Transforming Chronic Illness Into Vibrant Health

Forever Peace

2008-06-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

When I decided to get into the dating scene a few weeks ago I was simply compartmentalizing that part of my life into its own category, away from everything else, at least so I thought. Little did I know what would take place over the next few weeks. While this originally started as a site to talk about "Transforming Chronic Illness Into Vibrant Health", it is obvious that I don't want to talk about chronic illness or ailments, which would only increase your ill feeling. And this is certainly not a "poor you" site where we pity you because of your ailments. It’s a site to examine where chronic illness and unhappiness come from. And since many would love to blame their external world, all those things come from within.

I have found over and over again that many illnesses are related to stress and most stress is related to wrong partnerships. Even the stress that some think is related to jobs or money are in fact really related to people being with wrong partnerships, wrong friends, wrong employers and wrong co-workers. Whether we are stuck in a job with co-workers or a boss we can’t stand, or we are stuck in a marriage or relationship that has long outlived its welcome, stress of this kind is a major reason for so many of our ailments. In fact it has been said that cancer is anger turned inward…

I didn’t just decide to start dating a few weeks ago, the decision was made last December. I took 5-6 solid months of preparing by asking myself serious questions. Questions like: “Who am I as a dating partner?” "What do I really have to offer?" “What are my ethical standards?” “How do I want to handle each encounter, either in person or via e-mail?” How do I want my dating partner to feel after an encounter with me?” “What do I have to bring and offer to this other person?” And on and on I asked myself these questions, getting very clear with who I am and what I want, but most importantly, what I want the other person to walk away with, whether or not there would ever be a phone call or anything beyond an e-mail. For me it's all about kindness.

And I’m so blessed to see that I have stuck to my intentions and they have paid off so gloriously! So much so that a thought crossed my mind last week that perhaps I need to become an Internet Dating Coach and Expert...

My profile has been viewed almost 10,000 in the last 4-5 weeks with a 20% response rate. I am overwhelmed needless to say. Meanwhile, however, I figured out my own system on how to be fair and get to almost everyone. The response from everyone has been so amazing and filled with grace and gifts I never knew could come from a strangers. Our words are the most powerful force and can make or break someone...

Just yesterday one of the gentlemen sent me the following poem and I think it speaks to what we all want:

"Oh the comfort
The inexpressible comfort
Of feeling safe with another person.
Having neither to weigh thoughts
Nor measure words
But pouring them all right out
Just as they are
Chaff and grain together -
Certain that a faithful hand
Will take and sift them
Keep what is worth keeping
And with a breath of kindness
Blow the rest away."

Written by Dinah Craix over a century ago.

So when you feel down and you feel like the people closest to you are not doing their job, perhaps you may decide to first become that which you want them to become, only then will they see in you how to be themselves…And then perhaps these people can fall away from you because your journeys have come to an end or they will want to change, as do you. It's not our job to change others, it's our job to inspire others by the mere existence of who we are. Not because we try so hard, but because "we just are."

Go claim your closeness with others! It’s an amazing gift!

New Photos

2008-06-27T09:45:00.001-07:00

My friend took some new photos of me in an effort to create a smashing Internet Dating profile. What a fun journey this has been!

I'm having such a blast with this, I think I need to become an Internet Dating Coach!

What River Are You?

2008-06-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

These last few weeks in my “absence” here on my blog have been a tremendous learning experience and I will do my very best to pass on my lessons in the hope and with the intention that you too may learn and grow. It has been a fantastic time to say the least!

Over the past few weeks I have been getting various visions of rivers, creeks, streams, brooks and even waterfalls. At first all I understood and remembered were the scriptures that talk about rivers. My very name, Chaszey, represents the flow of a river, forever finding the path that is her. King Solomon tells us that “All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.” And John tells us that “streams of living water will flow from within” us. And David tells us that “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.” The City he’s talking about is of course your innermost being, the little speck of light that you truly are. It is your God-Self.

We all know, or at least I hope that you know, that God (or whatever you call the Light Source) is everything, lives in all and is everywhere. It is that light source that is with you always, that shines a light on your path, even if you run from it, hide it or try to squash it.

As I was getting these various visions of these massive rivers that flow with majesty and might and without making a seeming sound, yet the power of these rivers is unshakeable, deep and almost frightening. Most of these types of rivers are wide, deep and they are fairly straight with large and wide bends, compared to the little creeks and streams.

I suddenly realized that this is how true love is supposed to be!

Little creeks and streams bubble and make their path to eventually merge with one of those big, quiet, calm and yet powerful rivers, which eventually merges with the big sea again (God). Creeks and streams are shallow, as can relationships be, although they make a lot of noise, as can superficial relationships.

I realized that the rocks in a river bed that create the sounds and the bubbles and the foam on top of the sparkling water rushing in between their obstacles are just like us trying to squeeze people into our lives that perhaps have no business being there in the first place.

Imagine yourself standing at the bend of a river with a whistle and a red flag trying to command the river to take a left turn instead of a right turn. It doesn’t quite happen this way. Yet we continue to try to make people into something they are not. We want to direct the path of their river down our path to merge with our big and calm river, but we forget that we have left our river in order to redirect theirs.

All streams will eventually lead into a big and calm river and all rivers will run towards the big sea. And eventually the cycle and rhythm starts over again.

So what is my lesson?

While I may feel like a single and individual water drop and my ego wants to remain separate and unique, it is only when I am willingly let myself merge with the big sea (God) that I have the whole power of the big sea on my side helping me to achieve what I have come to accomplish. It is not for me to remain a separate water drop, weak and alone and facing the drying out by the scorching sun. It is for me to help others guide to find their own river within and to let them take their own path down that stream and not to redirect their path the way I think it should be.

Everyone is a brook, a stream, a river, perhaps you’re even as deep and quiet and powerful as the Amazon river – no matter where you are on your journey, know that your path is guiding you only in one direction: in the direction to be merged with the big sea (the light source within you).

Congratulations on living and tapping that source of unlimited amount of power within you!

Anger and its Effect on our Bodies

2008-06-23T16:52:00.001-07:00

Many decades ago Professor Elmer Gates performed a study in which he analyzed the perspiration of several men in various mental moods. The perspiration of those whose moods were angry turned yellow and when put on the tongue of a dog even showed evidence of poisoning.

We all get angry from time to time and while it would be most ideal to always flow with the river of gratitude, we seem to fall off the boat once in a while and pinch off that flow of peace.

Think about this, however, anger causes poison in our own bodies! Not only does this poison have the power to change the color of our perspiration but it actually has the power to poison another being! If it can do so, then only imagine what this poison does within the members of our own body.

Is it any wonder then that we suffer from anger illnesses such as cancer of many kinds?

A big part of my program and e-Book is all about spreading peace throughout our own body. There are many ways we can do this:

Be kind to your body in the way you feed it, exercise it, tend to it, clean it, whom you share it with and most importantly: in the way you talk to it.
Do not talk about negative and sad stories as we see them in the world; even if this means for you not to watch TV or read the newspaper. Remember that the news is always a day late only to remind you that there is nothing you can do about it anyway. What you can do on a daily basis, however, is for you to be at peace and thus you spread peace and happiness from you out to your horizon, and before you know it, the world looks like an amazing place to live (it starts with you).
Surround yourself with circumstances and people and situations that are worthy of you and deserving of you. You might say: “I don’t have any control over the people around me.” And to that I say: “Yes, you do.”

Lao Russell says: “Peace and love to not come to you from your horizon, they spread from within you out to your horizon and beyond into infinity.”

Start with you – it’s all you can control anyway!

Choosing to Let Go or to Hold On

2008-06-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

When is it appropriate to “let go” someone vs. to “hold on” to someone?

I have knowledge about something about a friend of mine, that defies everything I believe in and stand for. Yet this friend is so close to me, I dare to say he could be my twin. Yet this new knowledge is so disappointing to me and overall so degrading, that I have been struggling all week not knowing what to do about this situation.

Ever had a situation where you knew the right thing to do but you didn’t do the right thing out of loyalty to that person, or perhaps out of the addiction you have to that person?

You may have spent your childhood with that person or a big part of your adult life, and you can’t imagine them not being there anymore. But the pain you feel because of the choices they make, is almost unbearable.

So when do you cut the line, draw the line, shift the line or do whatever you have to with “this line” and send them on their way so you don’t have to compromise your Self anymore?

I have let a best friend of 12 years go because what I found out about her was so contradictory to my own beliefs and my own values, that she became the “test” for me to see if I would sell out or not. I let her go and today, more than 2 years ago, I have no regrets about it. In fact, after our parting other people of much higher quality of character started to enter my life and life took a turn for the better for me.

So this week I tried to remember the blessings that came out of me sticking up for what is right and I tried to have this talk with this friend last week and it didn't go over too well. I’m in a similar boat and I have to make the same decision once again. And it’s harder this time, even though it “shouldn’t” be. I struggle to “cut loose” and “let go” but I don’t want to “hold on” to the friendship either – because I overall realize that we have already lost whatever we have to hold on to for dear life. I have a saying and belief that whatever is mine cannot be taken away from me. So if it’s mine and I let it go, it will come back to me tenfold. If it doesn’t come back it was never mine to begin with.

Perhaps you can see and feel that I’m just writing for myself today, trying to come up with the courage and guidance for myself to set this person on their own journey. It will crumble his world, as he states. What makes it harder is that my previous friend had a group of support to help her through the break up of our friendship. This person doesn’t…

Why is it so hard to break other people’s hearts just so we can stay in integrity with our own karma and life journey???

Wish me blessings and healing for my friend so he too can make changes in his life and move on and grow.

With All Thy Faults I Love Thee Still

2008-06-11T04:18:00.000-07:00

And my final words from Christian Larson:

“Thus sings the poet, and we call him sentimental; that is, at first thought we do. But upon second thought we change our minds. We then find that faults and defects are always in the minority, and that the larger part of human nature is so wonderful and so beautiful that it needs must inspire admiration and love in everybody. With all their defects there is nothing more interesting than human beings; and the reason is that for every shortcoming in man there are thousand admirable qualities. The poet, being inspired by the sublime vision of truth, can see this; therefore, what can he do but love? Whenever his eyes are lifted and whenever his thoughts take wings, his soul declares with great eloquence than every before, “What a piece of work is man!” Thus every moment renews his admiration, and every thought rekindles the fire of his love.”

Follow Your Vision

2008-06-10T05:16:00.000-07:00

Christian Larson encourages us to “Follow the vision of the soul. Be true to your ideals no matter what may happen now. Then things will take a turn and the very things you wanted to happen will happen.

“The ideal has a positive drawing power towards the higher, the greater and the superior. Whoever gives his attention constantly to the ideal, therefore, will steadily rise in the scale.

“Take things as they are today and proceed at once to make them better.

“Expect every change to lead you to something better and it will. As your faith is so shall it be.

“To be human is not to be weak. To be human is to be all that there is in man, and the greatness that is contained in the whole of man is marvelous indeed.”

Sometimes I find myself wanting to be weak and lowly and sit and dwell, feeling almost sorry for myself. Sulking in the “bad” and letting my energy sit low and dormant. It’s during those times that people who have tended to their self-discipline pick themselves up and say “no more, I’ve had enough of this” – and because of that tactic in spite of them wanting to stay “low” that they succeed. So if you feel weak and like you’re wanting to give up, remember that life comes and goes in cycles with a precise rhythm, don’t give up, keep on going and enjoy every moment of it: good and the seeming not so good.

Being a Master Mind

2008-06-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

Christian Larson would say that “The first mark of a master mind is that he is able to promote his own perpetual improvement. The second is that he is able to be strong, joyous and serene under every circumstance.

“The imagining faculty is the creative faculty of the mind, the faculty that creates plans, methods and ideas. Our imagination therefore must always be clear, lofty, wholesome, and constructive if we would create superior ideas and build for greater things.

“Before you can have greater success you must become a greater man. Before you can become a greater man you must reach out toward the new and the greater along all lines; and this is possible only through the constructive use of imagination. You get your best ideas when your mind acts in the upper story. And in all fields of action it is the best ideas that win.”

What is a Master Mind? Some would say Edison, Einstein and people alike are master minds. But what about you? Do you believe that you have been given all that you need to be the Master Mind of your own life? Who holds all of the answers to your questions? Why do we read books about other people and why do we try to imitate those that we don’t even know, rather than choosing to get to know ourselves, while tending to the fertile ground of our own master mind, where all the fruit of our lives come from?

I’d like to encourage you (including myself) to spend more time with you and less time trying to find out about others. Because as you get to know the YOU inside, you will automatically get to know others and suddenly the secret essence of what life is all about lies bare within your own eyes for you to adore and cherish and tend to. You are the only master piece there is! Find out who you are, study yourself and constantly question your own motives and ambitions. Work with your Higher Self as an inseparable team and watch the majestic glory open up right in front of you.

Wanting to Be Honest – Honestly Negative

2008-06-08T06:15:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel so down that you just want to dump on a friend, hoping that it’ll get better? Yet you realize that while you may be feeling better after you “vomited” your sorrows all over her as if she was a garbage can, that the problem actually multiplied rather than disappeared?

I have noticed over and over again in my life that when things go wrong, the first thing I want to do is to call a friend and tell them about it, dump, vent and get advice from my friend. Yet when I learned to go inward and present the challenge to my Higher Self, asking my Higher Self to take over and to transmute the challenge into a blessing, then I come out of it renewed with strength and with the exact answer to the solution. And I spared a friend unnecessary heartache to fix my problem that was never hers to fix in the first place.

Christian Larson would say it this way: “Never think or speak of that which you do not wish to happen. The whine, the sting, and the sigh – these three must never appear in a single thought or a single word.

“You can win ten times as many friends by talking happiness as you can by talking trouble. And the more real friends you have the less trouble you will have.

“Speak well of everything good you find and mean it. When you find what you do not like keep quiet. The less you think or speak of what you do not like the more you have of what you do like.

“Magnify the good; emphasize that which has worth; and talk only of those things that should live and grow.

“When you have something good to say, say it. When you have something ill to say, say something else.”

Positive Thinking

2008-06-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

So sorry for “staying away” for a while. I have been busy with another “project” that is taking more time than I anticipated.

I have been working with the I-Ching for a few years now and often go through phases where I want to consult my higher guidance through the I-Ching in addition to meditation. This week I asked an interesting question part of the answer came back as follows:

“Don’t build cemeteries in your mind. You do that by indulging in grief, sorrow, and grudges. If you dig up an old grievance or hurt by rehearsing it in your mind, you are opening a grave inside yourself. Thinking about the past is a kind of mental and emotional death. Don’t touch any negative thought. Liquidate the past, obliterate negative thoughts, and replace them with the right thoughts. Let Divine love rule in your mind. Your good is this moment. Your future is your present thoughts made manifest.”

I loved the wording of what we know as Positive Thinking.

I appreciated the wake-up call because we all have a tendency from time to time to slip back into the negative self-talk. I hope this hits home for you as much as it does for me.

You Are Magnificant!

2008-05-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

Nelson Mandela gave a speech in 1994, which was written by Marianne Williamson. The first time I heard it, it was as if finally someone understood my fears and had the courage to put them on paper. It was then that I realized that it was not failure that scares most people, because most people are so familiar with the monster "failure," but that it was success that was most frightening to us, because it was the unknown and the insecure and the "what if."

To this day I have to read this portion over and over again, to keep reminding myself that I have a light to shine for all to see, so their paths can be illumined. May these words below soothe you and spur you on let go of all the non-beneficial and let shine from within you all the good that you are - because you are simply magnificant!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

A Most Unique and Wonderful Experience!

2008-05-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

For the last two days I have been re-writing this post over and over in my head, not knowing if and how I can possibly put such an amazing, unique and wonderful experience into words. And I have come to the conclusion that there are simply not enough words in the English language to describe unconditional love the way I have experienced it just this week, with a complete stranger that is!

So brace yourself because this may sound strange, weird, outrageous or even unreal – and believe me, it was profound, magical and earth-shaking (I’m sure somewhere).

Have you ever met a complete stranger and you just knew that you had met this person before but you also knew that it wasn’t in this life time? The person feels so much like “home” to you that you can’t explain the feeling that overcomes you because you’ve never experienced it and you also look at reality and it’s not (this) reality at all. You’re like two galaxies apart from this person. And yet there is this oneness that only the two of you experience and feel? It’s as if you’re ONE and the same, like twin brother and sister.

I have many similar of these experiences and I no longer worry about telling the person or wanting the person to know, I just let it be and I’m at peace with that knowing. But this has been by far one of the most profound experiences for me. What made this encounter different was that we were both able to recognize it, admit it, talk about it and cry through it together.

What’s so profound about this is the different worlds that we live in on this plane, and there was no judgment. It would not be a good match for this person and I to be a couple, the mechanics are off, the life goals don’t match, our age is too far apart, we live too far apart, etc. etc. What does match, however, is our history together over lifetimes. And only he and I know the depth of it because we both recognized the depth of those experiences and the connection allows us to truly feel unconditional love for each other. It’s as if no time had ever passed through any of our life times...

This man has brought me more blessings and more healing and more gifts in the few hours we talked than I had experienced before. In 15 years of being married I hadn’t felt as emotionally secure than talking to this man on the phone for 1 hour. Anyone who hasn't experienced this would think there’s something wrong with this picture. And yet it is a testimony that unconditional love knows no time and no boundaries. And unconditional love can truly not be explained or put in words. It just is in its silent "I am" vibration.

My girlfriend was with me when we met him and I tried to explain to her the depth of our connection and the sweetness of his soul; she didn’t quite understand or comprehend it. So I don’t expect anyone else to get it either. The only person who “got it” is him. And I’m okay with that. And yet I hope to encourage you to be receptive and open to those you meet. You never know if the person at the cash register or gas station next to you was a dear friend, brother or sister, or a spouse to you in a previous life time.

This is for you my blessed friend:

“Jake, as we have both agreed to meet up at this time to restore each others’ faith, I want to thank you with every molecule of my essence for sticking to your side of the agreement. I hope I have been able to do the same for you. Thank you for your openness, for crying with me, for being one with me on a soul level, for understanding me, for lifting me up, for appreciating me, for respecting me and for loving me so unconditionally. You have given me more gifts than you know and I still cry tears of love for you. As our paths crossed for merely an hour or two, you know we have walked life times together and I continue to support you energetically on your journeys. I wish you growth and love and passion for what you’ve come here to do. And may you soon meet the love of your life to build a family with. I'll see you on the other side some day... I love you. Chaszey"

Do Your Eyes Sparkle?

2008-05-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

Hhhhm, one of my all time favorite words is "Transmutation" (or Transformation). I love change, although it can be scary. Change has always blessed me with the unknown and the unknown has always had suprise blessings in store for me. So it is only natural that I want to share this with you...

Christian Larson: “When the creative energies are daily transmuted, and turned into muscle, brain and mind, a virtuous life can be lived without inconvenience. Besides, the body will be healthier, the personality stronger and the mind more brilliant. Hold yourself constantly in a positive, masterful attitude, and fill that attitude with kindness. The result will be that remarkable something that people call personal magnetism. Create energy when retained in the system will give vigor to the body, sparkle to the eye, and genius to the brain. There is enough power in any man to enable him to realize all his desires and reach the highest good he has in view. It is only necessary that all of this power be constructively applied.”

Having Faith

2008-05-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

I love these words of wisdom!

Christian Larson: “Be good and kind to everybody and the world will be kind to you. There may be accasional exceptions to this rule, but when they come pass them by and they will not come again. Ideals need the best of care. Weeds can grow without attention, but not so with the roses. Not all minds are pure that think they are. Many of them are simply dwarfed. It does not pay to lose faith in anybody. It is better to have faith in everybody and be deceived occasionally than to mistrust everybody and be deceived almost constantly. When you meet a person who does not look well, call their attention to the sunny side of things, and aim to say something that will give them new interest and new life. You will thereby nip in the bud many a threatening evil, and carry healing with you wherever you go.”

Removing the Sting, the Whine and the Sigh

2008-05-23T06:40:00.000-07:00

I am not much for whining, sighing or suffering in general, but as of lately I have to admit that my feelings are getting hurt easier than when I was younger. My threshold for pain, both physical and emotional, is declining as I get older, whereas with most people they can endure more pain. Not for me! I haven't quite figured out why this is. But I will continue to search my soul. In the meantime I hope Christian Larson's words are as healing to you as they are to me:

“Remove the sting; remove the whine; remove the sigh. They are your enemies. They are never conducive to happiness; and we all live to gain happiness, to give happiness. From every word remove the sting. Speak kindly. To speak kindly and gently to everybody is the mark of a great soul. And it is your privilege to be a great soul. From the tone of your voice remove the whine. Speak with joy. Never complain. The more you complain, the smaller you become, and the fewer will be your friends and opportunities. Speak tenderly, speak sweetly, speak with love. From all the outpourings of your heart, remove the sigh. Be happy and contented always. Let your spirit sing, let your heart dance, let your soul declare the glory of existence, for truly life I beautiful. Every sigh is a burden, a self-inflicted burden. Every whine is a maker of trouble, a forerunner of failure. Every sting is a destroyer of happiness, a dispenser of bitterness. To live in the world of sighs is to be blind to everything that is rich and beautiful. The more we sigh, the less we live, for every sigh leads to weakness, defeat, and death. Remove the sting, remove the whine, remove the sigh. They are not your friends. There is better company waiting for you.” (yes, that's what I'm talking about!)

Special Update on Dating

2008-05-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

Ah, I so enjoyed myself to have a first date in so many years. I was watching my thoughts throughout the day to see if I was sabotaging myself by thinking negative thoughts, and I have to admit, I definitely caught myself thinking thoughts like: "I wonder if he'll show up." "He'll probably be late." "He won't like me for whatever reason."

Just stupid thoughts that are so very counter productive. Each time I thought a negative thought, I nipped it in the bud and immediately confirmed: "I'm a child of God and all is well."

So yes, he was a little late after all, but he called beforehand. I so appreciated that! Mind you, he lives an hour away and came over during rush hour traffic.

The strangest thing happened during our dinner. The gentleman next to us was eaves-dropping on our conversation and eventually interrupted our discussion by giving his 2 cents of input. Then when my date went to the restroom, the gentleman who interrupted us previously, handed me a note telling me that he went to the cash register to write this note and I should read it when I get home. Weird!? Yes, to say the least. And definitely gutsy.

Our date lastet 3 hours and we had great conversation. One of the main reasons I was attracted to him is because he's been single for the last 3 years after coming out of a relationship, which changed his life quite a bit. There is nothing more attractive to me than a guy who knows what he wants and understands that he cannot grow himself with someone else dangling on him, a guy who chooses time alone to figure out who he is rather than hopping from relationship to the next. There is nothing more of a turn off to me than a guy who constantly needs to be with a woman, a girl friend, a friend with benefits, or his buddies, a guy that can't be alone for fear he would drown in silence. In short, a guy who sells out.

He restored my faith on many levels because he is such a nice, nice guy with a side to him that is so endearing and heart warming. And still, there is no match for me for many reasons and on many levels. And that's okay.

As far as the note is concerned, it read: "I'm sorry to meet you this way. You seem like a good woman who is warm and kind hearted. Please call me. Name and phone number." And no, I won't call because he was disrespectful to me and my date...

Today I have to muster up the courage and the right words to pass on to my date that there won't be a second date. It's because of this that I have refused to date in the past - and I just have to get this lesson. Please say a prayer for him that he'll be okay.

Have a great and awesome day today!

How To Live a Great Life

2008-05-22T06:36:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel tired and exhausted; not physically, but of life in general?

I have always struggled in the past with the fact that I am living on this plane at this time. I don't feel at home here, never have and I continue to try to make this planet my home. With it comes growing as a human being, or as a Being in general.

Christian Larson: “He who would become great must live a great life. Happiness adds life, power, and worth to all your talents and powers. It is most important therefore, that every moment should be full of joy. However much you may do, always remember you have the ability to do more. No one has yet applied all the ability in their possession. But all of us should learn to apply a greater measure every year. While you are waiting for an opportunity to improve your time, improve yourself. The man or woman who never weakens when things are against them, will grow stronger and stronger until they will have the power to cause all things to be for them.”

A Side Note on Manifesting

2008-05-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

Last week I told my good friend that I really wanted to take dance lessons (ballroom and latin dances) and that I just had to put my intentions out there (since I don't have a partner) that it would work out okay. I also told her that I would like to start dating (golly, I haven't had a date in 20 years and it's time).

And I'm so exited to announce that one of my students sent me a flyer from Cheryl Burke (Dancing with the Stars) who lives only about 10-15 minutes from me, who is holding ballroom and latin dance lessons! No partner needed!

AND - I have my first date tonight in decades, literally! I feel very much like a teenager about this, have no clue what to wear, what to say (and not say), what to ask (and not to ask), how to behave (and not behave) - dang, can anyone send me that "rule book"? I hope he's forgiving...Wish me luck!

So for all those out there who doubt that setting your intentions won't manifest into outer reality, think again! You are truly your own Michael Angelo - sculpt away the most beautiful life that you think up...and watch it become real right in front of your eyes...

Personal Growth

2008-05-21T06:33:00.000-07:00

Since most of you are on a journey to self-discovery, your personal growth is of utmost importance to you. Please allow me to share more Christian Larson nuggest of wisdom:

“Say to yourself a hundred times every day, and mean it with all your heart: ‘I will become more than I am. I will achieve more and more every day because I know that I can. I will recognize only that which is good in myself, only that which is good in others; only that in all things and places that I know should live and grow. When adversity threatens I will be more determined than every in my life to prove that I can turn all things to good account. And when those whom I have trusted seem to fail me, I will have a thousand times more faith in the honor and nobleness of man. I will think only of that which has virtue and worth. I will wish only for that which can give freedom and truth. I will expect only that which I can add to the welfare of the race. I will live to live more. I will speak to give encouragement, inspiration and joy. I will work to be of service to an every increasing number. And in every thought, word and action my ruling desire shall be, to enrich, ennoble and beatify existence for all who come my way.’”

Are you a Pessimist or an Optimist?

2008-05-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

This is a big one for me. I always want myself to be an optimist, but just this weekend my friend said to me: "you worry about the weirdest things before they even happen." It hit me like a brick wall because she was right!

So here is your own test based on Christian Larson's wisdom:

“The optimist lives under a clear sky; the pessimist lives in a fog.

"The pessimist hesitates,, and loses both time and opportunity; the optimist makes the best use of everything now, and builds themselves up, steadily and surely, until all adversity is overcome and the object in view realized.

"The pessimist curbs their energies and concentrates their whole attention upon failure; the optimist gives all their thought and power to the attainment of success, and arouses their faculties and forces to the highest point of efficiency.

"The pessimist waits for better times, and expects to keep on waiting; the optimist goes to work with the best that is at hand now, and proceeds to create better times.

"The pessimist pours cold water on the fires of their own ability; the optimist adds fuel to those fires.

"The pessimist links their mind to everything that is losing ground; the optimist lives, thinks and works with everything that is determined to press on.

"The pessimist places a damper on everything; the optimist gives life, fire and go to everything. The optimist is a building force; the pessimist is always an obstacle in the way of progress.

"The pessimist lives in a dark, soggy unproductive world, the optimist lives in that mental sunshine that makes all things grow.”

Good Bye, my Almost Friend…

2008-05-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I wrote that I was going through a difficult time letting some people go. I go through this every so often when I realize that I am spending energy where energy and effort are not appreciated and welcomed to do what I had intended it to do. And before I know it I’m involved in giving, giving and more giving, until I feel drained and sad – because then comes the time when I realize that people are going in circles like rats on their wheels – and I find myself having joined them…

Then I met a super nice person who seemed to defy those rules and the neediness simply wasn’t present. In fact he was refreshing, independent and just fun to be around – happy. And yet he was vulnerable and open in a relatable kind of way, and a fun friendship started off in a great way. Then I discovered that it was wrong, not mutually beneficial and I got hurt. I put him on the list of people I needed to “let go.” And although we’re still friendly there is a big gap between us that I dislike intensely. And every time I run into him, I just want to cry and break down (and I do in the silence of the bathroom stall or the corner of a lonely room), because I miss the innocence of our friendship, or at least what was the beginning of it.

So here to my “almost friend”: “I’m so sorry for whatever it is I have done to you to cause this gap between us and to make you pull away. Please forgive me. I wish I knew what made you pull back so I could change and fix it. But you don’t seem as broken as I feel; my heart is hurting and the crying cannot go on; and so I let you go in peace and I honor your wish to take the space before you move to another State in a few weeks' time. May your life journey be accompanied with unconditional love and happiness, with health and all the good things life has to offer. You deserve it so much.”

And as I am constantly on my journey to improve and to grow and learn and become the woman I truly want to be, it never fails for me to get nuggets of wisdom “from above” - right now in the words from Christian Larson:

“The fact that you have failed to get the lesser proves conclusively that you deserve the greater. So therefore, dry those tears and go in search of the worthier prize. Count nothing lost even the day that sees “no worthy action done” may be a day of preparation and accumulation that will add greatly to the achievements of tomorrow. Many a day was made famous because nothing was done the day before. Know what you want and continue to want it. You will get it if you combine desire with faith. The power of desire when combined with faith becomes invincible. Some of the principal reasons why so many fail to get what they want is because they do not definitely know what they want or because they change their wants almost every day.”

When Failure Comes...

2008-05-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder if it will be ever revealed to me how many times have I thrown in the towel right before success would have been evident. How often have I given up just when it became hardest? How many times was I right at the brink of success? I have said this before, I knew that "where there is a will there is a way," what I didn't know is how long I had to show that I had the will, before I was shown the way.

Christian Larson says the following:

"When failure comes, be more determined than ever to succeed. The more feeling there is in your thought the greater its power. You steadily and surely become in the real what you constantly and clearly think that you are in the ideal. The more you believe in yourself the more of your latent powers and possibilities you place in action. And the more you believe in your purpose the more of your power you apply in promoting that purpose. To him who thinks he can, everything is an opportunity. Depend only upon yourself but work in harmony with all things. This you call froth the best that is in yourself and secure the best that external sources have to give."

I want to encourage you, dear reader, to never give up believing in yourself. You are all you have, had and ever will have. It's in your mind - no one can touch that or control that (at least not in this day and age). So let your internal world be one of magnificance! Because you are so unique and so full of wonders inside...

Change!

2008-05-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

And here is Christian Larson's take on change. I really can't add anything to it. His words are so soothing to me and I hope they are just as pleasant to your soul:

"The greatest remedy in the world is change; and change implies the passing from the old to the new. It is also the only path that leads from the lesser to the greater, from the dream to the reality, from the wish to the heart’s desire fulfilled.

"It is change that brings us everything we want. It is the opposite of change that holds us back from that which we want.

"But change is not always external. Real change, or rather the cause of all change, is always internal. It is the change in the within that first produces the change in the without. To go from place to place is not a change unless it produces a change of mind a renewal of mind. It is the change of mind that is the change desired. It is the renewal of mind that produces better health, more happiness, great power, the increase of life, and the consequent increase of all that is good in life. And the constant renewal of mind – the daily change of mind – is possible regardless of times, circumstances or places. He who can change his mind every day and think the new about everything every day, will always be well; he will always have happiness; he will always be free; his life will always be interesting; he will constantly move forward into the larger, the richer and the better; and whatever is needed for his welfare today, of that he shall surely have abundance."

Right Thinking

2008-05-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

Is there such a thing as right and wrong thinking?

According to Christian Larson there is:

"Life is growth and the object of right thinking is to promote that growth. Give less time trying to change the opinions of others, and more time trying to improve your own life. Life becomes the way it is lived; and man may live the way he wants to live when he learns to think what he wants to think. Create your own thought and you become what you want to become because your thought creates you. We all know that man is as he thinks. Then we must think only such thoughts as tend to make us what we wish to be. The secret of right thinking is found in always keeping the mind’s eye stayed upon the greater and the better in all things."

I realize that we are "creatures of habit." We love to keep things the same. Most people do not like change. I have taken inventory of my life and continue to do so, and I recognize that the times I grow the most are the times during change. Whether this is to change the route I use to go grocery shopping, a change in dentist or a change in living situations. Whether it's a change in technology or the way my handwriting looks - change is good, change is great - change brings growth.

I met with my ex-husband yesterday and we talked for several hours over a good cup of coffee. Now that we're both in our 40s it was easy to look back and use "hindsight" as our best friend to get an overview of how each of us has changed and grown. It was interesting to see that although time didn't seem to exist, we have grown worlds apart during these last 20 years. We met when we were very young, got married and had a daughter. He's approach the half-century mark very soon, and I'm in my 40s. We talked about growing up and the things we used to love to do as teenagers and how we've changed. And it was interesting to see that he still doesn't like change, he wants things "the same" because it offers him comfort. I want change more than anything because I know that with change comes growth.

And then I got it: change to him means insecurity and loss. Change to me means growth and gain.

It's okay to be different - it's what makes this world an exiting place to live in.

Dreaming Always

2008-05-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

Christian Larson says: "Dream constantly of the ideal; work ceaselessly to perfect that real. Believe in yourself; believe in everybody; believe in all that has existence. Give the body added strength; give the mind added brilliancy; give the soul added inspiration. Do your best under every circumstance, and believe that every circumstance will give its best to you. Live for the realization of more life and for the more efficient use of everything that proceeds from life. Desire eternally what you want; and act always as if every expectation were coming true."

One of the hardest things for me is to hold a thought for a prolonged period of time. I heard that the average person can hold a thought for 2 seconds max. I also heard that in order for a thought to sink to our subconscious, it will have to be concentrated on for at least 17 seconds. We have much to learn. I have much to learn.

I have taken it upon myself to "watch myself and my thoughts" before I go to sleep and I'm amazed at how chaotic these thoughts are. While most of them are positive, they are incomplete and one thought has nothing to do with the next thought, some are chopped half way through, then there is a big gap right before several thoughts rush through again. Quite fascinating and also disturbing at the same time.

I am realizing that my ego has one job: to keep me alive and to keep me busy with DOING.

If I can manage to quiet my thoughts and to manage my thoughts by holding on to a deliberate thought with purpose, then my ego quiets itself and I am at peace.

I am learning that either my ego manages me or I can learn to manage my ego. I prefer to be in charge, not only of my body, but especially of my thoughts.

I hope these words from Christian Larson help you as well!