes my writing is inspired by something I see during my journey; sometimes by a song, a movie, a TV Show or even a commercial. More often than not, words pop into my head as a gift from the Holy Spirit that send me off on a roll. Interestingly, this article was inspired by one of my recent Facebook Posts totally inspired by the Holy Spirit.
I happened to be thinking about the fact that we were already in the month of March, when the words came “march forward.” Wow! That was so cool, so I began to write and what came out was the post you see above.
Rarely do we really march forward. What we actually do most of the time is walk backwards. We are so fascinated with and attached to the past that we cannot stop looking back at it. Life is happening right, right now, and we mostly miss the event. A Course in Miracles tells us that we live in the present as if it were the past and project it into the future making them one continuous stream (paraphrased); so, we never really live beyond the past. We simply move it around from one time frame to the next. We then wonder why we continue to suffer, not realizing that we never left the suffering behind but carry it with us and cherish it.
The “Course” says that past, present and future are not continuous unless we force continuity upon them.
What we do, therefore, is force suffering upon ourselves by continuing to carry the misperceptions and erroneous messages of the past that caused it in the first place. We walk backwards when our joy is found in marching forward.
How do we march forward? By forgiving what occurred in the past and looking in the other direction—forward.
To march forward is to find the smallest joys in every moment.
To march forward is to embrace the beauty and perfection of right now.
To march forward is to seek the Christ in every experience as it happens.
To march forward is to live free from attachments, call upon the Holy Spirit to support our every decision and enjoy a closer walk with God.
Remember if you anguishing over the past or obsessing about the future, you’re nowhere because they don’t exist. Come back here and live free. if you live fully in them right now.
To march forward is to find the smallest joys in every moment.
To march forward is to embrace the beauty and perfection of right now.
To march forward is to seek the Christ in every experience as it happens.
To march forward is to live free from attachments, call upon the Holy Spirit to support our every decision and enjoy a closer walk with God.
Remember if you anguishing over the past or obsessing about the future, you’re nowhere because they don’t exist. Come back here and live free. Be Blessed, Be Bold, Be Brave and MARCH FORWARD, 
TENDERHEARTED COMMUNICATION Communication—how tenuous it is. April 2010
When I was entering the last leg of my journey through Licensed Unity Teacher training, we were blessed to have Marshall Rosenberg’s Non-violent Communication Process as part of our experience during our Skills Demonstration Seminar (SDS). What I learned in that training has helped me somewhat in my ability to communicate (sometimes I fall short) and also allowed me to see how and why communication can be “violent.”
I don’t believe Rosenberg used the term “non-violent” to mean keeping us from opening up a can of whup-ass on each other, although it definitely helps avoid that, but helping us communicate in a way that doesn’t cause strong emotions in others that may appear violent to the heart. Recently, I had the opportunity to feel what unconscious communication can cause. I felt the hurt in my heart.
I am a pretty strong and powerful woman who has learned how to use some great tools to free myself from the pain of the past and to handle painful situations as they arise; however, as I open my heart more and more to simply love humanity however they show up, it has truly tenderized my heart to the extent that I feel things even more deeply. This has revealed to me how much I had learned to protect my heart and how much I was withholding in comparison to how I loved 25 years ago.
I was such a loving child. My Mother will tell anyone who will listen that “Sheila was such a loving child, everybody loved her.” I really was. I loved everybody and I was totally forgiving of everything. This continued even into my 30s. For some reason I was determined to keep loving no matter what. I remember being asked “how can you love so openly after all the hurt and painful things you’ve experienced?” The only response I could give was “I don’t know; I just feel I have to keep on loving.”
Somehow, somewhere, that changed to a certain degree. Somewhere along the way I closed off my heart just a little bit and I’m not sure why. I only realize this because my friends always referred to me as “tenderhearted” and I felt things down to the depths of my soul. If someone was ill, sad, angry or fearful, I could feel it. The further along my spiritual journey went and the deeper my studies were the more I felt things.
I was unable to go into hospitals where there was sickness or places where there were lots of emotions flying. I stayed away from Malls, huge concerts and other public places and events. It got to the point where after being in New York City for more than 3 days I felt weak and tired. I discovered in 1985 that I was empathic and that I needed to do something to protect myself. I believe that was where I began closing off a little.
It was gradual and unnoticeable until something over the past couple of years brought me back to the deepest level of my feelings again and it is wonderful. It doesn’t always feel comfortable but it is so beautiful. I see a beautiful flower and it brings tears to my eyes; I hear a song and I weep; I hear someone tell me what a blessing something I’ve done has been to their lives and my eyes water; and everything in me is so open and receptive.
What does this have to do with communication?
This re-opening has also caused me to experience sadness when a word or action by someone appears unkind. Yes, I am totally aware that no one can hurt me or make me feel anything—that my feelings are based on my own interpretation—but it has simply brought me into the awareness that my heart is wide open again.
It has also caused me to make a commitment to myself and humanity to consider my words and my intention before I communicate because I don’t want to facilitate the feeling of pain in anyone’s experience even if our Soul Contract called for it.
I am willing to walk in love, talk in love and be love no matter what; and I call upon the Holy Spirit to help me keep this commitment. I will, however, continue to love myself when I fall short.
If we all could make that commitment—just be willing—there would be a shift in the collective consciousness of cosmic proportions and our world would be healed together. Just imagine. . .
So, I apologize if I have not loved you well enough in the past. Forgive me. I am open to loving you now unconditionally, exactly how you are, how you have been and the way you will be in the future. I love you so much! DEALING WITH OUR SEASONAL ALLERGIC “REACTIONS” MAY 2010
Yep! The sneezing-coughing,-runny nose-watery eyes Season is here and everywhere you go all people are talking about is their struggles with combating the effects of their allergies. If you live in Sacramento, California the likelihood of experiencing allergic reactions is quite high because we live in a valley and the pollen and smog settle over us like the cover of a Tupperware® bowl—not to mention that we’re the city with the second largest number of trees in the world next to Paris. When I arrived here 8 years ago I didn’t have allergies and many people were kind enough to predict for me: “Oh wait! You will.”
They were right. This season has been particularly challenging due to an unusual amount of pollen and winds blowing it around. A couple of days ago, I had to be rushed to the Emergency Room at UC Davis Medical Center because I couldn’t breathe. They informed me that I probably got there about 20 minutes before I would have died. It was diagnosed as “Reactive Asthma.” And I knew exactly what I had reacted to. Someone came into the room as I was preparing to give the Sermon on Sunday and sprayed the entire room with an aersol air freshener. It started almost immediately. By the time I got home late afternoon I was in full swing wheezing. At the hospital I was lovingly and efficiently cared for by a team of doctors and nurses and, loaded up with drugs, I am doing quite well. Once I have completed my regimen of medications, Dr. Gail Derin (Doctor of Oriental Medicine) will have to clean my system of those effects.
But the thing that caught my attention about all of this, which inspired this month’s topic, was the word “reactive.” Wow! That brought up so many concepts; particularly as it relates to the Radical Forgiveness work I do.
In Radical Forgiveness, we tell our students and clients that after you have done the forgiveness work on most if not all of the people, situations and circumstances of your past, it does not mean that stuff will not happen anymore; however, you will not “react” to it the same way you had in the past and if you have an upset it will not last as long.
This recent experience has led me to believe that our “reactions” to the things that show up (and have shown up) in our lives is like an “allergic reaction.” What do I mean by that?
Our true (Truth) nature of being is loving, accepting, forgiving, compassionate and sees only itself in everything; however, our false persona has been conditioned to get upset, take offense, feel angry, sad and disappointed about things that don’t align with what we believe we want. What I now believe is that the emotions that come up are so painful and cause so much discomfort because we’re having an “allergic reaction” to those emotions as they are not natural to our Beingness.
Because those situations are arising for us to see that we are bringing our past experiences into the present moment and projecting them upon the current event, it is a not-so-subliminal message from our Soul that this is an opportunity to discover another piece of our power that we had lost and heal the original event so that we can step into our power again.
In our last Radical Empowerment Monthly Support Group meeting, after giving a Tough-Love Speech to those who were refusing to do the work (worksheets in particular), many people who have been in the program one or more years were sharing that doing the work has freed them from “reacting” to things that show up in their lives like they used to before. The greatest benefit, then, of forgiveness is the freedom from “reacting” to everything that shows up for us along this life journey. The key to handling our seasonal (occasional) irritations is forgiveness and the Radical Forgiveness process is the most powerful tool on the planet right now for accomplishing that. Well, that’s my opinion anyway.
Let me share a personal experience with you that beautifully illustrates this point:
Recently, I finally decided to come up to the current level of cell phone technology. I was so resistant to it because I deal with so much other technology in my work and I didn’t want to have one more thing to put a lot of time into; however, more and more things were going wrong with my current phone and my contract with Verizon Wireless® had been up for quite some time and they were bombarding me with e-mails and snail mail to upgrade. When my Mother lost her cell phone and we had to visit a store to get another one I went ahead and got the Blackberry Storm Touch Screen. OMG! I cannot begin to tell you the level of frustration I experienced with that phone. I cried, I screamed at it, I cursed it from Amazing Grace to a floatin’ opportunity. At one point I almost threw it across the room. Then, suddenly, I caught myself and realized this was aberrant behavior. In other words, the “reaction” didn’t fit the circumstances. Immediately, this was my clue that it was about more than just this situation. Shortly after asking myself what it was really about, I realized that I was frustrated about several things going on or not going on in my life. I did a Worksheet on the phone and discovered what they were and began doing the work on those things that still had a charge for me as well.
EXERCISE: When someone or something shows up that irritates or upsets you, simply notice what emotions are coming up around it, say “Wow my Soul is allergic to this,” then ask yourself “What is this about really?” Take a look at when you have experienced this before, going all the way back as far as you can remember, and you’ll find 90% of the time it was never really about what was going on in that moment but was from your past and is something that needs to be forgiven on both ends. Download a worksheet from this site or go to www.radicalforgiveness.com and complete an online worksheet on the current situation and, if necessary, the situations from the past if there is still an emotional charge around them after completing the first worksheet.
Whatever you do, don’t just ignore it or those emotions will be imprinted on the outer layer of those 50 trillion cells in your body and transmit a signal to the entire body as well as connect with the Core Negative Beliefs in the subconscious mind and create even bigger situations to facilitate your awakening and lead you to forgiveness and your power.
Heal those things your Soul is allergic to and your Seasonal Irritations will either go away or become nothing more than a blip on the radar screen of your life. Don’t let those irritations take your breath away. Free yourself and enjoy the life you wish to live into.
With great respect and love, I honor you all,
OBJECTS MAY BE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR June 2010
I always wondered why automobile manufacturers would design a side-view mirror that makes the cars behind us appear further away than they actually are. I remember saying “that’s dumb.” So when I determine that I have enough room to move into the next lane I’m actually about to get hit by a car that looks like it is further away than it actually is. Duhhhh. . .
Recently, for absolutely no other reason than that concepts and ideas are meandering in a constant stream through this maze called “My Mind,” that statement popped into the forefront of the other mindless meanderings. When it did, I thought it would make a good title for something so I typed it into my “idea folder.” Since today is the first day of June and it was time to change the message on my Home Page, I figured I would see where the concept led me.
It brings to mind scriptures in the Bible that say “the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night” (I Timothy 5:2) and “I will come like a thief in the night and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” (Rev. 3:3)
Hang on, I’m not getting ready to hit you with some of that “old time religion.” (As Rev. Kev spoke about on Sunday.) Bear with me. I think you’ll like where I’m going.
Whenever you see our Creator referred to as “Lord” it is discussing God as absolute Law, so substitute the word “Law” for “Lord” and those scriptures are saying “the Law comes like a thief in the night” and we do not know when it will happen or be fulfilled.
We are speaking of Universal Law(s) such as: The Law of Mind Action (Thoughts held in mind produce after their kind); The Law of Cause and Effect (For every cause there is an effect or for every action there is a reaction); The Law of Consciousness (Our world and our experiences of it are a result of where we are in consciousness); and The Law of Compensation (What you give out is what you get back or What goes around comes around).
These Laws are natural, based on the order of the Universe, and act according to our Will. They are neutral and do not care who you are; they cannot be coerced, bribed, manipulated or bamboozled. They simply respond to the verbal and non-verbal commands of our minds, hearts, thoughts, feelings and beliefs. They also do not act within a specific time frame nor come from the direction in which they were sent; therefore, we do not know when or from what direction they will respond.
In other words, “they may be closer than they appear.”
So how do we manage our lives in such a way that what returns to us or shows up in our lives is what we say we actually desire?
By living consciously—by making a conscious effort to be mindful of holding thoughts that are in alignment with what you desire and canceling out those that are not, speaking after “I am” only what you truly are and want to be known as, elevating those emotions that bring you joy and healing those that do not, giving up the need to criticize, condemn or judge knowing that what you ultimately criticize, condemn or judge is yourself and seeing everything now as you would have it become.
Finally, by using Radical Forgiveness or some other effective forgiveness process that unhooks you from the past so that you can move forward in a powerful way without the long bag of pain and suffering you normally drag behind you. Your ties to the past have tied you down and prevent you from creating your future.
Remember, what you have held in consciousness may be closer to becoming your reality than you think. Choose what you would have appear in the mirror of your life. It may be closer than you think.
I had been waiting for Inspiration for this month’s message and nothing came. I have learned not to write until it comes or it will result in a very uninspired message for you. It finally came through Kendra Grant, one of my Facebook Friends, when she posted via her Blackberry “Southern Beauty or Petal Blossom.” I replied “Why can’t I be both? I’ll be a Southern Petal Blossom Beauty. Would that be okay?” To which she replied “Okay, that’s what I’ll tell the man in the paint store.” I replied back “Oh! We’re talking about paint. As you can see I apply a spiritual connotation to everything.”
What an absolutely amusing exchange. It reveals where our perception takes us when we don’t know the whole story; however, it also reveals that, when we are willing to see the perfection in the situation, there is always a spiritual Truth that can be applied to it.
The average person would have responded to Kendra’s original message with a query about what she had posted; however, I chose to see it as something fun and wonderful that stimulated my imagination. I immediately went to the perception that she was asking which we would be a “Southern Beauty” or a “Petal Blossom.” Having it be something fun and wonderful led me to an enjoyable moment and, ultimately, the message for my Home Page.
Life is always presenting us with opportunities to have a “Southern Petal Blossom Beauty” experience even when it spears to be something that brings us challenge. Within every challenge is the doorway to opportunity if we decide to look at it that way. We can jump to the conclusion that “this is here to hurt or harm me” or we can jump to “this is going to be so much fun.” Whatever conclusion we jump to will create our experience of it and lay the foundation of what happens next.
Spiritual Truth is widely applicable. We can see the Truth in everything that shows up in our lives. All we have to do is name it “good” or at least be “willing to see the perfection in it.” It takes nothing more than our choice to be in joy or in suffering. When we choose joy as our Modus Operandus in every situation we cannot help but have a joyful experience.
I’m not saying this is easy, but I am saying it is worth it. Take the next situation that arises and say “Wow! This is Great!” Then notice how differently you feel inside and how much easier it will be to look it squarely in the eye and handle it with grace, never having let it disturb the calm peace of your Soul or rob you of your Power.
Spiritual Truth is a healing balm that can be applied anywhere. SELF-FORGIVENESS: THE FINAL PEACE I have been coaching and teaching the Radical Forgiveness Process for about 5 years now. During that time, I have either coached, taught or facilitated a workshop with somewhere around 500 people, generating stories of amazing life-changing results. I may be wrong but I do not believe there is anything on the planet as effective in getting someone to experience true forgiveness in their lives and reclaiming the power they have given over to keeping the pain of the past alive. Yet nothing prepared me for the impact of the Radical Self-Forgiveness workshop. It was the missing peace (piece). How can I describe it? There is a phrase from my book Praying Through a Storm, as I was writing about "meditation," that says "It is the “click” as the cylinders in the safe which has locked away our Truth, fall into place and open the door to our spiritual existence." That is how I see the Self-Forgiveness process. I didn't know anything was missing until I saw Colin Tipping do this workshop at our church in Sacramento in 2008. I knew then it was an absolutely essential piece io the forgiveness puzzle. I also knew that I had to get Colin to train me to do this work. In 2009 he came to do it again and trained me. This workshop and the processes involved powerfully and almost magically clear away in 2 days a lifetime of shame, guilt, self-blame, self-hatred and sick secrets. It removes the burden of all the childhood things you thought were your fault and frees you to step into your power in a way you never have before. Forgiving others is not easy but for most it is easier than forgiving ourselves. There is a song by Karen Taylor-Good "I Forgive You, Me." In it she says: ". . there's still one Soul who I beat up on, shame and blame and heap the crud on. What a painful price that little Soul has paid." Isn't it time you let yourself off the hook? Isn't it time you stopped beating up on that little Soul? Wouldn't you like to really live in your full Spiritual Power? Don't miss this workshop if we are coming to a city near you. You couldn't give a better gift to yourself. Click on one of the Links at the top of the page to learn more aobut the workshop. Forgiveness is the gift you give yourself. Self-Forgiveness is the final peace (piece). Lessons From the Ocean October 2010
I recently had the pleasure of spending three days by the Ocean in the California coastal town of Gualala. Now when I say "by the ocean" I really mean on top of the ocean. The backyard of the hose we rented was the ocean itself. You hear its roar and crashing agaisnt the rocks 24 hours a day. It is so powerful and so awesome that descriptive words evade even the deepest regions of the mind. While it is difficult to describe or express the experience of so close a relationship with the ocean, it is easy to convey the lessons it so profoundly taught just by being what it is--The Ocean. The first thing I learned, or at least was reminded of, was that Non-Resistance. I kept seeing how nothing stopped the water; it kept coming no matter what appeared to stand in its way.. Neither, rocks nor boulders, nor ships could interrupt its forward movement. It was determined to reach the shore. Next its vastness reminded me of the vastness of our Creator, our Source, the Grand Operational Design. It is beyond our capacity to behold it all to its farthest reaches, yet right here where it touches us feels so close and warm and just the right size to embrace us. Finally, and there were definitely many more lessons but I offer just a few here, I the power of it is so eloquently revealed in the manner in which it has worn down and smoothed rocks, boulders, bottles and anything else that finds itself in the midst of its power. That is how we are refined by the Power of G.O.D. As we grow through our experiences, whether challenging or joyful, we are molded and shaped by the pure and perfect power of Love into the Who we must become in order to fulfill our purpose for being on the shore. Those are the lessons of the ocean from which the bucketfull that is us was born. 
Challenges of a Master Number November 2010
People are always excited when they learn my birth date: November 11 or 11/11.
Those who are either experts or hobbyists in the area of numerology are quick to tell me “11” is a Master Number. When I tell them I was born at 6:11 and weighed 5 lbs 11 oz you would think I was the second coming. They begin rattling off the powerful significance of this. I know!
Carmen Mays, my Astrologer, Numerologist and Spiritual Intuitive, has gone into great detail in providing me with the knowledge of what this means and what is being asked (or should I say “required”) of me.
While the idea that there is a certain highly evolved power inherent in my birth and destiny, no one considers the challenges of a Master Number.
First, it is not always convenient when the insights and messages the Master Number so easily receives decides to broadcast. Sometimes one would enjoy getting a full night’s sleep rather than being awakened at 3:00 am and guided to turn on the computer and take dictation. Would another 3 hours really make that much difference?
Next, you may not want to know the truth about that gorgeous sexy man with the  hypnotic eyes, amazing smile and lucious lips. Perhaps you may want to have a few hours before “running for your life.” I’m just sayin’. . .
Then, suppose you’d like to occasionally not be expected to know what to do when “your” world is turned upside down and you’d rather be a victim too, thank you very much. Are you feeling me?
Oh! Oh! Oh! Why can’t you yell and scream at your progeny who has made yet another foolish decision that impacts your life instead of being required to ask “What in me is calling to be healed” and then doing a bunch of worksheets? I mean, really!
Finally, why does the Master Number have to alwasy be doing his or her work when everybody else around us gets to slack off? KnowwhatImean?
Don’t get me wrong, it feels really good to have certain skills that support people in breaking down the campsite they have set up in pain and suffering and helping them move into a more comfortable place.
Yes there is a “however.”
However . . .why can’t I moan and groan, whine and complain, bitch, scream, blame and guilt-trip?
It’s not fair.
NOTE: Of course this is all in fun. I love what I do. It is what makes me excited about getting up in the morning. To celebrate my Master Number birthday I am holding a Coaching Sale for the Month of November only. Experience a coaching session with me in person, by phone or via Skype. For details about coaching go to our coaching page. See above for special sale information. BEATING THE HOLIDAY BLUES Lift Your Spirits With Love Personally, I love this time of year. In fact, it is my favorite season; however, there are many people who get really depressed at this time for whatever reason--they are far away from home or suffered a recent loss of a loved one or recently ended a relationship or just have no one with whom to spend the holidays. Any one of those can be a real downer, so I thought I'd try to help you manage the holidays with a smile. How? Why, Smile, of course! It really is that easy. When you begin to feel sad, lonely or blue, simply put a smile on your face. On her website Allison Nelson, in an article titled "Fake it Till You Make it: Can Smiling Improve Mental States, states the following: Depression is the most prominent mental health issue in society today. There are a host of “treatment” suggestions that flood the media and internet. One such treatment is humor, which focuses on increasing laughter and smiling. Smiling is a painless and free treatment, but can these simple motor movements be enough to have an effect on mental health? Recent studies suggest that smiling does have a measurable influence on emotion, but the influence does not seem large enough to permanently alter mental state. Evidence more strongly suggests short term emotional benefits. She goes on to share the results of research and sites she has discovered. To read more go to http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/2008/Smile.htm The gist of it is that by forcing ourselves to smile, to laugh, we engage our whole being in the act of feeling lighter, better, and ultimately we actually begin to feel better. Turning on the Comedy Channel and looking at stand-up is much more rewarding than turning on an old tear-jerker on AMC. Another personal recommendation is to consciously choose to feel better. The mind and universal mind are continually linked. When we "choose" it is a subliminal order to the Universe to take action. We engage all the powers of the Universe to support us in having it be 'so' when we "choose." When you start to feel sad this month, simply say "I choose to feel better" and watch what happens. We are powerful creative beings and have the power to define ourselves and our lives with a simple command. Make a point of being around fun, lively people who will lift your spirits. Don't call all your Blues Buddies and throw a pity party. They will only take you further down than you already are. Hang around people who already are how you wish to be. Dress up! Put on holiday attire, clothese with rhinestones, sequins and sparkles to help you look lively until you feel that way. Stay away from the color black; instead wear red, green, gold and other bright holiday colors. Do something you don't ordinarily do. Go caroling, take a Home and Gardens Holiday Tour, attend a Christmas Concert or volunteer to help out at an orphanage or homeless shelter. Sometimes seeing it could be worse can make us feel a whole lot better. Whatever it takes, don't allow yourself to get fully into the Holiday Blues. Stop it in its track with one of the above suggestions and "choose" to be happy no matter what. This is your life. You created it. You can define and fashion it however you please. YOU'VE GOT THE POWER! Happy Holidays my Beloved Friends. May the gift of joy be the biggest present you receive this season. HAPPY NEW YEAR! But What Are You Gonna Do With it?
Between family, clients, students and friends both on and off Facebook, I cannot begin to tally how many times I’ve been told “Happy New Year” or even said it myself. I’ve begun to wonder if people really get the concept of a “new” year.
When something is new it means it has never been used before. It is not a hand-me-down or slightly worn or even recycled. It is brand-spanking new and contains nothing old in it, on it or around it.
If this is true, then 2011 is an unwritten book of blank pages on which to write a new story. Our old story was left imprinted upon the pages of last year and we can leave it there. This sounds really good; however, most of us are so wedded to the old story that we would have to get it surgically removed in order to let it go. So we bring it with us into this new year just as we have brought it into every prior year since the story began.
What if there was a way to finally get rid of that old story once and for all? What if we could really step into this new year story-free? We can! How? Through forgiveness.
Forgiveness releases the energetic hold our story has on us and replaces it with the power we have continually given to the story we have carried around with us like a cartload of luggage. Through forgiveness we give ourselves the gift of a bondage-free life and we are free to live life joyously.
Make a decision that will transform you, your life and have a residual effect upon everyone in your morphogenetic field. Forgive—not for them but for you. Forgiveness gives you a new lease on life, improves your health and even makes you look younger. “Forgiveness is the gift you give yourself.”
If you’d like to learn how to forgive click here and see what Radical Forgiveness can do for you.
God Bless you as you journey through this new year. May it bring all that you desire and more. Every Attack Is A Call For Love
A Course in Miracles says “Every attack is a call for love.” If this is true and I definitely believe it is, the entire planet is screaming for love. You need only turn on the news for 30 seconds and you will hear about a murder, a bullying, a mass murder, a self-destructive act or violent storms raging across the nation. I must confess that I do not see an end close by; however, I do believe we can end this.
Why?
We are the creators of what we see; therefore, we can uncreate or recreate this. We are not victims. We are powerful co-creators with the Grand Operational Design. We were given authority and dominion to create the life we wish to live into, but we have forgotten that we are not alone—that every thought, emotion, workd or action has an impact upon ever living entity upon the planet and throughout the universe.
We are so powerful that Quantum Physicists have discovered that the more we explore the Universe the bigger it gets. It would stand to reason, then, that the more we focus on the negatives in our lives and in the world the bigger they get.
While what is transpiring around the world my cause some concern and provike us to gasp in horror, we are not simply bystanders who have no power or ability to do anything about it. By using the power of our thoughts, words, emotions and affirmative prayers we can transmit an energy pulse great enough to bring it all to a screeching halt and turn it around.
Here’s how. . .
1. Be mindful of the thoughts, words and emotions we are holding and expressing both outwardly and energetically. Each negative context (angry, violent, fearful) contributes to the already existing collective energetic vibratory rate, causing it to expand exponentially; 2. Make a conscious effort to quickly deal with things that need to be forgiven in order to avoid escalating negative emotions; 3. Refrain from criticizing, condemning or judging what you see or experience as “bad” or “wrong.” Encourage yourself to see it simply as “just is” and create a space for it be exactly what it is; (of course, you will definitely get yourself out of harm’s way if necessary) 4. Recognize that it is a call for love and give it (let the heart open and allow the I AM to love through you); 5. Pray for guidance as to what is your’s to do if anything; 6. Meditate upon it as healed, whole and perfect in the spiritual sense (you can say “I am willing to see the perfection in this”); and 7. Release it to your Spiritual Intelligence, God, I Am or Higher Self with no investment in the ultimate outcome, knowing that whatever it is will be absolutely in Divine Order.
We must “[w]ake up to the realization that we are Spiritual Beings going through and growing through a human experience and, as such, everything we do individually impacts upon the Collective. Each conscious (or unconscious) act of aggression against one brother or sister is an act against every brother and sister and ourselves. Because there is only one presence and one power in the universe and we are connected to (and are aspects of) that presence, we are inextricably linked to every living manifestation of creation. We are, therefore, one. At a Spiritual level, there is absolutely no difference between any of us. We are made up of the same energy as the smallest blade of grass and the tiniest insect. The very movement of one hand impacts upon millions of invisible energy particles. Each and every action has a full and direct impact upon everything else.” [Sheila Gautreaux-Lee, Messages, IN 2005 AuthorHouse, p. 6]
We can observe this month dedicated to Love by letting Love lead the way in everything. See nothing as an attack. See verything as a call for Love. Then give it. That is all that will ever be asked of us.
I behold the Divine Light of Love shining in, through, around and for you in every aspect of your life. Always remember that you are loved by me.
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