10 Birthday Wishes

Today is my birthday and I have 10 wishes. As I blow out my many candles I wish for:

1. That we all find inner peace so we can finally create world peace
2. That we all open our hearts and let our compassion guide us to a better world
3. That we all heal from the past and bring our well-being to share with all others
4. That we all learn to share so abundance flows for everyone
5. That we evolve enough to think expansively with everyone and future generations in mind
6. That we live in appreciation for each other and the gift of each day
7. That we quiet our judging mind and instead find acceptance of self and others
8. That we all find our way to the creative flow of our purpose
9. That we learn to live fully in the moment where everything is possible
10. That we live with the realization that the Earth needs to be as cared for as any member of our family

Wow what a world that would be and what a way to celebrate a birthday being part of making these wishes come true.

Love, Light and Joy to you,

 



10 Ideas To Contribute To A Better World Today

The idea of people working together for a better world came to me as guidance from my higher nature. You may have had a similar inspiration. My higher nature is basically the same as yours. This more expanded knowing functions beyond our ordinary thought. If you and I realizing and expressing the potential in us we can encourage the full expression of those around us.  Together we can create a better world.

I found myself wanting to encourage everyone who is interested in co-creating a better world together, so I put together 10 ways you can begin today to make a positive difference:

1.         Be mindful of your thoughts and feelings and encourage those close to you to do the same.  Mindfulness is being tuned inward and self-aware which allows you to be true to who you are and genuine in your interactions with others. Mindfulness is a powerful practice because it helps you be fully present where everything that is possible and everyone who matters awaits you.  A good book to read and share with someone you care about and to encourage mindfulness is Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hahn a Zen monk who writes with great heart.

2.         Explore and express your purpose because expressing your purpose will fill your life with meaning and inspire others. You have a purpose that will make the world a better place if you express this purpose. If you can’t figure out what your purpose is today then try spreading love because that is most likely a purpose we all share. One of the great teachers of our time – Dr. Jean Houston is offering a powerful seminar on purpose. 

3.         As I said in the previous paragraph love is a purpose we all share. If you want to have a big impact on the world all you have to do is explore ways to open your heart, be caring and have compassion for self and others. An open heart is such a positive and powerful force in the world.  There is a wonderful meditation practice called, “loving-kindness” and you can learn more about this practice by studying with great teachers like Sharon Salzberg.

4.         Make kindness a daily practice and your life will be more joyous. Imagine if your job was to be kind to everyone you interact with throughout your day. How would your kindness enhance other people’s lives? How would this practice enhance yours? Make a list of people who could use a dose of kindness, reach out to them and spread a little love with your acts of kindness.  Check out this site about random acts of kindness. 

5.         Happiness is a choice, you can choose to be happy or not. If you choose happiness, you can bring your light out into the world and people will welcome it. Happiness comes easily when you focus on what you appreciate, when you are fully present, when you give to others, and when you connect with your higher nature.   Check out the Happiness Project for inspiration.

6.         Expand your consciousness, because with higher consciousness you bring greater light to everything you do.  The more aware and awake you are the more expand is your capacity to make a positive difference in the world.  If you take the time to tune inward you can access the highest collective consciousness of all intelligent life on the planet. Two excellent awakening books worth reading are: Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer

7.         Find your own truth because it will set you free and energize your life. Most of the beliefs and ideas you have came from others. Many of these beliefs and ideas need to be questioned because they are not true. The more you explore your own truth the more you live an authentic life. If you live in truth you can be at peace. No one can tell your what is true for you.  It always helps to tune inward, listen and question.  My own book – Awaken: 100 Questions To Expand Your Mind and Open Your Heart is an excellent resource for exploring your own truth.

8.         Live in the now where everything is happening. Much of the time your mind can be worrying about the future or unable to let go of the past. Today in this moment is all there ever is. In the now is the only place where you make things happen. By living in the now you can connect deeply with yourself and those around you. Joy, love, peace, hope and freedom exist only in the now.  The Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a great resource for being in the now.

9.         Express your creativity, creativity opens you up to your genius. Creativity is very powerful and it comes in many forms including: writing, painting, poetry, movement, healing, parenting, business, humor, organization, loving, design, architecture, peace making, social activism and many other forms of personal expression. When you express your creativity it enriches those around you.  The Artist Way by Julia Cameron has inspired lots of creativity.

10.         Join together with others and have meaningful conversations. Meaningful conversations make you feel alive because you are a social being. Meaningful conversations come about when your heart is open and your feel compassionate for others. An open mind is also helpful for meaningful conversations because then you have the ability to listen and not judge.  After looking for good reference materials, I decided maybe it is time for a group of people to get together and create a meaningful conversations handbook.

There are many more ways to create a better world together than there are ways to create a better world by yourself. If you can find one other person to join you, your power to be effective multiplies. The world is waiting for you and I to step up and get involved. Are you ready to make a difference?  



Between Sparkle And Uncertainty

Last night as I was doing my walking meditation I saw the waves sparkle under the bright moon. I love to be in the sparkle of life when beauty shines, when life fills us with encouragement, when inspiration flows like a giant endless river.  Lately it seems I have been dancing on the edge of sparkle and uncertainty. I am sure this is where there is much growth but sometimes the uncertainty can weigh heavily on the mind. When it does, I have to remind myself that happiness is just a choice away and easy to come by if I live in the appreciation of the moment. Self-reminders are a good thing to carry in your thoughts and your pocket.

There is a lot going on of late with my new movement idea bubbling to the surface and my just published book. These times are ripe for creation, can you feel in the air? The creative flow is there also like happiness when I am in the now. As I have said often, “now is where all the action is.” In this moment if I take the time to tune inward then inspiration and intuition are their waiting. Give the moment a try, pose a question, sit quietly and listen for guidance and be ready for inner messages, images, impulses, synchronicity and other forms of deeper guidance.

The next thing I wanted to talk with about is my new book. Awaken:100 Questions to Expand Your Mind and Open Your Heart.  This book is a life changer, if you take the time to explore these questions. I am not claiming any special powers to change your life, but I am promising you that if you ask yourself the important questions, you will be deeply affected by those questions and your responses to them. As counselor I have seen people’s lives change just be the asking of a simple question.  I know when I turn inward and ask myself questions I am forever altered by the exploration.

Questions are powerful because they invite us to expand our thinking, to broaden our viewpoint, and to go searching for what is truth for us.  Questions also have the ability to open us up to more love, greater compassion, and ways to be more engaged in the world. Just a simple question like, “how can I be more kind to those I love,” will give you an abundance of ideas that will enrich the lives of yourself and those around you. 

It is my guarantee that if you read this book your life will be enhanced in many ways. These questions have great power.

The Better World Together movement has been percolating now for a few days and I am getting lots of ideas, which I will share with you soon.  I welcome your ideas too. I can be reached at josephteach@hotmail.com

Experiment Update: Also if you read my posts regularly you know I started this experiment about inner focus versus action with the belief that my inner work was more important for success than my outer actions. I am now well into week two and what I am noticing is that my focus on inner work is more rewarding than my focus on action. When I am in the introspective mode, I fee most alive. When I meditate or do other practices, I feel fully present and inspired.

This week I have been doing actions with much less inner focus and I have noticed worry and fear more in my awareness. Actions are great and may at times help with the concerns but they are not near as effective at soothing the heart or quieting the mind. Of course this may seem obvious that inner work has a greater inner benefits. It is not near as obvious as when you take time to highlight both inner work and outer actions and see which best enhances the quality of your life.

Through this experiment I have become even clearer about the importance of taking the time to tune inward throughout my day so that my actions are always guided by my inner knowing. I will now integrate that into my daily routine. My plan is to now take at least 5-10 minutes every couple of hours to tune inward in addition to longer periods of inner practices in the morning and in the evening. I want to fill my life with the vibrations of this inner work so that all my actions sparkle with inspiration. 



New Book – Awaken: 100 Questions To Expand Your Mind and Open Your Heart

I am very excited. My new book Awaken: 100 Questions To Expand Your Mind and Open Your Heart is now available. Over the last 4 months this has been one of my projects I have really focused on. The power of intention and attention are manifested in this book. My daily intention is to spread light and love, consciousness and compassion out into the world. This book comes from all the attention I have put into asking questions that promote and encourage positive changes in the way people think, feel and take action in the world.

I feel very positive about the quality of the questions and have no doubt that if you explore them, you will be a more expanded human being.  The journey of life is a long and winding road and it helps to have a positive mind filled with inspiration and an open heart full of courage,

Here are five ways this book will enhance your life significantly: 

If you are interested in expanding the possibilities of your life then this book will ask you just the questions to set you on a clear path for fulfilling your dreams.
 
If you want to expand your capacity for compassion and be a more conscious human being these 100 questions in this book will assist you in doing so.
 
If you are a seeker of personal freedom, these questions and hints will offer you the opportunity to set yourself free.
 
If finding your own truth is important to you, this book will help you discover what your truths are and inspire you to live them.
 
If you find that life sometimes gets off course, you get too busy, or off center, this book will act as a compass to get you heading in the right direction.

I know you will want to rush out and get one, but you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your home.  My book is available at Amazon and it can be in the mail and on the way to you shortly. 

This book would be excellent if you work with groups of people and want to encourage meaningful conversations.

I really look forward to your comments and to hear how beneficial this book is for you and your life. 



A Movement Begins – Better World Together

Two days ago I was doing my morning meditation and a flash of insight came to me. This insight tied together so much of what I have been thinking about lately. A few months before making our move to the Oregon Coast a friend of my wife (Thanks Elizabeth) paid for her to have a reading from an astrologer she really believed had something special to offer. The reading seemed very timely and supportive of the major shift my wife Bobbi and I were making with our move and our stepping into the unknown metaphysically, career wise, and financially.  Along with the valuable information she received for herself, the reading also had a message for me.

Since I am open to guidance from the Universe, I paid close attention to the information my wife shared with me after her reading. That person said I was going to start a movement and it was important that I do so.  My initial reaction was that sounded interesting and hoped there was more information and insight coming. For the past 6 months or so I have been tuning inward in search of greater clarity trusting at some level that this message came to me for some specific purpose. 

Wow, that was a long-winded lead into this movement idea wasn’t it? I felt I wanted to lay some groundwork. In the process of creating a movement it seems that laying some groundwork is essential.

The Better World Together movement is about us coming together for the greater good. This movement is what happens when the power of compassionate hearts and expansive minds work together for a better world.

As I have begun to explore the idea of creating a movement it became very clear I couldn’t do this on my own. The only way any movement can happen is if people come together to make it happen. Coming together for the good of all on the planet is the idea.  When people come together with a shared vision or purpose there is a collective energy that gathers which has much more power than the numbers of people involved.

This Better World Together movement is timely because 2012 is a year of change, a year that seems destined to be part of a shift of significance. By destined, I mean it is the expectation of many that the times we live in are ripe for change and some would argue not a minute too soon.

With this movement in mind, I am going to shift my writing and energetic focus to building this movement. There is much to be done and I will need lots of help. More as this all unfolds.

Here are number of the pressing issues of our time that a Better World Together might address: 

Peace together – it is time to end wars on the planet and learn to peacefully co-exist

Prosperity together – we live in an abundant world and everyone should benefit from this

Compassion together – open hearts making a difference to those hungry, homeless, and in need of support and encouragement

Green together – the planet’s soil, air and water are being compromised and we need to change that

Learn together – our education needs to grow, be more creative and expansive. Life long learning and growth is essential also

Lead together – there is a need for the great compassion and expansive and inspired thinking to lead and govern for the good of all

Live together – it is time we figure out how to live with and enjoy each other and explore what we have in common

Hope together – with us sharing hope the future is bright with possibilities

Stand together – there are number of things that need to change and we can be the ones to make that happen

Love together – the time is now for the power of love to guide us all.

This is a movement we all create. I am just planting the seed and have a good size water bucket to help the process. I very much need your ideas. This movement is free of dogma and doctrine, and lives by the collective truth of all who are involved. 

A website needs to be created. I have a new book (Awaken: 100 Questions To Expand Your Mind And Open Your Heart) ready with questions to help everyone who wants to join me in building a better world together. Soon there will be another short book on a basic idea essential to moving to a higher mindset in creating this movement. Most important -  there will be all of your ideas, your insights, your awareness, you inspiration, you intuitive knowing, your creativity, your energy and your dreams. Then together we can do anything and that anything we do will make a positive difference.

Lastly some inspirational words from one of the greatest of change agents Gandhi:

First they ignore you

Then they laugh at you

Then they fight you

Then you win

Winning is about understanding the deeper truths and living fully with an open heart and an expanded mind. This winning makes everyone a winner.

***Much more to come and please let me know your thoughts, ideas, hopes, interests and passionate purposes.



Working For Peace Every Day

At the heart of what I do, I always have peace as my goal.

I believe it is time for all of us to have peace inside and peace in the world.

Peace is possible and all that is needed is more love and compassion, more light and consciousness.

Also helpful is the simple realization that we are all connected to each other, one big family on a small dot of a planet in an ever expanding universe. 

On my desk is this inspirational quote by Mahatma Gandhi:

First they ignore you,

Then they laugh at you,

Then they fight you,

then you win.

Is It Time Yet For The Great Search For Truth?

The world is so incredibly complicated. Yet many people are absolutely sure they are right about what needs to be done. This baffles me because there are no easy solutions. How can they be so sure? Even the experts don’t agree about what to do about the problems we face in the world today.

This got me curious about where this sureness of opinion comes from. Maybe they know more than the rest of us? It seems unlikely they know more than the experts. Maybe they go looking for information that supports their points of view? All of us want ideas that support the way we see things. Isn’t however important to see if what we claim is true? If we don’t question our points of view then we have this way of seeing things that is not based on any clear thinking.

Political points of view often fall into this unexplored category where ideas are just repeated over and over even when there is no proof they work or sometimes even clear evidence they don’t work. How come these so called answers to our problems aren’t investigated by those who jump on the bandwagon? Do they think the importance of finding the truth isn’t relevant or necessary?

Thank you, if you have hung on this far. It is probably time for me to get to the point. My point is that we always need to question our thoughts and our opinions. If we don’t then the beliefs we hang on to are from a closed mind. Closed minds are a waste of human potential.

I will even venture to say that people who are absolutely sure they are right about their ideas are most often wrong. They are wrong because their minds are run by the need to be right not by the need to find the truth.

This need to be right is a great problem in humanity. It is driven by the survival mind, not the higher mind that seeks truth. In the survival mind we think the world is out to get us so we live in fear and worry. Fear and worry causes us to contract, to close down. The problem with closing down is that too often that means closing our minds and even more costly closing our hearts.

In some segments of society, the world seems to be having an epidemic of closed mindedness and closed hearts. Sadly people believe all their own thoughts. Many don’t question their ideas even when that aren’t working but fit some kind of dogmatic way of looking at the world.  People actually hold onto false ideas that get in the way of positive possibilities in their lives.

There is no evidence of higher mind at work when narrow-mindedness prevails. The seeking of truth has become secondary to holding on tightly to opinion. Higher mind seeks the truth and is guided by the hearts wisdom, intuition and the part of us that is able to be curious beyond old ideas and limiting thoughts.

Maybe this epidemic is a reflection of our times where uncertainty is the only thing certain? Maybe the survival mind also known as the reptilian brain is in full protection or aggression mode for the purpose of keeping us safe? Or maybe this closed down thinking is because change is so present that people want to do everything they can to hold it back?

Change seems inevitable and part of the process of all living things. The evolutionary story of all species is one of adaptation. In humanity the old stories of might makes right, survival of the fittest and other limiting ideas are slowly being replaced by the realization of the global community and they need to work together for solutions. The survival of the planet and all of us has to be a joint effort with our minds coming together. Yes there are those fighting like mad to hold onto the old ways but they are going to loose the battle. Today is another day. The great values of the past, the ones that matter most, can be brought forward. The past ideas that represent limiting thinking will perish as do the other organism that don’t adapt. There is hope for us who seek positive changes in the world.  

***One of my favorite journalist is returning to TV this weekend - Bill Moyers’ has a new show called Moyers And Company. Bill is a great example of a person who asks real question in search of the truth.



3.5 Simple Steps To Inner Peace In 2012

How is your year going so far? This is going to be an amazing year and challenges could arise that could make it hard to find your peace within. I have a free guide to inner peace here at this blog if you want to access it – look above in Free Stuff section.  I also want to offer you a basic plan you can use every day to build a momentum of inner peace within you. Everyone one can use a little extra inner peace in reserve.

Here are my three steps for you to have more peace of mind in 2012:

1.  Occupy your own mind by becoming mindful. With about 50-60,000 per day there is one heck of a lot of things going on upstairs. If there are old stuck ideas, negative inner dialogue, or a critical voice going on in your head then becoming mindful is essential to your well being. You cannot have any inner peace if you thought keep you feeling worried and depressed. 

Take the time to become acquainted with the tone and content of your thoughts. Notice what is going on up there by listening inward. Most people believe their minds are doing just fine until they really listen to how they talk to themselves, how they beat themselves up, how they judge themselves so harshly or how they have such unrealistic expectations on who they should be. Albert Ellis, a famous cognitive therapist, says, “People need to quit ‘shoulding’ on themselves.” If your inner talk is unkind then it needs to change.

Being mindful is a way to be kind to your mind. If you get to know how you think and talk to yourself, you can better shape your experience of life.  Mindfulness enriches your experience of yourself because it is about finding who you are and just being present in a supportive way.  This makes inner peace much more available. In the future I am planning on doing a series of short video podcasts on mindful practices

Remember you are not your thoughts.

2.  Be in touch with how you feel. Your mind is the source of most of what you feel. If you mind is off course your emotions may be very disruptive to any sense of peace within you. The place to begin with feelings is to note what you feel, acknowledge those feelings and then accept them as okay. Feelings naturally change on their own when they are acknowledged and accepted.

Feeling can be understood as signs of how you are doing or at least how you think you are doing. If you have feels of fear and worry then something is not going well for you and a change of direction or focus may be needed. If you feel at peace then your mind and your circumstances are most likely how you want them to be.

A peaceful heart is a key component of feeling at ease inside. Your heart when open and flowing with compassion and loving-kindness will bring peace to how you feel. If your heart is closed and guarded there will not be peace inside.  If you want to feel at peace, open your heart and let it flow out into the world in ways that feel good to you.

Peace and hope can only happen in the now.

3.  Exploring your silence is so important. Your days can be full of noise, your mind can be overflowing with words, your body uptight with tension, and your feelings like a rollercoaster. Sometimes you can get go so out of touch with yourself that you don’t feel at home in your own heart. Silence is the way back home.

Silence is golden because in the silence you access your higher and more peaceful nature. Your higher nature shows you how to live your life in ways that feel right and that allow the best in you to be expressed. This intuitive knowing you have is always waiting to guide you towards more peaceful and rewarding outcomes. Listening to your intuition reduces suffering.

In the silence is also the voice of your soul, this is your connection to the collective and infinite wisdom of humanity, the universe and the Divine. When you sit quietly with your soul, you know peace as it truly is. This peace is the pure freedom to be all that is possible within you. In the silence of your eternal nature there is a world of peace that extends forever.

The peace of silence is a wonderful oasis in trying times.

.5  Slowing down is part of finding the silence. You live in a hurry and worry world filled with impatience.  Sometimes even to wait for a moment is a bother. Impatience can be off the chart. Slowing down is easily as taking a less direct path to enjoy the moment, to see the beauty, to tune in and just be with yourself. Try a day when you start slowly, go patiently and wind down before you ever wind up.  Smell the roses, watch kids play, dance to a song, read something that lifts you up, write a poem. Slowing down feels so good.

*My new posting schedule is going to be Monday and Thursday*. Sometimes I may add other shorter posts during the week. I am really focusing on additional writing, new directions I am exploring, and ways to make more of a difference, so my posting will be less frequent. Let me know if there is any way I can be of assistance to you.



2012 - Let’s Replace Power And Control With Peace and Hope

I have spent a few days working on this post because I am deeply concerned about the world and the dominance of the ego-mind.  The following is not as well written as I would like it to be but it shares what concerns me and I hope you will find it thought provoking enough so you join me is working for peace and a better world in 2012:

In additions to my work in mental health for 35 years I have been a passionate advocate for peace. I consider war to be insane and always caused by the human ego in search of more power and control. From my viewpoint there are no legitimate reasons for starting or being in a war, no matter how much war is rationalized by our leaders. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are about gaining power and control not for the reason we were told. Our next war will be with Iran because we want more power and control. This ego-driven need for power and control is willing to kill people, ruin people’s lives, destroy countries, crush our economy, and do many other terrible things just in hunger for more power.

Sadly there are also great financial benefits to corporations who profit from wars. Leaders who seek more power and control drive these companies. Our defense budget is 100% about having more power and control. All the military leadership is about gaining more power and control. Many corporations are run by the ego’s need for power and control rationalized as seeking profits.

We have a world run by those who care most about power and control. This world is a reflection of our fears. We elect people who we think will protect us from our fears. This makes for: more money for bombs than education; a government run by people who only care about power and control; people having their homes taken away; a large percentage of our population in prison; a great inequality in resources; elections dominating by the funds to keep corporations in power and control; a health care system based on power and control not on healthcare for all; laws that take away our legal rights and allow us to be detain indefinitely; and ultimately the decline of a once great nation caught in the ego battles for more power and control.

The Occupy Movement, which is being suppressed by those who want power and control, is the first hopeful movement in many years because it stands up to the ego domination in this country. Peace rallies and marches do very little to stop wars and to bring about significant change these days because the dominate mindset is about fear and the need for more power and control.

It is time we come up with some more effective strategies. There are no clear answers to breaking the cycle of ego’s need for domination except by removing the ego from the drivers seat in our government and in our corporations. Change in governmental leadership can only come by eliminating the influence moneys of those who are seeking power and control over our government.  Election reform is essential because the buying and selling of influence is very destructive to a democracy. Corporate rights need to be shifted away from personhood to serving the needs of the people.

Fear is the other aspect of the ego’s power over the world. When the ego wants more power it simply does what it does best - it spreads fear. People will give all their power away if they are afraid. Therefore governments seeking power, corporations seeking power all use the same tactic. They spread fear. This all adds up to the ego running the world and no one stands up and says we have had enough. It is time we move past the old manipulation of fear and see the more accurate truth of power seeking running the world.

The deeper truth is that if we all stand together there is nothing to fear. We human beings have much more in common than differences. We all hope for a better world, we want the best for those we love, and we all want to have love, joy and peace in our lives. Together we can bring an end to the dominance of the ego-mind and instead live with compassion and caring for our fellow human beings.

Let’s all begin 2012 by being mindful when our egos want to run our lives. We know when the ego is in charge because we are afraid. We know when the ego is not in charge because we feel love, hope, and peace of mind. Our emotional state will reflect our mental state. A healthy mind run by our higher nature is about peace and joy. 

We can bring peace to the world by finding the peace within.



Four Essential Steps To Success In 2012

Let me suggest to you that you begin this year with a positive frame of mind, that you set clear intentions, that you have a plan of action, and that you commit to doing your best each day. Now that sounds simple enough but there is more to each part of this that I want to share. I also am writing this to remind myself because I find regular reminders helpful. I view you and I as unfinished products working to be more fully expressed.

1.  A positive frame of mind is essential. Negativity and self-doubt are barriers to creating the life you want. If you don’t feel you deserve or have other false beliefs, the sabotaging part of your mind will make sure you don’t get what you want. The mind is an incredible power tool that needs to be turned on and use properly or it can do damage. Think of a power saw focused and cutting a straight line toward your goals. If you loose focus the saw goes off course or jams up, just like the mind can do. A positive mind is focused on success.

This optimal mind keeps you energized when things seem stuck, keeps you hopeful when fear arrives, keeps providing you ideas and inspiration when they are needed.  The positive mind also skips over past experiences that can bog you down because this mind only works with what can be done now.  This kind of mindset is simply much more enjoyable than being negative. 

One other reminder – you most likely have an inner critic and that internal voice is not positive in any way. The best thing to do with the critic is to turn it off or at least turn the volume so low it can’t be heard. Your inner critic is part of the judging mind, which is neither positive nor helpful. Inner self-talk is best when it is supportive and encouraging.

2.  The next essential component is setting clear intentions. Start each day with one intention that you will focus on. You can also set intentions for the week, month, year but a daily one is important. You can do more than one intention but it will work better that you have goals you want to accomplish as part of your daily intention. (Example: intention - be proactive in moving my plan for success ahead today, goals could include writing a blog post, do social networking, follow up with a call, talk to a speakers bureau or whatever is part of your intention for moving your success plan forward.)

Intentions that are clear focus your energy for the day. Always state intentions in positive words and keep them about today. Today is the only day you can do anything for yourself. Tomorrow is only an idea that can happen in the now and the past is over and a misdirection of focus. Now has all the power.

After this year is over you will have 365 intentions and each one will have enriched your life in sometimes amazing and wonderful ways. Intentions also can call together resources greater than ones usually available. Clear intentions call the Universe into action to support you and what you want to make happen. Wayne Dyer’s book, Intentions is one of his most helpful books.

3.  A plan of action is important to move ideas into material form. If you want to make things happen, you have to make them happen. Action is the stepping into the stream of life and moving towards what you want. Without action you need to count on luck and miracles and that too often doesn’t work. If you want to write a book, you need to sit down and do some writing.  

The more actions you take, the more energy starts flowing towards the results you want to create. Even false actions give you feedback about what doesn’t work. With consistent action a momentum starts building, which will carry you to the success you want to create.

Reading other people’s plans of action can be very helpful. If there is someone you know who is doing great things, find out what actions they are doing to create these results.  There are many good ideas on the Internet where people share what they do for success.  Two people who have ideas worth exploring are Cris Guillebeau and Dave Carpenter.

4. Do your best each day. This seems simple but what too often gets is the way are old habits, distractions, and limiting beliefs. It is easier to do what is familiar and comfortable but that may be much less than what you are capable of doing. How have you been holding you back?

The best results are created by: putting your energy into what you are doing, engaging the power of your heart, and pushing yourself to stretch into more dynamic expression. Listen inward to the call for being more each day and avoid the habit trap and deep groove of the familiar.  Listening to your intuition can be very helpful for doing your best.

Imagine having fun, feeling passion for what you do, and exploring ways to be even better. You determine what is your best, there is no need for unrealistic expectations or to seek the approval of others. You can choose to do you with aliveness and boldness.

These four ways will be helpful in 2012 to manifest the results you desire. Let yourself be you more fully every day. If your mind is aligned, your plans empowered, your actions taken, and your best efforts put in, things will work out in amazing ways.



What Is Your Purpose In 2012

If you are wondering what your purpose is in 2012, I want to suggest two ultimate purposes we all share.

Those two purposes are:

1.  To have an open heart and spread as much love, compassion caring and kindness as you can in 2012.

2.  To have an open mind and become as conscious as you can and spread that light out into the world.

These two purposes will enhance you life and bring positive changes to you and the rest of the planet.

Can you imagine a world where the heart and higher consciousness guided us all?

What kind of world would it be where love and compassion shaped what we did and higher consciousness lifted everyone to be the positive possibilities they are?

• I choose to be more open with my heart and to practice compassion and loving kindness in all that I do.
• I choose to daily work on expanding my consciousness and spreading light out into the world.

Would you join me?



More Love In 2012

There is little doubt that love is the answer to many of the problems of the world. Also of little doubt is the need for us all to share our hearts even more through caring, kindness, compassion and other loving ways. Why not make one of your intentions for 2012 to spread more love in the world?

If you are looking for purpose in 2012, spreading love would be the most meaningful thing you could do.

I was listening to Seane Corn (empowered yogini), interview over at Sounds True not long ago. She said one of her greatest teachers about life was a young man dying of aids. He told her that she needed to remember this most of all: Remember to love, you will never regret it.

How true that is. Even in the most difficult of times love is the best action to take. Sometimes expressing love for situations and people can be challenging. The judging mind wants to label what’s going on as bad and withdraw the heart. Even those that try your patience, push our buttons, or cause you to get upset deserve your love. As a matter of fact, the difficult people and situations in your life need love the most.

Withholding or withdrawing your love doesn’t work for changing the behavior of others. It usually has the opposite affect. You know what it feels like to shut your heart down. It closes down your aliveness and pushes those you care about away. 

There really is no reason to pull back love but the fearful mind does so for protection. The opposite of fear is love. If fear is in your heart, you need to bring your focus on what you love. There cannot be both fear and love in your heart at the same time.

If love is a worthwhile intention or resolution for you in 2012 here are some ways you can be even more loving:

Listen with an open heart

Be patient with those who test you

Lean into those who sometimes push you away

Shift the grumpy and difficult with kindness

Be kind and respectful of your own emotions

Reach out to those who may be alone

Give of your time to those in need

Donate funds to program that help the less fortunate

Start a NPO based on loving-kindness

Move from judging to be more accepting

Lend a hand to someone who needs your kindness

Visit those who would appreciate seeing you

Make a daily intention of spreading love in some way

Place you hand on your heart and totally love and accept yourself

Be encouraging and supportive of those around you

Volunteer at places that reach out to others

Send cards and letters to those who would appreciate them

Wake up each morning with love in your heart and let it grow as the day goes

Love is a powerful healing force, send love to those who need healing

Each day surround your whole body with healing and energizing love

When you see someone who needs a friend, sit down with them and listen for ways to make a difference.

Let you intuition guide you about love because it knows what is needed within and for those around you

Picture the Earth in your hands being surrounded by your love

Tell others how much you appreciate them

Sit down and have tea with someone you know needs to heard

Take a friend for a walk in nature and enjoy the experience together

Just a reminder: the love in you is unlimited so you can keep on giving love everyday all day and will still have much more to give.

My new book is almost ready - Awakening:100 Questions That Will Expand Your Mind And Open Your Heart. I look forward to sharing it with you. This book is great for enriching your life 2012.