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I Have This Vision Of The World I Want To Share With You

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Recently I have been sensing in my heart and spirit that the time is ripe with possibilities for a major transformation on the planet. The need for real change is something most of us feel at a deep level of our being. What do you sense/know of the importance of this moment in human history and what part do you see yourself playing?

Keep this in mind. Everything humanity has created began as a thought, an image, or a moment of insight or inspiration inside our minds. There are endless wonderful creations (art, design, music, dance, compassionate acts and much more) and a number of things we messed up on (war, believing our fears, politics, the greed agenda, and many more). 

The point here is that we created all this - both the wonderful and the less than wonderful. So we can recreate or create anything that would be beneficial to all of us. There really is no known limit to human creativity.

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No-Doubt Peaceful Warrior

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I have been bothered by self-doubt most of my life. I thank the 12 years of Catholic Schools as one of the major contributors to this deeply rooted lack of belief in myself. At the base of this belief runs a mixture of ideas that there is something not okay about who I am.

First off I want to say, I know this old message is a bunch of mind-noise BS but that doesn’t stop it from rising inside of me from time-to-time.

Through years of personal introspection and my work as a mental health professional, I have come to understand that the ego-mind uses self-doubt as a way to remain in charge. If thoughts of self-doubt are consistently part of my psyche, I am more readily under the control of my ego.

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Be Aware: There Is A James E Holmes In All Of Us

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The tragedy in Aurora Colorado was terrible. The people who survived that awful night in the theater will carry the trauma for many years. They, as well as the families, responders and community will all need help to release the trauma for their well-being.

James E Holmes is a fellow human being with the same potential as you and I. Somewhere along the way he went off course, down a very dark road. Here are six ways we can end up in a very dark place: 

1.  Anger is a powerful emotion. People who stuff anger can build up huge amounts of stored negative energy. If anger keeps building it will need expression.  Anger needs to be released in healthy ways.

2.  The mind can go off in extreme directions. Thoughts can grow more and more powerful inside. Thoughts can also rationalize terrible ideas. The mind needs balance and harmony.

3.  The ego is run by fear. It wants to be right. When the ego wants to assert more power and control it can come up with very unhealthy ideas to do so. The ego also often wants attention and can go in search of its “fame” in very destructive ways.  The ego needs to be acknowledged and kept in a more neutral place in our daily lives.

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Why Walking Meditation May Be Just Right For You

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If you enjoy a good walk, you will enjoy a walking meditation. Walking meditation is a way to be up and moving and yet allows you to enter into a place of stillness and inner peace.

You can walk through a neighborhood, a park, a schoolyard (off hours), on a trail, on a circular path, on the way to and from work, or around your block. Walking in this matter brings you more fully present to the areas you travel through. You may even notice beauty and points of interest you missed before.

Walking meditation quiets your mind, helps release tension in your body and encourages you to tune in and hear the wisdom within. After a meditative walk you are likely to have a more peaceful mind, a relaxed body and an intuitive sense of what is right for you.

Here is my favorite prescription for the ultimate in walking meditation experience:

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Time To Stop Blinding Yourself and Reclaim Your Full Vision

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Life has a way of blinding us to what’s going on. Things happen and we close down. This is the nature of being human in a world so often powerful and too often overwhelming. What we see is affected by our experience of the world.

A number of years ago I had a very interesting experience and it has left questions in my mind about how much our emotions affect how well we see. One evening before I went to bed, I had a very positive insight and felt uplifted before I drifted off to sleep. In the morning, before I put my contacts in, I looked outside and could read the street sign. The strength of the corrective lenses I wear would make that clarity of vision nearly a miracle.

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Dissolving Past Regrets – Simple Solution # 4

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Maybe you have noticed that regrets from the past can get in the way of enjoying your life now. Here is a simple technique to help put regrets from the past aside.

When a thought of regret comes, kindly acknowledge you are an imperfect human being. Like the rest of us, you make mistakes.

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Why If You Are Sure You Are Right, You Can’t Know The Truth

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We live in a world where opinions have taken over our news, our politics and too much of our national dialogue. Opinions are the work of the ego-mind. They are not the truth. They are just words people share in an attempt to be right or to gain power and control over others.

That may not be something most of us want to hear. We all have opinions. There is nothing wrong with our opinions except they most likely aren’t true. They are not true because they represent ideas formed in the past that have not been examined in the present.

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NOW + HOW = WOW

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This is an awesome Friday-the-13th opportunity. I wrote about this on Wednesday and am posting it again so you don't miss this exceptional offer.

NOW + HOW = WOW

This is the formula for an amazing life. 

***I have an offer for you ***

If living in the NOW calls you,

Let me show you HOW

Then your life becomes full of WOW

My offer is: You can receive a month’s worth of personal consultations (4 sessions) to assist you in living in the Now so I can show you How. My regular session fee for 4 consultations would be $400 but for this offer the first 10 people get these 4 sessions for half price $200 (these session are going quickly, act Now). Then together we can celebrate the Wow of life. 

Email me (joseph@josephbernardphd.com) today to set up your first session.

If you know someone who would really appreciate and benefit from this offer, please forward this email. I will extend the half-off offer to any friend of yours that you feel would value being more present in their lives.

I would enjoy making a positive difference in your life and you can have more wow.

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Why Living In The Now Is The Most Important Thing You Can Do

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It wasn’t a slap in the face or a shout from the heavens but I knew this message was important for me.  The bright sunny morning walk on the beach was quiet. I was tuned inward. I was breathing and walking mindfully when a clear, quiet message came in via my intuition.

The message said, “Welcome to this moment. Your work at this time is to live fully in the now. Nothing is more important than doing so. All that you will do for the rest of your life will flow from this focus of living in the now.”

Moments later I found a large, beautiful agate that now sits on my desk. My wife calls these stones, ocean stars. Right now as I write this, my agate serves as a reminder that being present is where I need to be.

Why does this matter to you?

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Shrinking Self-Doubt To A Whisper From The Past – Simple Solution # 3

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This is another in the simple solutions series that offers a quick on-the-spot strategy to deal with inner issues. To have self-doubt is to be human. However self-doubt is not necessary.

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How The 4th of July Can Inspire Your Independence Day

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Today is a day to celebrate freedom. Do you feel free? Is freedom an important value for you? Are you willing to do what it takes to be free?

Freedom is possible if you want it. The following four freedoms can transform your life. Each freedom has the power to forever shift your experience of everything you do.

The four freedoms for personal independence include:

1.         Freedom from self-judging and self-criticism

2.         Freedom from ego domination

3.         Freedom from fear

4.         Freedom from self-imposed limits

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How Will Smith Convinced Me To Joined The Men In Black

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I met Will Smith in my mind of possibilities. He is universal being much like you and I. He stands out because he has played a number of interesting and meaningful characters in movies like: Independence Day, Hancock, The Pursuit of Happyness, Ali, The Legend of Bagger Vance and The Men In Black series.

In Men In Black as Agent J he plays a confident guy with cool tools and “big guns.” I would join the Men In Black in a minute if I could have a neuralizers.

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Taming The Roaring Noise Of Anger - Simple Solution # 2

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The follow is another short concise self-intervention. Take a few minutes to give this anger shifting technique a try.  You will appreciate how quickly anger becomes a manageable emotion.

Don’t deny or ignore anger. Acknowledge it. Simply acknowledging it changes it from a monster in the closet to an awareness of energy in motion (emotions).

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12 Life Alterations To Step Out Of The Ordinary Into The Extraordinary

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Life can be lived in a comfort zone or more out on the edge. You can play it safe or test yourself in the rough waters of life. Which do you think would be more fun and more energizing?

The following are twelve ways to stir up your life, give you more spunk, bring more happiness and let your heart shine out into the world. There are also recommended readings for further exploration of each way.

1.     Don’t be so groovy – It is easy to fall into the deep groove of habits and the familiar. You can break out of a rut by always changing things up. Try doing something different each day. Leave old limiting habits behind. Climb out of your deep habit groove and look around. See the bright possibilities of living each day fresh and new, guided by the moment. (Hypnotizing Maria – Richard Bach)

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One Remedy For Fear That Will Never Let You Down

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Today I start a series of posts which offer simple solutions to many of  the issues we deal with - sometimes on a daily basis. I want to offer you useful and effective ideas/techniques that you can use starting immediately that will enhance the quality of your life.

Simple Solutions #1 - A Remedy For Fear

Fear is a powerful emotion that we all feel. Many deny they are afraid but we know better. Life offers us many unknown situations and fear is a natural reaction.

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Insights From Being With My Dad On His Final Journey

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I lost my father on Monday. He has battled heart disease for many years. He was a kind, generous person who was outgoing and very involved in his community. We often saw the world very differently but he always had unconditional love for me. Everyone needs someone like that in their lives.

Sometimes I asked him too many questions about his ideas and it made him uncomfortable. He was a person who had a strong faith in what he believed and didn’t like different points of view. My nature is one of curiosity, inviting new perspectives and encouraging the search for truth. 

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66 Moments of Choice Sure To Set Your Life On Fire

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Exploring life is what I write about. As you explore the following choices be aware that they have great power in shaping who you are and how you live your life.

The choices you make every day will either fill you full of light or send you down in flames. Some will be less dramatic but each choice has such influence over your sense of self and the kind of impact you have in the world. 

The following are 66 of the moment-to-moment choices you are given to explore on a daily basis. Choose wisely; be guided by your intuition, your heart and your higher nature.

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How To Live Centered In Your Heart (Even In A World Where Fear Dominates)

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I look at the world and feel the need for love. You know because you can feel it too. You and I can live from our hearts. These time call for us all to have compassion and to open to love.

The fearful mind sees a fearful world. The news feeds our fear. Many around us are run by their fearful thoughts. But is fear a more powerful force than love?

Love is the practice of ultimate power because it means both you and I can walk the earth with a heart that is receptive, expansive and courageous. In our wisdom, we understand that love is the clear solution to all problems that exist in the world.

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How A Nightmare Shocked My Ego And Taught Me To Let Go And Trust.

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I woke up wrestling with the energy of the dream. It felt like a disturbing force was running my sleeping mind bent on delivering a strong message.  The dream was a fireworks of visuals that said, “Pay attention to me.”  I wanted to understand but I wasn’t quite ready.

It took me over a year to sort this nightmare out. When I did, it changed everything I thought I knew.

My understanding of that dream happened recently as I was walking along the beach. A bright light-of-insight clicked on and words from a higher place of knowing came to me. This was immediately followed by a flashback to that dream disrupted morning. I now understood.

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What If As We Grow Older We Become More Open Instead Of More Closed?

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Life’s bumps and bruises cause in all of us a variety of responses some of which are healthy and some less so.

We can take what life gives us, learn from it, expand our minds to take it in, and open our hearts to accept what is. With this kind of openness we can be wise in mind and loving and compassionate in our heart.

We can also fight change, resist what we could learn from, argue to be right, and slam the door shut to our heart if we don’t like what is going on. This reactivity causes us to close down, be angry and too fearful to engage with other hearts and minds.