Children

I need this reminder as we finish out our first month of summer vacation.
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Your child is naturally joyful. Your child is naturally tuned in to Source Energy. And as he is diving through and digging through contrast, it is natural that there would be some things that might disconnect him. Just don't let his disconnection then inflame your disconnection. Many parents have discovered that their children, for the most part, feel good when they do — and the ornerier you are, usually the ornerier your children are. They are a strong reflection of the way you are feeling much of the time.
--- Abraham
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Getting Into The Vortex: Guided Meditations CD and User Guide

The Teachings of Abraham: The Master Course CD Program, 11-CD set

The Vortex: Where the Law of Attraction Assembles All Cooperative Relationships

Certainty & Security

"Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security."
- John Allen Paulos

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See the Good

"Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day."
- Unknown

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Open and Loving

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." 
- Mother Theresa

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Imagine Magick

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."
- Albert Einstein

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Happy Monday! What do you see in this coming week?

You're probably "expecting" the same things you got last week.  Take a moment today and see something wonderful and unexpected for your week.

Make your magick!

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Building from the End

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." 
- Charles Swindoll

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This is my mantra today.  I'm having a little bit of trouble with my 90% of the deal.

But I know that when I'm in bed for the night, and I look back on this day that I'm about to embark on right now, I won't remember specific things that happened throughout the day.  Some, yes, but mostly not.

What I'll take with me was the overall tone that my day took on.  And the overall tone of my day will be determined by how I'm reacting, and the feelings and thoughts that I nurture throughout it.

I will move through my day nurturing good thoughts and blessing everyone around me.  I will share the best part of me because that's the part I want to remember when I contemplate my day, later.

There's something to be said for beginning a new day by contemplating how you want to feel about your day at the end of the day. 

Close your eyes and imagine you're in bed for the night.  How do you want to feel?

I imagine being tired and near sleep as soon as I lay down.  It's been a fantastic and productive day for me, and I'm rightfully tired.  I drift off to sleep sending blessings out to all my loved ones, smiling happily to myself.

Now, off I go to shape my day into whatever will make me feel like that later.  I will hold my tongue, and just go where the Spirit moves me.

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Great Titles by Charles Swindoll 

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Today I Smile

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."
- Thich Nhat Hanh

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Just smile.  Even if you don't feel like it.

That's where I'm at today.  Just smile.  My attitude sucks because I just can't control everything, and that bugs me.  But I'm going to smile anyway.

It is my dominant intention to feel good, so I will smile.  And that smile will attract things to make me smile.
And the wrong side of my bed will be but a fading memory.

Today, I smile.

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Great Titles by Thich Nhat Hanh

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A Good Morning to You

"Every morning when we wake up, we have a choice to either open to a potential miracle and celebrate it, or to choose complaint and control."
- Deepak Chopra

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I also recently heard Joel Osteen talking about how every morning is a gift of joy from God just waiting for us to open and unfold in it.  And it's up to us to accept the gift of joy we're given each day.

One of my very first observances in the morning upon waking is how cozy and warm I am in my bed.  That simple observation of pleasure makes me smile and sets the stage for my entire morning.

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Influences

The future influences the present just as much as the past.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
 

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The past influences our present because its happenings cause us to take a perspective and form thoughts relating to it.  Those thoughts are the first step in our actions.  Our present actions.

The future influences our present because its happenings are in their first step stage, our thoughts.  Our present thoughts about our future actions.

If you know in your first step stage, thoughts of future, where you are heading, your present changes to support the creation of future.

If you know in your present only that which is past, your past is all you will create presently.

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Great Titles by Friedrich Nietzsche

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A Dysfunctional Defense

Whenever anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach it.
– Rene Descartes

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It's funny how there's satisfaction in being offended.  It doesn't seem like there'd be anything to gain by being put down emotionally, and yet there is a whole world of self righteous indignation in it.

It gives us a chance to not only make ourselves "right," but also a chance to make someone else "wrong."

And what could feel better than making someone else out to be a total jerk?  I mean, look what they did to you!

But that's the thing.  They didn't ACTUALLY do ANYTHING to you.

Offense is a false construct of the ego.  The ego is endlessly obsessed with being better than others.  The ego is the part of us that sees us as separate from each other and from God.  Without that distinct acknowledgment of separation, the ego cannot exist.  And what could be scarier than not existing?

The truth is...

Everything and anything that anyone will ever or has ever done or said to you was 100% about THEM and THEIR ego and THEIR perception and thoughts.  It has nothing to do with you.  Not  One  Thing!

If I say I don't like Jane.  Jane is a bitch.  Does that make Jane a bitch?  Not hardly.  Actually, it sorta makes ME a bitch.

But what if Jane IS a bitch?  She's done mean things to me and said mean things to me and she IS a bitch!!

Let's assume Jane is my age, which makes her in her early 30s.  How many moments in time has Jane occupied?  How many deeds must she have preformed over her 30+ years.  How many things she must've said to so many countless people.

Yet here I sit, completely judging poor Jane based upon only a couple deeds or words that would amount to a drop of experience in a bucket full of life lived.

Should Jane take offense to my calling her a bitch?  No, of course not.  What I know of Jane, even if I've known her for her entire life, amounts to almost nothing.

But WILL she take offense?  Probably.

She would probably come clawing back at me with a loud, resounding denial of her bitchdom, and a distinct accusation of my own.  And then there we'd stand, in opposition to each other, fingers pointed, insisting that "You are BAD and I am GOOD!  You are WRONG and I am RIGHT!"

Does that make me good and right?  No.  Does that make HER good or right?  Nope.

Does it make us feel better about ourselves to throw around such accusations at each other?  You bet it does!

But why?  If thinking it and feeling it and saying it DOESN'T make it true in any way, then why does it feel so GOOD?!?!

Because we already believe those "bad" things about ourselves, and in the finger pointing, we are "proving" our righteousness to ourselves.  When we defend ourselves against the accusations of others, we're not thinking about any of the less than gracious things we've done and said.  We're only thinking about how GOOD we are and how BAD they are.

But if Jane knew who she REALLY is, she wouldn't give a hoot about the dysfunctional thoughts of ego and separation inside of my head.  She would understand that she is a divine child of God who is sublime in her creation and is untouchable by any words I may spit at her.

She would rise above my judgments knowing that I am only judging her based upon things I am terrified are real in ME.  And that by attempting to amplify those things in her, I assuage my own ego and assure it that the evil I see in her cannot be inside of me, fore I can clearly see it "out there" and in her.

The greatest gift you can ever give yourself is to know, beyond a doubt, who you REALLY are, and to understand that you are forever untouchable until you make the decision to be touched.  But you will never need to allow the accusations of others to touch you because in the knowing of who you really are, you relinquish the need to defend yourself against the dysfunctional thoughts of others.

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Great Titles by Rene Descartes 

Discourse on Method
Meditations on Philosophy

Meditations and Other Metaphysical Writings

Descartes
A Biography

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Do Unto Yourself

Too many people are living in a prison that they have themselves manufactured.
- Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith
 

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Your mind is given to you as a tool.  It is very useful indeed.  It allows you to contemplate and reason.  It allows you to plan and remember.

It also allows you to imprison yourself, held captive by shame and regret.  Beaten down by your own thoughts and rendered immobile in a belief that you are an undeserving failure.

Every time you beat yourself up, you cast another iron bar in your self imposed prison.  Every time you believe that little voice in your head that says unkind things, you allow demons to rule your world.

Imagine your child making a mistake and verbally abusing themselves for it.  As a parent, you would immediately rush in explaining that mistakes are just mistakes.  In short, shit happens.  But we all move forward and just intend to do better next time.

Why is that so hard to believe about ourselves?

Why do we believe that we should never slip up?  Why do we deny our human-ness.  Why do we understand and accept with grace and kindness, the mistakes of others while belittling and blaming ourselves?

I believe in the golden rule which says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  And I believe that generally speaking, we DO.

However, I think a more useful and accurate rule for the advancement of our own humanity and self love would be to "Do unto yourself as you do unto others."

Give yourself the same kindness and understanding as you do to others.  Don't berate yourself.  Don't hate yourself.  Any being that acts out in negatively perceived ways only does so out of fear.

Why would you bully someone who is afraid?

If you're disappointed in yourself, vow to change.  Vow to do better.  Vow to BE better.

But no one ever felt inspired to be MORE because they were bullied or belittled into it.  LOVE is what inspires.  Love is what transcends the mind and the mind made demons.

All you need is love.






The Beatles on Amazon.com

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Great Titles by Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith  

Life Visioning

Spiritual Liberation

Inspirations of the Heart

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You are a Lover to be Loved

You believe that a lover will bring you love, but it is your love that will bring you a lover.
- Alan Cohen

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Who doesn't want someone to love?

Although that's not REALLY the case.  People don't want someone to love.  People want someone to love THEM.

That's the real truth of the matter.  We want someone who does and says the right thing all the time and makes us feel special and worthy and loved.  In the face of such loving, we agree, in turn, to love them back.

However, if they fail to lift us up and "love" us the way we want, we will withhold our love from them and blame them for our bad feelings.

This is not love.

This is fear.

Fear of not being lovable.  Fear that I'm not worthy of the love that I seek.  Because I hate me.  I'm not beautiful enough or smart enough or worthy enough, so please, PLEASE love me so that I may feel loved, because without you, I am unloved, by even myself.

Have you ever loved someone, romantically or other, and all they ever did was put themselves down?  Talk about how unworthy they are.  Or pick out traits they have and question their validity or beauty or lovability.  

No one wants to spend all their time trying convince someone of their own worthiness.  And when someone doesn't value themselves, it's glaringly obvious to anyone who is around them.

If you want to attract a lover, you must first be your own lover.

When you dress your body, do so kindly and lovingly.  When you speak of yourself, do so kindly and lovingly.  We are so kind and loving to so many that surround us, yet when it comes to ourselves we are brutally judgmental and mean.

If you believe that is what you deserve, even from yourself, then why would anyone ever treat you differently that that?

In order to cultivate loving relationships with other people, you have to have already cultivated a loving relationship with yourself.  You are, after all, an entire HALF of all future relationships.  How can a whole relationship be loving and healthy if only half is?  It's totally contradictory.

Lovers are attracted to lovers.

Go out and love.  Love your life and your family and your job and your car and your clothes and your body and yourself and and and and and.

LOVE IT ALL!

For when you do, the Universe cannot help but to love you in return.  Those who love are deeply attracted to those who love.

You are a lover to be loved, so love you!  The rest will fall into place.

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Great Titles by Alan Cohen

A Deep Breath of Life

A Daily Dose of Sanity
A Five-Minute Soul Recharge for Every Day of the Year

Why Your Life Sucks
And What You Can do About it

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