I was ready in Shakti Gawain’s book Creating True Prosperity that from her perspective, the main reason people don’t have the money they want is because they have issues with power. Her formula is Money = Power
and if we are uncomfortable with power then money will only be as much as we need to get by.
This got me thinking about power and what it means to me. I must admit to having a list of negatives connotations tied to power. I won’t list them here but look to see if you also have a number of negatives linked to power? If power is not ok in our thinking then according to Shakti, money will not flow easily in our direction. I don’t want to limit the flow of money in my direction, do you? Are you willing to examine your own power limitations and move on from them?
What I want to share is what are the positives of power and ask you to come up with your own list. The following is my list of unique types of power each of you has:
1. to listen and build wonderful relationships
2. to be compassionate and understand others
3. to support whatever we really believe in
4. to be conscious and aware within and in the world
5. to uplift and inspire others
6. to love, give and be kind
7. to pay attention to you feelings and be guided
8. to follow your intuition as it shows you the way
9. to put your attention on what you want and make it happen
10. to have values and live by them
11. to change beliefs that limit you
12. to lift yourself to amazing heights through your thoughts
13. to set goals for yourself and realize them
14. to be energized by your purpose and passions
15. to make a difference in the lives of those around you
16. to make a difference in the world
17. to be free to express who you are
18. to be creative in all that you do
19. to soar with the spirit inside of you
20. to be joyous and happy every day of your life
What would you add to this list? Are you ready to step into your own power and make you life incredible? If you felt free of limits, what would you do with your life for the next year or longer?
Keep expanding from this list. See, feels, and sense yourself being in your own power and being powerful out in the world. Then let the money flow so you have all the resources you need to be fully empowered.
No More Settling For Less
Ok I am back from my political self yesterday that wanted to give you lots to think about. Today I want to lift you higher. The middle of the month is near and so 2008 is around the bend. My goal has been to suggest a number of ideas to encourage you to have the best year ever in 2008. My 60 Seconds To Success and my 30 Day Success Plan are available to you in e-book form (see e-books for sale) as are my previous blogs about success over the last few weeks. Now I want to invite you to venture out of your comfort zone and into a fuller expression of your potential.
I want to start by recommending a site that is just cooking with great ideas and inspiration. Brian Johnson has put together a wonderful collection of what he calls Big Ideas. Check them out at http://thinkarete.com/ideas/. I just read about 15 of them and there are over 500 ideas and I can’t wait to spend more time there.
Isn’t it time to go for more then an ordinary life? How did we buy into such limitations, such small pictures of possibilities? How come getting by is enough? What in you is calling for exploration and expression.
I wrote very briefly about a young engineer friend of mine in the blog yesterday and I wanted to say more. He works for a firm that expects him to work for free part of the time when he goes over his forty hours. The company thinks that is ok to make people work overtime to get projects done and not to pay for their time unless it gets to be a lot more time. How come companies can demand that in the name of profits? It is because we let them do that. I guess we feel like our time is not worth that much so we let them own us for 40,50, and sometimes 60 hours a week? I think that is unacceptable.
Our self-esteem gets battered as we grow up. That is one of the reasons we undervalue who we are. Schools grade us as if that is important. Parents put us down like they were put down growing up. Society has many rules about what is right and wrong. Churches are primary self-esteem crushers in the name of sin and guilt. I say, leave all that nonsense behind and come more fully into who you are now.
Let me give a quick review of the equipment you got working for you. You have this brain that is better functioning then the best computer money can buy. You have feelings that constantly tell you how things are going; if you are on course or off course. You have a heart that beats and powers you and is capable of unlimited love. You have a body that is made to move, dance, play sports, do yoga, sing and walk across the planet. You have senses that can: taste warm chocolate, bite into a lemon and pucker; hear a symphony or a cricket; see the beauty of nature or the simple complexity of a Rothko painting; or feel the softness of your lovers skin or the prick of a rose thorn. You have a spirit that knows no limits and can soar to the highest of possibilities. There never has been found a limit to the creativity that resides in you or any human being.
Yes you are equipped to more then succeed, you are equipped to excel, to expand beyond limits, to go express yourself in ways yet unknown and you have the abilities to uplift everyone you meet. Are you ready to tap into the next level of your expression? I am ready to tap into mine. Let’s see where this takes us.
Let me know how you excel and expand. Questions and consultation available at explorelifeblog@inbox.com
Citizen’s Beware: We Are Being Mislead
In my wanderings on the Web I came upon another article warning Americans about our countries slide toward Fascism. Naomi Wolf has written about this in her book, The End Of America and in several articles and interviews. Yesterday I came upon an article by Laurence W. Britt, Fascism Anyone?. If you google him you will find more articles. He is calling us to pay attention to where this administration is leading us. Here are his main points, check the full article out in my Another Viewpoint section on this blog:
1. Powerful and continual expression of nationalism
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause
4. Supremacy of the military
5. Rampant sexism and homophobic
6. A controlled mass media
7. Obsession with national security
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together
9. Power of corporations protected
10. Power of labor suppressed and eliminated
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts
12. Obsession with crime and punishment
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption
14. Fraudulent elections
As you read through this list do any of them sound familiar to you? It seems to me that our leadership is in line with all of these 14 steps toward Fascism.
My take on these fourteen points goes like this:
1. Nationalism since 9/11 has been pumped to us by the media and the government as if we are the only country that matters. This blind march ignores we are all global citizens share this tiny planet in a massive universe. Nationalism is consider patriotic, and questioning what is going on is looked upon with contempt by those in power.
2. Human rights are constantly violated by this administration. Torture, imprisonment without trial, spying on Americans, the suppression of opposition and others numerous violations
3. We have lapsed into a country that blames. We blame terrorist, Muslims, gays, illegal immigrants, liberals, conservatives for all of our problems. Those are just labels but these labels are used by those in power to gain more power.
4. We not only have a strong military but look at our country’s budget with over half it going to support the military and the military-industrial complex. That budget doesn’t even include the war in Iraq. Blackwater and other private militaries are growing in there power.
5. The power of men and their domination is part of fundamentalism Christianity. In this country the fundamentalist are trying to dominate our government and our belief systems. Homophobia is a great fear of the fundamentalist.
6. Where has true investigative journalism gone? News has become sensational and entertainment driven. Why aren’t the major newspapers jumping up and down warning us about what is going on in the government, in corporations because they are own by corporations and support those in power.
7. National security has become a huge obsession in this country and a way to keep all the citizens concerned and in fear. Yet the leadership of this country goes to war and creates more enemies, robs us of our national guard units for this war, and the Homeland security department is a joke in how to manage our national security.
8. This, too me, is a very scary point. Those that believe everyone should think and believe like that do are so wrong. The entire Republican party has been taken over by a religious group calling themselves Christians. The fundamentalist point of view is scary and full of arrogance and elitism.
9. Corporation are running unchecked by our government. Who is looking out for the people? Why is the pursuit of a profit allowed to rationalize every kind of mistreatment of the people and the planet? Why do we put up with this? As you can tell by my questions, I am deeply concerned about this point.
10. Do you hear much about labor unions these days? No because they represent the needs and concerns of the workers. As benefits are reduced and more hours expected of the workers, who cares about the people? I know a young engineer who is expected to give free hours of work to his company for the good of the company. This is happening everywhere.
11. The problems I see here is again the beliefs are suppose to dominate science. That creationism is the way; not science of evolution. This is ridiculous. Beliefs are just beliefs and don’t have to reflect reality. The using of the mind to think objectively and critically is supposed to give over to a set of beliefs? No I don’t think so.
12. This country imprisons a higher percentage of its population then any other democracy. We are obsessed with building more prisons. Have you heard about the private prisons that are being built by a Halliburton subsidiary? This country is dominate by those who want to make people pay for their crimes rather than help those who are in need of rehabilitation.
13. Has the notion of conflict of interests, as something we should be concerned about in this country, been totally eliminated? Cheney and Halliburton, Bush and oil. War profiting is unchecked. There is so much here that needs to be looked at and it is not happening.
14. The election in Florida belonged to Gore and it was stolen. All the recounts of those votes had Gore winning. The last election in Ohio and across the country was full of dirty tricks by the winning party. The facts are there if you care to look. The electronic voting machines can be manipulated so a paper trail is essential if you want a free democracy.
There is so much else I could right about these points. You decide. Should you be concerned? YES you should, without any question in my mind. What can you do? Get involved, starting talking to people, support organizations and NGO’s who are working to protect our freedom, write and call your elected officials. Don’t give up because we are all needed.
Intentions For The Week Will Get You Going
It is Monday and here are some ideas to get your week off to a good start. Take 3 intentions you want to create results on this week. If you have been following along on this blog with the plans to make 2008 the best ever, then you have some intentions you want to move forward on. Take three simple intentions to experiment with this week with the goal of seeing them move toward becoming a reality in your life. Here are 10 steps to empower the intentions:
1. Begin by reviewing your intentions
2. Feel, sense, and experience those intentions as if they are already real in your life
3. Then plan the steps you want to take to move those intentions forward
4. Take the actions necessary; don’t forget to enjoy what you are doing
5. Always pay attention to your inner guidance system (feelings) as you go
6. Review the results and see what is working and what needs to be changed
7. Adjust along the way to fine-tune the process
8. Be aware that sometimes the results may come in different ways than you had anticipated; be watchful of what is happening around you
9. Keep moving forward, follow through until you have completed what you set out to do
10. Celebrate the results you create and feel how good it feels to be successful
This week you are taking you intentions out for a drive and see how well they handle the road of life. You are the driver and you apply the gas and make the turns when needed. You push the gas and go forward paying attention as you go. You make the turns, course correct according to what you see and the feedback you get from your senses. You drive until you get there. You will need fuel along the way and time to rest. It best if you enjoy as you go and get more excited as you near your destination. When you arrive, get together with friends and celebrate. The only real stop is when the trip is over and then in quiet contemplation feel thankful for how much richer you life feels.
I provide a variety of resources and consultations if you desire some support and encouragement along the way. Check out my e-books especially my 2 for 1 Success book series. Please feel free to contact me with your questions at explorelifeblog@inbox.com
Listening To Your Source
It is a cold snowy Sunday morning and I am looking forward to cross country skiing somewhere nearby. I am not a huge fan of the cold but today I will have some and enjoy what winter has provided. Cross country skiing is fun in new snow because you can go out and make your own tracks flowing through the snow and touring about. I like the freedom to choose my own path, to go my own way.
It feels better to have control of my own life, my own destiny, to go where my heart guides me. I am off on one of those paths now and there is much unknown as to how it will all work out. I have, like everyone else, bills to pay, things to do, purpose to realize, and life to love and enjoy as I go. If I live in my head and let worry guide me then I lose the joy of the moment. If I live in my heart and let my intuition guide me then I am open to new and wonderful possibilities.
So today and in the moments of this day, I am choosing to live with trust in things working out, while living from my heart and listening to the guidance from my intuition. That is the wisest path because in me is the wisdom and consciousness of all of creation. My spiritual essence along with my heart are limitless in their knowing what is best for me. I will pay particular attention to this inner knowing today because much is up in the air as I walk down a path outside my comfort zone.
Yesterday I wrote about courage, today I want to add listening to the wise source within me. An inner guided courage takes you where you need to go even if fear wants to side track you along the way. I write this today because I need to remind myself of these ideas. The unknown is here and I must go forward. I will know what to do if I listen.
The Courage To Do What Is Needed
I am noticing what an interesting thing is to do something in a different way. My wife and I do all these fairs and shows promoting peace and selling our own peace products. Today my wife is doing one fair and I am doing another. She tends to deal more with the money and keep track of all the details. I love talking to people, telling them about what we are up to, and about our organic and sweatshop free t-shirts. Now I have to handle all the details too. I find myself feeling somewhat anxious that Bobbi is not here. Plus it is a very snowy day and she is driving up into the moutains and I just wonder if anyone will show up.
When you and I do something out of our comfort zones it often causes us to be unsure. In those moments, feeling unsure or fearful can feel like a challenge. You can let these feelings stop you or you can go forward anyway. That point of decision can give you some feedback about who you are. If you let fear stop you even in small ways than you limit your possibilities. If you just notice fear and go forward anyway then it opens you to creating more success in your life. Not letting fear take you out, builds self-confidence and brings courage to your life. Having courage is an essential ingredient to a fully self-realized life.
There are many things in life that take courage; take getting past the fear to succeed. Courage is saying I am going to go ahead even if fear is trying to stop me. Courage is going against the norm; following your heart; living purposefully; doing what is difficult because it needs to be done; stretching yourself into new directions in life. With courage you free yourself to live fully.
Hope today and every day is filled with all the courage you need to go forward. The world can be a scary place. Many courageous people are needed in these times when big doses of fear are serve up to us daily by the media and those who are afraid. Stand out in your life, live with courage and be an inspiration to us all.
Oh bye the way, not many people came to either event so it was a slow day of Bobbi and I but we are finally home safe and warm.
An Open Mind and Heart
These days so full of information and misinformation can make it a challenge to keep open in our minds and hearts. There are so many people who want to tell us how to think and look at things, what to believe, and give us their obviously biased opinions. The airwaves are full of so called experts telling us what they think. If you watch the nightly news, you probably want to barricade yourself and your family in for safety? Watching the news may also make you want to protect your heart from all that seems so heartless? If you forget that the news is almost always slanted toward a fear driven sensationalism than you might think it represents reality. It doesn’t.
The mass majority of people on the planet are actually worth getting to know. They are well-intended people who feel compassion and love, who think about creating better lives for themselves and those they care about. They are trying to make sense out of the world as we are. They may have different beliefs but if we sat down and talked we would find much more in common then not.
This sitting down and talking is where we need to evolve as a human race. We need to leave the egos at the door and instead bring our open hearts and open minds. A closed mind is worthless in resolving problems because all the options are closed down by it’s narrowness of thinking. A closed heart is a very sad thing to happen to a human because it means they shut down their ability to have compassion for others and to really understand on a deeper level.
An open mind and open heart sets you free to:
• Understand other viewpoints
• Be loving to yourself
• Be loving to people who are different than you
• Allow your mind to be in wonder
• Allow your mind to wander about into new areas of insight and awareness
• Feel for where people are coming from
• Find inner peace
• Have compassion for the suffering of others
• Be open to receiving and giving love
• Listen to the intuitive knowing within
• Enjoy life more fully
• Find answers to conflicting points of view
• Explore your potential
• Expand your comfort zone
• Be open to many more possibilities
• Eliminate enemies by seeing we are all one
• Find the joy in each moment
• Make a difference in the world
What other ways can an open minds and hearts expand you and the possibilities of the global human community?
Join me and we can all open up to making the world a better place.
Income Equals Activity of Consciousness
In the Success Book by John Randolph Price (a wonderful little gem of a book) the author makes a very interesting statement about how the Universe compensates us. He says, “The Universe does not compensate individuals based on the activity of the work, but on the activity of consciousness.” What do you make of that statement?
I see it as an invitation to be a fully loving and conscious human being in all that you think, feel and do. Loving, every part of you and every part of life you are involved in and aware of, is what is called for here. Being a fully conscious human with your thoughts expansive, your actions in awareness, your feelings in alignment and your heart aglow. Are you up for that?
I am writing about this as a reminder to you and to myself about the importance of being at our highest level of functioning for the rest of this year and for making 2008 the best year ever.
I want to give you a picture of how a day like that might look and feel:
You wake up in the morning and while still lying in bed you plan for your successes of the day. You see yourself acting wisely with an open heart in all that you are involved in. You feel full of awareness and love as you go through the day. All things that come your way, you handle with compassion and peace of mind. You see the results you want and allow it to happen in the best of ways. During this visualization you set yourself free to be successful by fully loving yourself and being in your highest level of consciousness.
Now you get out of bed and get ready for the day. When time permits you meditate or take some time here and there to renew the images in your mind and heart of how you want your day to unfold. Always feel the feelings and have your thoughts at your highest level of awareness. Feel the joy of being fully present in your life, fully alive and purposeful.
Then as the day progresses feel yourself with a warm heart surrounded by the light of your expansive nature. Attract what you want by doing what you do with purpose and intention. Your desires stretch you out into your fullest expression. Your thoughts encourage and inspire you. Your heart opens you and spreads the most wonderfully attractive energy. Your actions create effortless and easily while manifesting the best results for good of all.
As the day heads toward evening, you take another time to sit quietly and contemplate the day. Reminding yourself of all the abundance and joy that has been made available. Soak in the blessings of the day and enjoy the moments of expansion and knowing. Relax now and spend time nurturing your mind, heart and spirit.
The day comes to an end and it is time to lie down for sleep. In the quiet moments, before you slip into a deep and renewing sleep, you feel in you heart gratitude for all the gifts of life your received that day, for the love, the results, the income, the inspiration, the health, the joy and all else that enriched your life. What an extraordinary day it has been.
I hope you can see, feel, sense that way of manifesting your day. Please explore and explore and grow as you go into this most incredible flow.
Peace, consciousness and abundance to you this day.
If you like these ideas, check out my Success book series.
Which Ways Do You Limit You?
I keep on finding my mind returning to English Poet David Whyte’s words about being fully human. He talked about humans being the only species that isn’t fully who they are. My observations are that we humans do a variety of things that sell ourselves short. Here are some of the ways we do that:
• We seek the approval of others to the point of not being who we are in hopes they will have a favorable opinion about us
• We make ourselves invisible so others will not see who we are
• We don’t go for more in our lives because we think we don’t deserve
• We hold ourselves back waiting until we think we know enough to go forward
• We don’t stand up for what we think is right because we don’t want to upset others
• We choose to live lives others expect from us rather then live our own life.
• We put up with being treated poorly by others so as not to cause problems
• We give up on things we want because it is difficult to make it happen
• We settle for mediocre in hopes it will be easier
• We loose our purpose by filling our lives with being busy and entertained
• We hide out in alcohol, drugs and other addictive behavior
• We let others tell us how to run our lives and what to believe in
• We buy into the faulty idea of us being sinful and bad
• We let others control us through fear
• We let others control us through guilt
• We let our mind limit us with our own limiting beliefs
• We say no when we want to say yes
• We say yes when we want to say no
• We try to get people to love us by being someone we are not
• We settle for less in hopes it will be enough
• We pass on opportunities because it might be risky
• We refuse to leave our comfort zone
• We live a hurried non-stop life so we don’t ever have time to feel our pain
• We ignore our feelings because they are unpleasant, yet an important guide
• We close down our hearts to keep from getting hurt
• We argue for our limitations and they become our reality
• We let self-doubt guide us down a dead end path
• We wonder about the possibilities of life and settle for obscurity
• We have these beautiful bodies but we neglect them and adapt to the limits they gain from the neglect
• We eat our way through problems hiding them under layers of discontent
• We deny the power and expression of our emotions and turn them into tension in the body
• And even more do we limit our light, our wisdom, our heart, our expansive minds
How many of these fit for you? Please do not judge yourself harshly for whatever ways you set limits on you. Just notice and make a commitment to become more fully alive. The positive of this list is that all these limits are your limits and they can be changed.
Much of what I write about at this blog is to encourage you to live as fully as you can in this life. I will share more ideas soon to assist, support and inspire you to be more, live more and to express who you are as richly in this life as you can.
My Two Success Books Can Now Be Yours Today
I am very excited about the two success e-books I am now able to offer you here at my blog. These books, I wrote, represent the best ideas I have found through 30 years of exploring success strategies.
One book 60 Seconds To Success is full of powerful ideas that will take you only minutes a day to create results.
The other book 30 Days to Success is a month long focused plan to get you going forward in a very successful way.
Check out an additional offer I am making available to you with this purchase. Just go to the column of E-books To Buy and open the 2 For 1 Success Books.
One book 60 Seconds To Success is full of powerful ideas that will take you only minutes a day to create results.
The other book 30 Days to Success is a month long focused plan to get you going forward in a very successful way.
Check out an additional offer I am making available to you with this purchase. Just go to the column of E-books To Buy and open the 2 For 1 Success Books.
Take These Steps For Successful Intention Making
“Intention is bringing together the collective forces of mind, body, heart and spirit for the purpose of manifesting in the world.” I wrote this yesterday and never got back to explain further how to use intention. Before I say anything more, I want you to know Wayne Dyer’s book Intention is a must read if you are interested in a real expertise in fully empowering your intentions.
I want to share more about my experience with the intentions and how they have worked for me. Last month is an example of intention in action. I started November 1st with the intention of writing a novel. My desired outcome was 50,000 words and 150 pages. I started full of inspiration that first day and with determination and focus I had the first draft done in 20 days. That is the power of intention. I saw the novel, imagined it fully, felt it, opened to it, allowed it to flow, and received all the inspiration necessary to make it happen. Living with intention is powerful, energizing, fun and rewarding.
The idea is to set your intention, get clear about the results you want, use your senses to feel it and experience it already real and then move into action to make it happen. The getting clear part takes place both before and after the intention is set. First you get clear about what you want to have happen in 2008, then you set a specific intention on one of the outcomes you desire, and then you get clear about how that intention will look when successful. Seeing and feeling the results you want are very important. The more you know in your body, emotions, mind and spirit the reality of your intention the more it will come into reality. Then take whatever action needed. Put a big dose of love into the process for extra good measure all long the way.
Let me do a quick review. Set intentions, with heart see, feel, sense the desired results in your entire being, take actions necessary and experience the success. Try an experiment this month and set your intention for something simple. Get clear what you want to happen, set the intention, know the results you desire, feel it and act when needed. Doing a test drive before 2008 will help you get a feel for the process.
I suggest doing only one intention at a time. That is the kind of focus necessary to manifest. Multiple intentions diffuse your focus. One clear intention fully loaded with all you attributes is a sure bet for success.
Let me know how it goes. I’ve included quotes from two people who I find very inspirational.
All that counts in life is intention.
Andrea Bocelli
Our intention creates our reality.
Wayne Dyer
Commitments Are Promises To Yourself
I hope you have had enough time to list you top ten desires for 2008. Now it is time to get clear about what are you willing to commit to and what are you intentions? Commitments are like goals except they are more internal, something you feel you are willing to put all your inner resources to work to make them happen. Commitments are made to you, they are your word (promise, assurance), and they are powerful. Do not commit to anything unless you are confident you will follow through and live up to your word. Intention is bringing together the collective forces of mind, body, heart and spirit for the purpose of manifesting in the world.
I want to write first about commitments. What are you willing to commit your word to bring about from your list of 10. Take some time over the next few weeks to get inner clarity on what it will take to be fully committed to the 10 new realities you want to create. The whole month of December is available to get that clarity. It has to feel right or it would be best to not commit. Your word to yourself is very important to honor because a positive self-esteem is essential to creating success in your life. Not living up to your own word will put doubt in how you feel about yourself.
I look over my list of 10 and feel I am fully committed to at least nine of the 10. Some of my 10 are ones I have been working on recently or for years. My exercise program and my consciousness raising have been with me for many years so my commitments there have deeply nurtured my self-esteem and confidence in my word. My love for my wife has blessed my life for about three years and that love continues to grow and both of us want to share that love with the world. I am fully committed to that expansion of love.
Peace Together is about two going on three years old and our mission of spreading peace is a commitment that is clear and passionate. My blog goes along with that mission. The blog will be a year old in February and as you can see I write every day on it so my commitment is strong. The novel and the musical are two projects that feel fully aligned with my purpose so commitment is also clear about making them happen. Living with passion and purpose are who I am and I want to expand into even a richer expression of them as well as live with more joy. I feel joyous but also sense a deeper, limitless river of joy in reach.
The financial freedom commitment is one that feels like it is still unfolding as money has been less then optimal but enough to keep going forward. I am fully committed to unblock any logjam so that abundance and prosperity flow richly in my life.
The friendship one which is 10th on the list is less clear. I am a quiet person, that like to spend time alone and in my own space. Bobbi and I share lots of time together and the love nurtures me greatly so friends feel like a plus but not a real need. Male friends here in Boulder that we share like minds, and spirits would definitely enrich my life.
What about your list of 10, are some familiar commitments? Is your word something you can trust? How much energy and passion do you have to making commitments to these 10? Maybe the top 5 is what you can commit to or maybe the top 3? Keep asking those questions you need to ask so that you know what you can commit to fully.
I will write about intentions tomorrow or soon. I am realizing that I prefer to flow on this blog rather then set structure that I will follow. Structure seems to feel limiting to me. My commitment with this blog is to come from the highest and best place every time I sit down to write this. I am living my commitment and I feel very positive that I am doing so.
As always, I welcome your comments and ideas. Leave comments below or email me at ExploreLifeBlog@inbox.com.
Stop Listening To Those Who Seek Control Through Fear
The wind is howling off the Rocky Mountains towards the Plains this bright Sunday morning. I will have to dress warm on my run into the foothills. After the last two busy days at the Holiday Fair selling our peace t-shirts and talking about the world, I feel uplifted to know there are more people out there who think critically, who question what is going on, who are not fooled by the rhetoric of those in power, who also are deeply concerned about the future of our country and the planet.
I have been so focused on sharing ideas that will be helpful for make 2008 a great year for you that I haven’t really talked politics in awhile. Politics is part of what 2008 is going to be about. The end of the awful reign of the arrogance, greed and power in this administration will come. The candidates for the next administration will be trying to impress you and I, but so far I am under whelmed.
If we are to have the type of government that we the people want than we need a president who speaks for and represents the people, not the corporations. We need elected officials who live by higher values like truth, fairness, equal justice, compassion, non-violence, understanding, and communications for mutual benefit of all people.
The war is a tragedy driven by power and arrogance. The fear mongering of those in power is a disgrace whose only purpose is to control the people. The security issue is not about security for the people, it is about security of power. If we are buy into what it is said in the name of then we can be controlled.
I want to talk a little about security’s misuse. I recently got a letter passed on from my Dad (who was not happy with my response to the letter because I questioned what was said.) The letter in question was from a Christian minister who was sharing with other ministers their beliefs at a prison. The letter writing minister claimed the Muslim minister (Imam) said that all Muslims were to kill infidels as part of the jihad of their faith. Infidels (non-believers) are you and me. I doubted that an Imam would actually say that because their faith is full of loving and kind people who share many similar beliefs with all religions of the world. (Side note here, if you explore the ideas of the Muslims, Christians, Catholics and Jews you will see they share much more in common in their beliefs than differences)
So I did some research on the Internet and found out two things. The supposed minister that sent out this fearful and hateful letter was lying. There was no Imam there in fact it was a prisoner who spoke about the Muslim beliefs. The second lie was the fact that jihad was not mentioned nor was that Muslims were to kill all infidels. He made the whole thing up to spread fear via his email letter.
The important point here is that we must move past the idea that a small band of religious fanatics can take over the world (a small band of religious fanatics in this country is having way to much influence already and that needs to change) and instead come to the place of finding out what people need so that we can all get along. It simply would take some listening and learning as we go. Not wars, not a huge defense budget, not more giving up of our rights, not more living in fear, no more giving our power to those who are misguided by power themselves. We must come from a place of higher knowing and from the heart to assure that our country and the planet survives and thrives.
Let peace, love, wisdom and truth guide your day.
Poetry and Suicide Both Offer Important Lessons
I just got home and it is 5pm after another day at the Holiday Fair promoting peace. I have been thinking about two events that have raised questions in me over the last few days. I am always interested in questions that are calling me to be more conscious or live with more meaning. The two events were the readings and commentary by the wonderful English Poet David Whyte who was in Boulder on Thursday evening. The second event was the report by the Boulder Medical Examiner of suicide by a popular young man who often was very vocal about his Christian faith.
David Whyte’s poetry is deeply moving and it truly seems connected to a higher source. He is a blessing to all those that have the privilege of hearing him read his poetry and tell his stories. What struck me deeply was his call for people to quit trying to be invisible and to come into the wholeness. He says human are the only creatures on the planet that choose to be less than they are.
I wonder how many people settle for being much less; for just getting by and not going for all they can be? I ask myself; in what ways can I go for more in my life, how can I make an even more powerful difference? How about you? What ways do you hold yourself back? What ways in 2008 are you willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone and into the world in a bigger way?
The death of the young man who inspired others through his faith has left me wondering. I wonder what was happening on a feeling level for this former University football player. Did his words not match up with his own inner state of well-being? How did the words of his faith and his inner relationship with his God not connect with his emotional state? I wonder and sometimes feel too much emphasis is paid to thoughts and beliefs and not enough to the heart and the feelings that indicate how a person is really doing. Did he not listen inward to himself? Did others not listen to his feelings and instead tell him how he should think and believe?
To me his suicide was a reminder of the importance of feeling what is going on inside. Thoughts and beliefs are part of who we are, but just as important are the feelings. Feelings are there to point the way. Feeling positive and joyous means you are heading the right way. Feeling negative and hopeless means things are not right and they need to be examined.
In 2008, my request to you is two things: first is to go for as much personal expression as you can, be your best, express your fullest potential in as many ways as you can. Second is to pay attention to how you are feeling along the way. If things feel great, you are on the right path; if they don’t, change directions and if you need help ask for it.
If you live the way of purposeful self-expression and awareness of you emotional states then 2008 will be guided by your heart and your determination to fully express all that you are. This kind of life benefits you and everyone you interact with on the planet.
The 2008 Irresistible Attractive Force Is You
Today I am at a Holiday Gift fair from 9 to 9 promoting peace so I put together this quick blog from my 60 Seconds To Success e-book, which I will soon make available to you here on this site.
Do you know you can attract what you want in 2008? How would you like to be irresistible in your attraction? Can you imagine attracting whatever you desire? Here are some quick ideas you can explore each day to help you attract those things and experiences you would love to have this next year.
• Get clear about what you want and feel good about having it.
• See yourself as a worthy recipient of this success
• See yourself as deserving the very best in life
• Spread you best qualities everywhere you go
• Be kind and giving
• Keep your mind positive in all your thoughts
• Feel totally free to be who you are
• Take time each day to find your inner peace
• Imagine that you are in the light of the ever-giving Universe.
• Imagine you are under the spout where all the good stuff comes pouring out; in the stream of well-being.
When you explore these above ideas you will feel uplifted. This uplifted feeling makes you much more attractive to the world. Have you ever noticed really positive, loving people and how they uplift others? If you haven’t had that experience, seek out people who feel great to be around and then notice how they positively affect others. You can be a powerfully attractive force in 2008.
Let me know how it goes, below or at explorelifeblog@inbox.com.
The Top 10 Priorities For Your 2008 Success Plan
Let’s get to down to business and choose the 10 things you most want to happen in 2008. So far if you have been following along you have a list and ideas to make sure that list comes from a place of knowing inside of you. Now it is time to focus that list and get clear about your priorities.
From the list I have put together, here are the 10 I want to commit to making happen in my life. Each one feels worth giving my attention to and putting my efforts toward making them happen.
1. Continue the ever-expanding love between Bobbi and I and love for the world
2. Grow Peace Together and promote peace through creating more traffic to website and blog and create a foundation or fund
3. Explore Life Blog continues to be inspired and increase readership
4. Total financial freedom, passive streams of income that meet needs
5. Continue to meditate and raise my consciousness
6. Develop more uplifting friendships and experiences
7. Continue to live inspired with purpose and passion
8. Get funding for musical
9. Get novel published and continue exploration of writing
10. Keep fit and flexible with daily workouts
I don’t know about you, but it was difficult to reduce my list to 10. The reason there is a limit because getting clear about what is most important is a key. The ones that are most important will feel energizing, passionate, important, intuitive, life giving, full of love and meaning and will uplift your spirit.
Now the next part of the focusing is to put these in order of importance to you. One will be the most important and ten the least important. This will most likely take you some time unless you have already done that. Which ones have the most meaning to you and feel the full of purpose and passion?
1. Continue the ever-expanding love between Bobbi and I and spread love out into the world
2. Continue to meditate and raise my consciousness
3. Grow Peace Together, promote peace, bring more traffic to website and blog, create a foundation/fund/trust, and specific projects
4. Explore Life Blog continues to be inspired and increase readership, positive impact and funding for my efforts
5. Total financial freedom, passive streams of income that meet all of our needs
6. Keep fit and flexible with daily workouts
7. Get funding for musical and produce it
8. Get novel published and continue exploration of writing
9. Continue to live inspired with purpose, passion and joy
10. Develop more uplifting friendships and experiences
That was challenging to do for me. I am clear all of these are important. As you noticed, I changed the wording on some because the getting clearer process in ongoing. Please give yourself all the time you need to make this list fit what you feel inside at you place of highest knowing. The best ones to focus on feel right in your heart, make sense to your mind and take your spirit soaring with joy and possibility.
Can you give the next year to make these happen? If you had to choose could you just do the top five and be happy?
From here on we are going to talk more about how to make these 10 into a reality in 2008. These are your commitments to yourself and your life. Please take your list with you and get to know it very well because you will most likely adjust it here and there so it feel right to you. This is your list and only share it with people who will be supportive and encouraging.
I have been on a reading frenzy lately trying to find quick easy reads to inspire you in this 2008 journey. My goal is to give you lots of options and here is the next book for you to check out. Libraries are great sources for these books. This one in by Stuart Avery Gold and it is called, Ping, A Frog In Search Of A New Pond.
As always please let me know how it is going below on the comments section or email me explorelifeblog@inbox.com.
Your Wise Guidance for 2008
Wednesdays here at my blog are usually Blog Mystery School days so I want to integrate the inner skills of that with the Success Plan for 2008 Your Best year Ever. How I am going to do that is a mystery to me at the moment but I am sure the higher guidance will get my fingers working and the inspiration flowing as it is doing now. There is, within you, what I call a Higher Self. This is the part of you that is impartial, intuitive, and contains the collective wisdom and consciousness of all of human kind and the universe. You could also call this part of you, Spirit, Soul, Divine Self, Super Consciousness, Higher Knowing or whatever fits for you.
Your Higher Self is an incredibly wise, conscious and loving part of who you are. Are you in touch with this part of you? You are if you feel guided; if your trust your intuition; if you have a part of you that observes without judgment, if you are guided by the wisdom of your heart which is directly wired to the Higher Self; if you meditate and know the wisdom of your inner stillness; if you listen to the knowing guidance of your emotional body; and other ways you know your are empowered by Source, the Universe, God or however you identify the creative force of all there is.
So far this is more concepts then practical application for result creating. I want to now talk about how you can use the Higher Self to guide you along the way. The best two ways I know how to do that are ways I have explored and found useful. You may discover other ways. Try these two and see how they work for you. The two techniques I use are listening inward and journaling.
Listening inward is simple yet I make it complicated at times because of my busy mind. When I take some time to quiet myself in mind, body and emotions then I am in an optimal state for inward listening. Mediation or just simply focusing on the breath are excellent ways to quiet myself down. In the still place within, I can pose questions or seek guidance simply by asking and then waiting quietly for a response.
They key here is listening patiently. There will always be a response. The problem I run into is my mind starts going and images come flying by and I push myself right out of the quietness into the now chaotic mind. This full powered, imaged filled and idea-generating mind is a gift but needs to be channeled. Quiet is the best place to communicate with your Higher Self.
The next method I use for guidance is journaling. I can sit down with a notebook and ask questions and the answers usually come easily. Instead of listening, I let the word come out onto the paper, which they seem to do rather effortlessly. I don’t know if others use this method but I would be curious to know if this works for you? I let myself be guided and it seems to happen naturally this way.
I have a word of caution here. The ego is more then glad to guide you at all times. That is not what you want to happen. So you need to be able to distinguish you ego from your Higher Self. That will take some discernment from you. The ego is clever and can sound like the Higher Self. Keys that the ego is driving the guidance: fear driven responses, want to be right, wants to look good in front of others, self-focused to the exclusion of others and you know the kind of stuff the ego is about.
Take some time today and in the next few days to become acquainted with your Higher Self. Whenever you have a few spare moments listen inward and ask to communicate with this higher wisdom. In a few short visits you will have a much better feel for this unlimited guiding force within you. Then ask the Higher Self to help you get clear about what you want to focus on in 2008.
Tomorrow, I am going to ask you to fine-tune the focusing. Take some time today to explore your inner knowing and get a feel for what is most important for you in your life at this time. Remember having fun, feeling passion and purpose, loving what you do, and enjoying being who you are will make this next year one to remember.
A Fire Hose of Focus For 2008
Now that you have thought about and hopefully taken some time to explore the six aspects of your life, I want to share another level of ideas to get you ready. The first of those ideas is commitment. I suspect some of you may react to that word in a less than favorable way? This commitment is only to you. You are not making any promises to anyone else in the 2008 plan for the best year ever. This is your plan, you commitment to yourself to take full responsibility for the life you are going to create.
As a person committed to creating your best year ever, you see yourself as the one that has to make it happen. You see yourself as the one who will take the actions and shape the results. This puts you in charge of your own life. Feel the power and responsibility of that. If fear arises, know that all you have to do is keep on moving forward and courage will join you.
The next idea is focus. I have already written about the need for focus but there is an image I want you to take with you on this 2008 journey. The image is a fire hose. Have you ever seen a fire hose in full action? A fire hose in unrolled from storage and it lays their limp until the water is focused through it at that moment it becomes this incredibly powerful force. Without focus you are the firehouse in waiting; with focus you are the fire hose in action. In focused action you will be streaming along with power and direction.
Focus of this kind cannot be held continually because it would take too much life force. You apply focus when necessary to create results. The rest of the time you keep your attention on your intention. (Wayne Dyer’s book Intention is a great read for inspiration) Where your mind goes, so does your results. I will write more about intention and attention as we go along.
The last idea for today is to have fun. Having fun is essential for at least two reasons. If there isn’t fun in the life direction you have chosen, it is time to rethink where you are going. Happiness has to be a goal in mind or the life will run out of life. Enjoy the journey or you will be unhappy.
The second reason to have fun is because fun feels good. There is within you a child that needs to play and feel good. That child is a key component in creating the life you want in 2008. If the inner child is neglect it will sabotage you along the way. The child is a huge creative force and necessary to be at your inspired best. If you are playful and enjoy what you are doing, the child will be a force as powerful as the fire hose engaged in action.
These are all key ideas. Please take some time to contemplate their place in your planning. One other book I want to recommend for you to review before 1/1/08, The Seven Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra. This is a favorite of mine because of the depth of wisdom it shares.
As always, I welcome your feedback and questions below or at my email address explorelifeblog@inbox.com
Six Essential Aspect to 2008’s Success
This is day 3 of the planning program for making 2008 your best year ever. I know if you have been following along, I have you thinking and feeling. The idea storming generated a good list and the focus ideas have you tuning in. Now I want to give you a framework to work with. I want you to divide your prioritizing into the following categories: mind, body, emotions, career, social, and spirit. These categories will help you fine-tune the focusing and align with what matters most to you.
I want to begin with the mind. The mind is one of your most powerful tools for creating the life you want. Your thoughts will shape your experience of the world. I have some suggestions that will help maximize the minds effectiveness in making the world your desire come true.
• Keep your mind open for all kinds of possibilities
• Reduce or eliminate the inner critic, it serves no positive purpose
• Keep feeding the mind with new ideas and inspiration
• Quiet the mind daily to allow a deeper knowing
• Visualize the results you want each day
The body is a very important part of having a happy and successful life. Your body is temple from which you navigate in the world. Listening to it and caring for it will make your life go much more smoothly. Here are some ideas for optimizing your body in 2008.
• Eat in a way that nurtures you and keeps you light on your feet
• Have an exercise program that you enjoy, going for walks is a great place to start
• Take time to relax the body and release the stress
• Get enough sleep each night by taking time to relax and let go each evening
• Listen to the wisdom of your body, it always speaks the truth
You are an emotional being. Your emotions guide you as a compass guides a traveler. When you are on course, you feel good. When you are off course, you feel like something is wrong. I have some ideas that will enable you to better use your emotions.
• Feel, acknowledge, and appreciate all emotions as helpful guides
• Pay attention to you heart as the center of love and great wisdom
• Be cautious when you feel fear, you may be limiting yourself
• Listen to what your feeling are telling you and take necessary action to improve your emotional state
• Happiness and joy means you are heading in the right direction
The next consideration is career. I would suggest you see career in terms of life purpose. Your career can be the place you make money and hopefully it is filled with purpose. Having income is necessary and it can be very fulfilling. That is the goal to have a meaningful career that provides for all you need. Here are some career considerations
• Listen inward and seek a career that feels passionate and alive for you
• Money is a very positive force if you view it that way
• Seek to live with purpose and to express that purpose through what you do
• Careers change now for most over a lifetime, keep on remaking yourself to reflect your highest expression
• Enjoy what you do or do something else
I have come to appreciate the social aspect more as I grow wiser. Those you love and care about are so key in a happy life. If you have an open heart and express kindness and caring, your social life will be rich. Enjoy your social life by exploring some of these ideas.
• The best gift you can give someone you care about is the gift of compassionate listening.
• Nurture all your relationship by having an open heart
• Make time to enjoy the company and ideas of others
• Interact more in your communities and discover how wonderful people can be
• Try accepting people just as they are and appreciate their uniqueness
The spirit in you is your life force. This is the source of the highest knowing in you and the connection to all things. The spirit was before this life and will continue after. Get to know your spirit and keep it activated. Here are some ways to do that.
• Spend time in quiet contemplation, it will enrich you in amazing ways
• Nature is a wonderful place to meet you spirit and communicate with it, so is creativity
• Think in terms of you being a spiritual being having a human experience
• Listen inward and find your higher self and seek it’s guidance
• Explore ideas that uplift you and let your spirit soar
If you consider these six aspects in you plan for 2008, you will enrich yourself in many ways.
Let me know how this is going for you and I will respond to your questions at explorelifeblog@inbox.com
Finding Your 2008 Focus
When planning for next year’s success, the brain/heart storming suggested yesterday is an excellent starting point. The goal was to get all your ideas out there where you can see them. These ideas can be images you carry to get a feel for what has passion and energy for you. The more you tune inward and pay attention the clearer you will get about where to focus your life forces. Some other key indicators include: what gets you excited; what feels like it has meaning and purpose to it; what fits with what you value; what would be enjoyable and full of life to do? Let your heart and spirit be guiding lights in this questioning process.
Only you know what would be best for you? No one else can show you the way. Be cautious with those who think they know what is best for you. Part of making 2008 a great year is coming into your own greatness. That means following your own path, living your own dreams, and listening to your driving desires. Your greatness comes from aligning with your unique purpose in life and then living that purpose with intention and passion. That is the mythic hero’s journey and it can be yours too if you pay attention to what you higher knowing tells you.
Take the next few days to tune in and listen for that higher wisdom. Ways to do that include sitting quietly and listening inward, meditation, a slow relaxed walk, a visit to place in nature, journaling at a coffee shop, reading a book that expands your thinking, or other ways you can discover. The important thing to do is go beyond the rational, listen to the wisdom of the heart, feel your ideas in your body, be open to the intuitive, let you higher know rise into awareness in whatever form it may take.
This focusing part is very important yet it has to have a playful and joyous side to it. If you can’t do what you are thinking about doing playfully with love and joy than it may not be where you need to focus your energy.
As we go along on this preparation for 2008 I want to suggest some reading that will be expansive and enriching for you while being simple and brief enough. One of my favorite books is Richard Bach’s book Illusions. I highly recommend it because it will expand your thinking about what is possible. Another book I read this weekend is worth you time because it is about a way to look at money that will open you up to having more of it. The book is by Barbara Wilder who I met recently at the Holistic Fair. She is a bright light in the world. He book is Money Is Love, an uplifting 80 some pages of inspiration.
So if you haven’t brain/heart stormed yet, do that first and then take the time to get clear about where you want to focus those amazing inner resources that you have.
Please let me know how it goes? I am always available if you have questions. Please feel free to leave a comment below or email be directly at explorelifeblog@inbox.com