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THE ART OF FLOW AND THE COSMIC DANCE OF LIFE

A deeply inspiring and insightful passage from the book “TaoTuning: The Art of Flow” by Adrian Emery

 

 — TaoTuning is both an art and a science. It requires understanding, patience, and practice. We need to understand the component steps. We need to adopt the correct attitude: be in the right place. We need to be on our wave. We need to be listening to the inner law of our being which means we need to have quietened the noise of the restless ego. We need to be strong, resolute, and firm. We need to know precisely where we are going. And finally, but probably most importantly we need to be patient!

To put all this together we need to return to the beginning: to our original question of the meaning of life – why we are here. Any philosophy of life must help us to answer this question – it must create order and make sense of the world. It must assist in the development of a more intelligent and pragmatic worldview. It is our hypothesis that the current religions do not do this, that they actually mislead us into an erroneous and destructive worldview that is limited and past its use-by date. The old religions no longer serve humanity, and the current perilous state of the planet can be directly attributed to these outmoded concepts that have not kept pace with humanity’s evolution.

The world we live in today is diametrically opposed and completely different to that of yesteryear: the tremendous advances in technology - smartphones, the world wide web, social media, disruptive technology, self-driving cars, air travel, and so on have delivered us into a completely different world. Yet our predominant metaphysical worldview has not changed!

We thus live in a fundamentally disassociated and divided psychological state that is breeding anxiety, confusion, and mayhem. We desperately need a new philosophy of life that is in keeping with this new world that we live in and we have argued that the ancient concepts of Taoism provide a more accurate philosophy or worldview than traditional Western religion. To be clear, we are not advocating a complete acceptance of Taoism but merely postulating that it presents a better starting point than any other philosophy to create this much-needed new spirituality.

Taoism is not the answer, but it does provide a firm footing or foundation upon which we can build a new worldview or philosophy of life that is more mature, intelligent, and relevant to today. There is still much work to be done.

Fritjof Capra in his masterful work, The Tao of Physics, makes this same point of the correlation and convergence between the discoveries of modern science, particularly quantum physics, and the teachings of Taoism. Capra explains that the word physics comes from the Greek word, physis, meaning the observation of or seeing the essential nature of all things. Thus, physics is the study of the nature of reality.

Western humanity has lost this ability to enter into direct and immediate contact with reality precisely because he/she is locked within the egoic shell of separation. The overriding distinguishing feature of this intuitive perception is the appreciation of the Oneness of creation! Nuclear physics has proven that we cannot separate the observer from the observed and that, ultimately, the universe is an extremely complex interconnected, and dynamic whole that can only be understood from the perspective of continuous flow and change and where we simply cannot measure or observe any part without understanding its connection to the whole.

Just as we all now live within the interconnectivity of the World Wide Web, so too, the nature of reality is an interconnected whole of cosmic processes and patterns of probability: the cosmic dance of life! There are no discrete absolutes. There are no indivisible pieces. There is no fundamental structure. Moreover, all observation is intimately linked to that process of observation – there is no objective, outside, clinical, and therefore accurate scientific method! All we can do is arrive at approximations of patterns, and probabilities of occurrences.

The mystic does not seek to divorce himself or herself from reality. On the contrary, the goal is to BeCome One with that reality in deep and direct meditation, where all separation ceases and the observer and the observed are fused in another of these yin/yang continuums called the Infinity of Being. We are a part of and one with the universe. There is no egoic shell of separation. The thinking rational mind ceases to exist and there is only the immediate here and now. No other. No past and no future. Time and space collapse into the Unified Field.

The ultimate goal of meditation and all mysticism is this union with the beloved, the Logos, the universe, the creator, God, or the Tao. Call it what you will it does not matter. At that point there are no words, for the left brain of logic and language ceases to exist. One enters the holistic world of the intuition of immediate perception and integrated understanding. One has only to read the works of Krishnamurti and other mystics to glean the rapture of this reality.

Taoism, along with many other ancient worldviews, eloquently describes this new world of quantum physics where there is no absolute reality but rather the dialectic dance of dualism. This represents a quantum shift in thinking: a new paradigm where the relationship between the part and the whole fundamentally changes to one of process rather than structure. The I Ching or Book of Changes, which is the fundamental text of Taoism and is over 5,000 years old, still represents the most accurate depiction of this process and is totally congruent with the most modern of scientific discoveries.

Quantum physics tells us that we live within a world of processes, of probability patterns, of waves of energy. We live within a sea of consciousness. We have been looking in the wrong direction seeking the certainty of a structure that simply does not exist. It is time to turn around and accept the error of our past thinking and adopt a new worldview based on this new understanding. Not one based on mythology or mysticism, but one based on the actuality of the scientific method.

The beauty of this worldview is that it totally validates the zone of flow and peak experience.

Read more…

THE DOOR OF POSSIBILITIES — Guided Imagery

This is a passage from a delightful book that shares timeless wisdom: “Envision Your Extraordinary Life: Living Happy, Joyous, and Free” by Linda Hogan

 

 — Take a deep breath and allow yourself to relax. Take another deep breath and allow yourself to relax. Another breath and you become more and more relaxed. Allow yourself to be as you are. There is no right or wrong way to be. Today, we are going on a sacred journey. Take a deep breath, breathing in joy and light. Release any remaining negative emotions. Center yourself in the power, love, and wisdom of God. Sink down deeply to your center, your soul. Know that you are a whole spiritual being filled with love and light. Trust the process.

You are outside in the sunlight, following a path. Feel the sun at the top of your head and allow it to warm you. Notice a gently rolling hill with wide steps along the path. There are 10 steps and you are on the top, the tenth. With each step, you will become more and more relaxed. 9, 8, you go deeper and more relaxed, and your arms are feeling very heavy. 7, 6, allow your neck and face to relax, on the next step—5, your back and abdomen become more relaxed, 3, your legs feel heavy and deeply relaxed, 2, 1, you are alert yet relaxed, and you are open to possibilities ...

You continue along the path and notice a waterfall. It is a hot day, so you walk behind it, feeling the refreshing spray. The water washes over you, washing away all limitations, rinsing away all doubt, anger, fear of lack. All negativity simply dissolves ... Release anything else you no longer need ... You feel renewed and experience a new sense of possibility, wonder, abundance, love, and forgiveness.

Continue along the path feeling the golden sunshine drying you, warming you, healing you. The path bends and you continue to follow. See a door. This is the door of possibilities, possibilities for your future. Open the door and walk in. Your heart opens and love shines all around you. The deepest longing of your heart has been fulfilled. It is now five years in the future, and you see how many of your dreams have been realized. You have been renewed and have an extraordinary life filled with joy. You embrace your wholeness and see abundance everywhere. See your relationships with your loved ones and some of the connections you have made...

You are loveable and see the highest in everyone you meet. See your friends and some of the things you have enjoyed together.

See one goal you feel especially good about completing ... See the abundance in your life’s work ... Experience the positive emotions of fulfillment, gratitude, and so on ... Notice the things you have been able to do or buy due to your financial success ...

Your health and fitness have been much improved ... You move fluidly, lightly, gracefully, wearing life like a loose garment ... See yourself and feel how it feels to be fit and strong ...

Spiritually, you have grown ... Notice what that looks and feels like...

Emotionally, you have grown ... Experience how that feels ...

Mentally, you have learned much...Take stock of those things you have learned ... You have developed more healthy habits ... See yourself go about your ideal day ... will pause and let you envision your day from the time you wake up ... Your morning ...

Your afternoon ... Your evening .... Imagine your day in vivid color and strong positive emotions. Envision yourself happy, joyous, and free ... Take some moments to thoroughly enjoy this day.

Take a moment to review all the positive things from this mediation and know that it has already happened. Express gratitude for all you are welcoming into your life. Allow any thoughts, feelings, or pictures to emerge ... Whatever you experience is right for you.

Know that you can return to this space anytime. When you are ready, it is time to return to the room. Let’s follow the path back to the stairs. Imagine climbing up the steps to the here and now. 1, 2, 3, become more alert, 4, 5, 6, hear my voice, feel the chair ... 7, 8, 9 ... wiggle your fingers and toes, 10, gently and gradually open your eyes…

WHEN CREATING, THINK LOVE, HARMONY, AND BALANCE

Here is another insightful book that shares timeless wisdom:

Science, Subtle Energies, and Spirituality: A Path to I AMby Jerry Gin

 

When Creating, Think “Love, Harmony, and Balance”

My key message to you is that YOU are the creator of your life and the nature of the world in which you (and all of us) live.  We are all One, but we need to understand this at a deeper level so that we do not do the harm we sometimes have done to one another. 

Knowing all this, I try to think in terms of what I would do when creating my world.  Since we are all given free will, we cannot dictate what others will do. We must understand that free will results in individual decisions, some of which we will not agree with—because, like everyone else, we are individuals who have had different experiences, which will create different ways of thinking.  Thus, when dealing with others, we need to listen, hear the various opinions, and try to reach a point of balance. This may not satisfy everyone, but it will be harmonious enough so that all parties will get enough of what they want, so that there is a balance – without the need for war or killing.  And since we are One, we need to learn forgiveness and being non-judgmental.

Thus, when I am in Creator Mode, my main focus is Love, Harmony, and Balance.  I cannot impose my will on others. Everyone must come to a sense of balance from their own choice.  I believe God has done this when He gave us free will so that we could become individuals. However, to avoid doing harm to ourselves and others, He has allowed us to grow and learn.   If our goal is to always create in Love, Harmony and Balance, then we will create our own Golden Age. 

This is what’s behind Joachim Wippich’s way of thinking.  He never asks anyone to do anything, because asking is akin to a command.  Instead, he invites.  If he is asking a person to heal himself or herself, he has them invite the cells or organs to come into harmony with the disharmony.  He knows that the cells will then know that whatever they were doing is causing disharmony, and therefore they will do whatever is needed to come into harmony. This is how healing occurs.  Joachim also reminds people of their I AM essence. Once they remember, their vibrational level is increased to their I AM, and the inner peace and healing occur automatically.

My summary statement for this chapter—and indeed, for the whole of this book—is quite simple:   

When creating, think Love, Harmony, and Balance. ~ Jerry


LEARNING THE PRINCIPLES OF HARMONY TO BRING BACK BALANCE

Here is an insightful book that shares timeless wisdom — “The Seeker and The Teacher of Light: On the Teachings of Joachim Wippich and the Mystery of 3-6-9by Jerry Gin

— Everyone is a Divine Being and a Thought Creation of God and thus One with God. For true happiness, people must know that they are the I AM and a co-creator. Understanding the nature of Love, Harmony, and Balance are key.

It’s so important for humans to understand that there is no separation between ourselves and God. People have lost this understanding because they have identified themselves as individual egos, which they believe are separate. They do not realize they are a wave of the ocean that is fully connected. As we awaken and learn that we are a part of God, we open to our true identity and potential and to Harmony and Love.

A corollary to this is that for anything to exist, there must be some level of consciousness. For matter to form, God is there, balancing the spiraling vortices of light. Thus, all matter has some level of consciousness (awareness) since every manifestation of matter is part of the conscious ocean that is God. All rocks, atoms, plants, animals are of God, with differing levels of awareness. Humans are more aware, and are starting to realize that they are not separate but a part of God. Humanity will also then realize that everyone and everything is connected; we are all part of the One.

We are formed in balance, but many forces can cause unbalance. For humans, it can be thoughts/perceptions, toxins, diseases, conflicts with others, etc. We must learn the principles of harmony to bring back balance. The air, water, and earth can also go out of balance, and forces will occur to bring back balance. (This will be gone into more deeply in the chapter on Harmony and Balance, and the chapter on the healing work of Joachim Wippich.)

However, it’s only our physical bodies that are of matter. Our essence, our consciousness, is not of matter. We are spirit. Even when we die, although our original physical body is no longer there, our essence or consciousness is here. That’s why when people have a Near-Death Experience, they experience themselves as being here.

My purpose in telling my story is to put forth a general roadmap of a person with a background as a scientist going through a Seeker’s Journey and coming to the same conclusion as the Teacher of Light. Our true essence is I AM; and to find Happiness, Love, and Health, point your compass to achieving Harmony and Balance. My hope is that other Seekers, with the combined stories of Joachim and myself, can be helped in their journey to find their true I AM identity and in achieving Harmony and Balance.


THE FIRST STEP TOWARD CHANGE IS TO KNOW YOURSELF

These are some inspiring and insightful passages in the book “Master Mind Master Life” by Norman Plotkin

 

— The first step toward change is to know yourself. Know you are human with very human attributes. And, like everyone else,  you will get caught in the feedback loop described above if you don’t make a conscious decision to define a vision for your life by overcoming the tendency to live on autopilot, which is a  collection of the same memorized behaviors you’ve carried out for most of your life. Part of this self-knowledge includes an understanding of the conscious and subconscious minds and the parts they play in our thoughts, actions, and behaviors.

Hypnotherapy can help us break the programming of old subconscious thinking habits that prevent us from making progress. Some of these programmed habits have names like fear of failure, being overly critical, or lacking confidence. Hypnotherapy can retrain the subconscious to stop these harmful habits and re-frame them in a more positive direction.  Even if you’re not a procrastinator, maybe you just don’t feel the motivation, drive, and ambition to reach your goals; hypnotherapy can help you, too. Like procrastination, a lack of motivation is caused by programmed subconscious thinking.  We might avoid a particular task because we’re overwhelmed, or we’re focused on how unpleasant the task will be, or the thing was cast in a negative light by someone in our sphere of influence when we were young. 

It is likely that we’ve trained our subconscious not to be a positive, encouraging supporter of our own endeavors. Instead, the subconscious, that inner voice in our heads, the keeper of our self-talk, becomes a bad influence, a detractor, telling us that we shouldn’t even try.  That’s where hypnotherapy becomes very useful. Using hypnotherapy, we can directly influence how the mind responds to adversity and transform it into a powerful ally, your cheerleader, motivating and encouraging you to forge ahead. Not feeling motivated doesn’t just affect small tasks, it affects work and relationships and, if left unaddressed, it can cause depression and anxiety over time. This is when a lack of motivation becomes problematic and exponentially more than just a question of motivation. At the very least, when lack of motivation tendencies are left unattended, they can develop into chronic motivation troubles.

Hypnotherapy can help you want to achieve success serving as a powerful motivator. Hypnotherapy can also help you feel a personal responsibility to get things done and reestablish a sense of drive, a powerful tool for keeping us motivated. The goal is to help reprogram the subconscious natural, automatic responses through more positive ways of dealing with issues.

This is an amazing time for hypnotherapy because there is finally enough technology, and science has advanced enough to be able to fully explain what is going on during trance. This will only grow and expand. The only thing lagging is the wide dissemination of information about hypnotherapy on a scale sufficient to inspire more people to adopt it into their lives. 

Hypnotherapy is a powerful tool to help you achieve lasting change. When you address the long-held issues, when you overwrite the old programming, when you finally get to the root cause of what has been ailing/troubling/holding you back, you will feel like you got your life back.

SPIRIT GUIDES AND ACCEPTING THE UNKNOWN

Here is an inspiring and insightful book that has created some changes in my inner and outer world: “You Can Be A Medium: How a Red Couch Led Me to Mediumship and Turned My Pain into Purpose” by Tracey Escobar 

 

— You are not alone in this journey. We all have a team of spirit guides, some of whom have been with us since birth. The purpose of this team is to guide you through your human experience here on Earth. Spirit guides are those who were once human themselves and have attained a higher level of spiritual mastery.

Learning about spirit guides is another important step in your spiritual journey. The idea of spirit guides comes from Western Spiritualism, as do many of the other tools in this book. Whether the idea resonates with you and you adopt the belief is totally up to you. But learning about and connecting to your guides can give your inner spiritual voice a name. It can help you trust that inner voice. So much of what we do with Spirit comes down to learning to trust, accept, and be open to messages and truths that we receive.

It is hugely beneficial to know that we don’t do this work or walk this path alone. Someone is beside us, rooting for us, and helping us, every step along the way. Knowing that someone who cares is at your side can calm you in difficult times and inspire you to reach for greater heights. That’s true of the people in your life, and it is one of the roles of your spirit guides as well. Reach out and start learning to connect directly with them. Let them help you as much as they can. Becoming a medium is not an easy calling, so it is good to have that extra support, that team, to help you on your path.

The concept of spirit guides in Western Spiritualism originated from the nineteenth-century Spiritualist movement. Leaders in this movement had mediumistic capabilities. They believed that they made contact with angels, or highly evolved beings, who gave them great wisdom. According to theological doctrine, spirit guides are not always of human descent. Some live as energy or light beings in the cosmic realm. Some guides are people who have lived many former lifetimes and paid their karmic debts, and they have advanced beyond the need to reincarnate. Spirit guides have always been a part of Native American spirituality. Many Native American traditions required taking strenuous vision quests that required lengthy periods of fasting and movement deprivation, all designed to get them in touch with the Spirit world. The knowledge of spirit guides, or something similar, is an old belief in many different cultures.

You have major guides who are with you throughout your entire lifetime who will help you learn life’s lessons. You will also have minor guides who come into your life temporarily and help you with issues at any given time.

Characteristics of spirit guides include a non-judgmental perspective. They are aware of your difficulties and offer guidance. You can have multiple spiritual guides, and that number can fluctuate depending on what Spirit deems is needed in your life at the time.

Individuals rarely see spirit guides with their physical eyes. Mostly a spirit guide’s presence is sensed or seen with one’s inner vision. Identifying their presence can be done by feeling a slight pressure on the head, arms, or back of the neck. Sudden chills or goosebumps that occur when thinking about a particular issue is a sign that your spirit guide is with you. A slight jerk of the body, similar to what we sometimes experience when falling asleep, can be a sign that a spirit guide is with you. A buzzing sound frequency might be a signal that the spirit guide wants to be noticed. Seeing any little twinkling lights in the room can also be a spirit guide. There are all kinds of little cues, and they can vary based on which guide is nearby. You can learn to identify their presence through the sounds or sensations that they bring with them.

Spirit guides help us in many unseen ways throughout our lives, usually without our knowing. But as psychics, we can learn to communicate more directly…



PLAYING WITH YOUR MANY IDENTITIES FOR A GENUINE, AUTHENTIC, JOYFUL SELF!

Here is an inspiring and insightful book that has created some changes in my inner and outer worlds: “The Eagle That Drank Hummingbird Nectar: A Novel About Personal Transformation In Business Leaders” by Aneace Haddad

 

— Can you laugh and play with your many identities? Can you see that all of these are masks? Can you let go of outdated labels even if you still love them very much? That’s when your genuine, authentic, joyful self can shine through, more complex, and more beautiful, than any label could possibly capture.

The easier labels were at the top of my list, leaving tougher labels at the bottom, like tech founder, CEO, and chairman, father, and ex-husband. Instead of starting from the top, which I did last time, I decided to go straight to the labels that were holding me back.

I am not a “tech founder,” I am not a “tech founder,” I am not a “tech founder.”

The declaration, using air quotes exactly as described in the exercise, brought up memories and feelings of loss. The same effect that I had last time I did this.

I am not a “tech CEO,” I am not a “tech CEO,” I am not a “tech CEO.”

This produced sensations of loss, vulnerability, and loneliness. There was an aching in my chest, and a sense of numbness similar to how it felt when my marriage broke and I finally told my twenty-year-old Val that her mother and I were getting divorced and her response was, “It’s about time.”

We love holding onto the person we used to be through warm, nostalgic memories, even if they are sometimes painful. The neural ruts are familiar and comfortable. It takes no effort to fall into the well-traveled circuitry. Nostalgia feels good. Jumping out of the ruts takes conscious effort.

Then it hit me. I was experiencing grief. These labels were all dead and gone. I had already come to terms, somewhat, with no longer being that person, although there was still some grief involved. The problem popped into my head with an instant, simple solution — add the word “former” in front of the labels. That was how I actually described myself, a former tech CEO. I hadn’t been focusing on the right labels, the ones that were still alive.

I am not a “FORMER tech founder, CEO, and chairman.”

This declaration was scary. It took effort to say these words.

I wasn’t a tech CEO anymore... so that would always make me a former tech CEO. That was a permanent label that could never be taken away.

Some of the thoughts and beliefs around your labels might feel fixed and permanent. Pushing too hard to contradict them can be frightening. The air quotes help you playfully approach labels with care and acceptance

The air quotes softened the declaration and invited me to go deeper.

What would it feel like to not have that title? No more “former tech CEO.” What would my professional life be based on if that label disappeared?

I am not a “tech CEO” ... I am just “Aidan.”

I was about to force my mind to stay focused and not go down a different rabbit hole, but then decided maybe that’s where the exercise would lead to. So, I let my mind wander.

Simply listen to your inner conversation without trying to guide it anywhere. You’re not trying to get to a conclusion or reach an objective. Simply become aware of the conversations within you that usually happen at a subconscious level. This awareness loosens up your belief system…


TRUST YOUR GUT AND BE KIND TO YOURSELF

These are some inspiring and insightful passages in “Gut Driven: Jump-Start Digestive Health to Nourish Body, Mind, and Spirit.” by Ellen Postolowski  

  

— Brené Brown defines vulnerability as “uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. But vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our most accurate measure of courage.” In a healthy relationship, we must make ourselves vulnerable in order to trust, openly communicate, listen, be intimate, and work through disagreements. Having thriving relationships is also a big part of your circle of life because all these little pieces of well- being are essential for balance.

Strategic Decisions When Can You Trust Your Gut

In any relationship we welcome into our lives, we courageously hope for the best and make ourselves vulnerable for the most favorable outcome. We want supportive and sustainable friendships, marriages, and work relationships that thrive from the effort and compromise it takes to make them work.

Knowing when to show up is a supportive measure that gives value to any relationship, but if you are always the one who is present and you often feel as though you are on this path alone, it may be time to reevaluate the strength of that bond. Toxic bonds show a pattern of disrespect, controlling behaviors, resentment, jealousy, violence, un- pleasant communication, and lack of support. We cannot get along with everyone and must pick our battles and be aware of our own defensiveness in times of conflict. But if you feel drained, intimidated, exhausted, and afraid in any relationship, determine if that is supporting you or drowning your efforts.

A very dear friend of mine often says, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” As I get older, I look for quality above quantity when it comes to relationships. Trust your gut on this one and believe in yourself first. When you are a good friend, listener, and companion, you deserve to get what you give.

There are two kinds of clutter: physical and mental. Beginning with physical clutter, think about things you may have put on the back burner. That project may be starting a vegetable garden or flower bed, painting a room, or donating or getting rid of stuff you no longer need or are tired of looking at. Decluttering offers health related benefits. Chances are, when you clean your home, you will be removing potential environmental allergens, alleviating the stress and anxiety clutter causes, and hopefully sleeping better because you have physically and mentally accomplished something.

In considering mental clutter, go back to your Circle of Life diagram and track your progress. Determine what needs work and commit to the growth process in every way that offers value. For example, if your spirituality needs work, figure out how that aspect of your life could use improvements. When we choose the path that holds the most faith, gratitude, and love, incorporating those practices into our daily lives is often hindered by events such as a global pandemic. Detours from those core values happen to the best of us. Getting back on track to enhance that part of your life could involve spiritual readings, going back to church, or attending synagogue. Spending time in nature, meditation, finding free networks of support, and even mindful breathing practices are other ways to invite spirituality back into your life for more balance.

Disorder affects everyone, and undue stress can strain relation- ships. Figure out a project that can cultivate a cleaner, clutter-free environment and strengthen your mind and spirit.

MAGIC MOMENTS, ACCEPTANCE & FINDING WONDER WITHIN TRAGEDY

These are some inspiring and insightful passages in

The Raven's Gift: A Scientist, a Shaman, and Their Remarkable Journey Through the Siberian Wilderness” by Jon Turk

 

—  I had spent four years teetering between the Real, the dream-, and the spirit worlds trying to explain life’s mysteries—my healing, the labyrinth, and now the bear and the raven. I no longer had any need to analyze or explain the wonders and tragedies that had embraced and buffeted me in their whirlwinds, like the storm clouds that danced across the heavens. Why would anyone want an explanation, anyway? Oleg had understood that the Real World and the Other World are the same, so he sent Misha and me into the tactile, tangible tundra to thank the transcendental spirit bird. Anytime I want to talk to Chris or need solace and support to find my own way, I can climb this mountain, or any other mountain, or go to sea in my kayak. Or I can sit by a quiet mountain stream as I had on the day of the memorial and sip some cool water from a tin cup hanging on a willow. I don’t need to be visited by a bear or a raven every time, because I’ve been honored enough to know that they have already visited me. They visited me on the day I carried Chris up the mountain to her final resting place and dusted her ashes into the storm.

— Moolynaut taught me to live inside a myth—not another person’s myth, or that of someone who lived thousands of years ago—but my own personal tapestry of Real World and Dream World, connected by magic that hovered on black outstretched wings. My first entry into myth, forty years ago, during that spring day with my dog, gave me the power and resolve to change my life. Barriers broke down and over the decades, new input rushed in, some wonderful and some scary. At one moment, a mysterious healing energy vaulted over the lowered barrier and mended my pelvis, and that changed my life again, guiding me toward new beginnings. 

— A bear and a raven. Magic moments integrated with the greatest sadness, preaching acceptance. My animal friends were teaching me to heal by finding wonder within tragedy.

— “You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the power of the World always works in circles … The sky is round and I have heard that the earth is round, like a ball … The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours … Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were.”

—Black Elk, Oglala Sioux holy man


TAKE OWNERSHIP OF YOUR OWN WELL-BEING WITH THE WHOLE HEALTH JOURNALING CHALLENGE

 These are some inspiring and insightful passages in “Whole Health Journaling Challenge: A Journaling for the Health of It” by Mari L. McCarthy

 

—  Healing Humor —

If you have ever laughed so hard your stomach hurt, you know from personal experience the therapeutic benefits a little humor can have. There is a lot of truth to the old saying “laughter is the best medicine.” Research has found that laughing does a great deal to safeguard and enhance your health, reducing stress hormones and maybe even preventing heart disease.

William Fry, a psychiatrist at Stanford University, conducted long-term studies on the health benefits of laughter and found that it increases circulation, exercises the muscles, stimulates the immune system, and invigorates the brain. Other researchers have found that laughter reduces stress hormones and may even help prevent heart disease. That’s certainly a reason to be happy!


— Play Date —

We can all learn a thing or two from children at play. They know how to enjoy the moment fully and lose themselves in what they are doing, whether it’s inventing a game of make-believe or climbing the highest tree they can find.

As an adult, it’s more difficult to make room for play and unscheduled leisure time. You may think, “How can I goof off when I have so many other important things I need to be doing?” You might feel that you can’t spare the time or even that you don’t deserve to have fun when you have a lot going on. But play isn’t just important for little kids. It’s a necessary part of healthy adult life and can help reduce stress and increase happiness.

According to Dr. Stuart Brown, founder, the National Institute of Play: Play is particularly important during periods that are sustainedly stressful... If we’re going to adapt to changing economic and personal circumstances the way that nature armed us to do, then we have to find ourselves having some play time virtually every day.

 

Far too often, we become distanced from our own health in our busy modern lives. We neglect not only our physical needs but also our mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. Each of these elements is vital, and optimal health is achieved when we’re able to keep them in balance in a holistic way.

To put it in simple terms, imagine that your well-being is a plant. For it to thrive, it needs the right care: plenty of water and sunlight, nutrient-rich soil, room to grow. If you take away one of those essential ingredients, the plant will suffer and begin to wither.

Have you experienced that kind of effect in your own life when you are deprived of something important – wholesome food or adequate sleep or leisure time? In those situations, it is often an easy short-term solution to treat the symptom instead of addressing the root of the problem. Perhaps you take a pill or drink a cup of coffee or push yourself harder to overcome feeling sick, tired, or anxious. But this approach doesn’t consider your wellness in the long term.

The good news is that you don’t have to keep feeling this way. You have the power to take ownership of your own wellness and change your life for the better, with your journal as your guide.

THE POETRY LAB AND THE HEALING POWER OF BELONGING TO A SAFE COMMUNITY

These are some inspiring and insightful passages in “The Poetry LAB: A Curriculum Guide for Facilitators - Employing the Use of Groupwork, Writing Circles & The Therapeutic Use of Poetry with Youth” by Mary Tinucci – LICSW, DSW

 

—  WHAT MATTERS TO ME —

What matters to me is the way you look at me

The way I see the world

What matters to me is the love that comes from above

Getting a kiss, or a rose, or just a hug on Valentine’s Day

What matters to me is the breath I breathe every day –

Because without it I couldn’t say

What matters to me is you, the way you see yourself

Asking for help when you need it

What matters to me is my family

Because without them you wouldn’t see me

What matters to me is my friends

Who loves me like a friend should

What matters to me is everything

Because it is what it is

That’s what matters to me

But most important - What matters to you?

 

While The Poetry LAB provides a clear community of hope for individual participants, its very existence holds macro-level and social justice implications for the broader culture as well. The impact of having such a group available to marginalized youth, a place where they can share the truth of their lives, challenges the broader culture to work towards a more equitable society.

The Poetry LAB model provides a place where students can discover and see that there is more to who they are than the "at-risk" labels that others have placed on them. Too often, the educational, correctional, and mental health systems reduce these beautiful spirits to something far less than their full capacity.

By participating in The Poetry LAB, students begin to see the power inside themselves, individually and collectively. They are empowered to tell their stories in ways that others can hear.

Our students have stories to tell. Part of these stories is our shameful history, of how we as a society have failed. Part of the story is the competence and insight that each of our students carries. We need to let them tell it in their own way, in their own voice, and in their own language, even if it makes us uncomfortable. If we allow youth to speak from their hearts, from the truth of their lives, they find success.

There are urgent circumstances in the lives of these youth, and educators and mental health providers know this. It is critical that we find ways to engage these youth in the work of education and emotional health. Social workers and educators who work in urban school settings have a great opportunity to try something new in their practice.

It is not necessary to be a spoken word poet or to know a lot about the world of hip-hop or rap, but it is essential to understand and respect that youth are influenced by these genres of expression. It is not necessary to see yourself as a writer or a poet or a spoken word artist. It is necessary to understand the healing power of the pen and the healing power of belonging to a safe community like The Poetry LAB.

Using The Poetry LAB model, school social workers and educators can begin building their own tool kit for using spoken word poetry in group work with youth. In fact, ask the youth themselves, and you will find out just how hungry they are to tell you what they know. They will welcome you into their world…

— UPCOMING EVENT —

Mary is hosting a live zoom training on the Poetry LAB curriculum on August 4th, 2022.

To register, please visit: https://thinkinpossibilities.thinkific.com/courses/the-poetry-lab-curriculum-and-training.

THE LAW OF ATTRACTION & BEING CONSCIOUS OF YOUR FEELINGS, EMOTIONS, AND REACTIONS

These are some inspiring and insightful passages in “Start With Me! Who Am I?: Discovering Yourself With The Law Of Attraction.” by Mina Vo

 

— Knowing how the Law of Attraction works helped me comprehend how to live the life that I want to have and who I want to be. Before deciding on what I want and who I want to be, I have to know my purpose. Once I know my purpose, which is to influence and inspire others, it makes me conscious about who I am and what attitude I can take to become the person I want to be.

This takes time and consciousness (awareness) about my thinking, my attitude, or my mistakes. I function by default when I am not aware of my feelings. I go with my paradigm, with what has been programmed in me from zero to seven years old and beyond—what I have learned from my parents and my environment until now. I express it in my thoughts, feelings, and reactions. Since I think and react in a certain way, I attract the same thinking and reactions from others around me in that way. It’s the Law of Attraction. Since my thought is vibrational energy, it attracts the same energy that it finds in its environment regardless of the distance and pulls to me that same emotion.

If your purpose is to be one of the best accountants in your firm in order to serve your clients well, then it is to your advantage to put yourself in a high vibrational energy frequency of loving what you do and appreciating what you have, including people around you, right? If your thoughts always stay at that high frequency, it vibrates around you and attracts more of the same vibrational energy frequency (thought) in your environment, thus creating momentum or synergy.

But if your thought is in a lower vibrational energy frequency on the emotional scale, which is hate, frustration, doubt, sadness, and so on, then the Law of Attraction would bring to you more and more of those feelings from your environment, thus creating momentum and synergy with the same thought.

That’s why when you change your environment and are not conscious about changing yourself, you create the same situation as the previous one that you don’t like, and the cycle goes on. So, ask yourself, which one is easier to change? Changing your thinking and attitude? Or wanting your environment to change in order to cope with your thinking and attitude?

It is much easier to change yourself than to ask someone else to change for you. But how to change yourself? By being conscious of your feelings, emotions, and reactions.

You can change the world by changing yourself one step at a time. The easiest way to change yourself is by changing your perception rather than expecting people to change their perception of you.

BE THE GARDENER OF YOUR LIFE: SUSTAINING GROWTH IN HEALTHY WAYS

These are some inspiring and insightful passages in “Shifting Bravely: A Path to Growth, Healing, and Transformation” by Holli Kenley

 

— I believe that when we are truly grounded in our growth and its strength, we are at peace with ourselves and with others. Battles or arguments we had within ourselves and with others in proving our truths or substantiating our growth are no longer important. They are no longer necessary. In our peace, we are choosing to silence past representations such as anger, resentment, and blame. Because of our growth, we are choosing to honor it in healthy ways. In doing so, we find ourselves once again taking on the posture of a gardener: being still, listening, staying open, and giving ourselves time for further internal strengthening.

When we remain open to new discoveries and insights regarding our experiences, our defensive posture takes a back seat to welcoming in an understanding of them. It is with deeper insight we find ourselves remaining silent within, settling into our peace and calm.

When A SHIFT Is Sustained, we are anchored in our truths. And when the waters around us are unpredictable or choppy, our knowing of our truths secures us. We do not react to our unsafe environments or adversaries. Where we “once battled and argued,” we are now “choosing to remain silent.” We now choose a peaceful response. And, when we maintain the posture of a gardener by sustaining our growth in healthy ways, we affirm “we are rooted in our truth and our truth is allowed to shift and transform” (Unknown). We have come to understand that when A SHIFT Is Sustained, there will be evidence of it. We will not be the persons we used to be, things once tolerated will no longer be tolerable, and when and how we speak about ourselves and our truths will mirror an internal representation of lasting strength.

In honoring our voices and affirming ourselves, we have learned the importance of speaking our truths and of presenting them in ways representative of sustainable growth. As we begin to understand the value of our voice, we begin to embrace a deeply insightful and intentional posture of a gardener. It is one that requires quiet perseverance, a steady stream of resilience, and endless patience. With continual growth and increased internalization of our truths, it is a posture that displays an inner core of self-compassion, discernment, and self-empowerment.

In our understanding and application of it, empowerment means valuing our voice by voicing our value . In other words, self-empowerment shows up as clear, confident, authentic representations of our truths and our growth. When we are valuing our voice, we do not seek to dominate or demand. And when we are voicing our value , we do so by representing our strong beliefs in who we are as we thoughtfully and respectfully conduct our lives.

IT'S NOT ABOUT REACHING GOALS — IT'S ABOUT REALIZING YOURSELF ALONG THE WAY

Here is an inspiring and insightful passage in “Be You: The Journey of Self-Realization by Chris Cirak

 

— In the outer world, there are places you're familiar with, places you're not familiar with, and places you don't even know exist. The more familiar you are with a specific place, the more it feels like home.

Your inner world is no different. It consists of parts you're more familiar with, parts you're less familiar with, and parts you don't even know exist. The journey of self-realization is to feel at home in all your parts.

You can't be yourself if you don't know yourself.

It’s both ironic and beautiful that not knowing yourself is what propels you forward. Ironic because your mind is all about knowing. Beautiful because you get to experience the freshness of each new moment. Every part of you that you haven't yet realized contains both the anguish of not being you and the longing to be more of you.

Self-realization is the process of realizing who you are. You are never not experiencing this process. Every moment of every day, life is pushing you to know yourself better. More specifically, you are the one doing the pushing. Life is just a mirror. Stuck feelings are the fuel of your evolution.

If it feels like you’re taking detours instead of the direct route to your happiness, that’s your headspace talking. That’s when you criticize yourself for making mistakes, thinking you should know better. You forget that you’re a more realized person now, precisely because of how you've responded to things in the past. Ultimately, there’s no reason to fault yourself for anything, ever. In fact, it's the experience of not being you that has prompted you to become more of you. You haven't failed. You haven't taken a wrong turn. You’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing.

You're always you, doing the best you can. There is no other way.

Resist the urge to plan out your life for fear you might go down the wrong road. Right and wrong only exist when you’re in your headspace, focused on outcomes. But in the great unfolding of your life, veering off your path is what accelerates you forward. Each time you veer, you grow in clarity, resilience, and determination. You become more of you. Your journey is meant to take you through a field of experiences. Detours and excursions aren't just part of your journey, they are your journey.

Everything you experience teaches you something new about yourself and puts you in touch with your feelings. How you respond to them directly impacts how much you participate in - and contribute to - the flow of life. When you keep your feelings stuck, you generate friction within yourself and with the environment. But by releasing them, you contribute free-flowing energy to the world.

As you become more realized, so does the world.

Less realized energy, longing to become more realized energy, is the engine behind life's continuous expansion. Everything you do is motivated by this pull. You buy things to experience abundance. You fall in love to experience unity. You set goals to experience fulfillment. You're always replacing what you think an experience is like with the actual experience of it.

That's why you're supposed to buy shiny things and be enamored by them. You're supposed to fall in love and promise each other foreverness. You're supposed to climb to the highest peaks and fall to the lowest lows. You're supposed to experience all those things because it's not about the things. It's not about reaching goals or achieving outcomes. It's about realizing yourself along the way…

P.S.: You will love Chris’ book and his work! He is one of the most genuine and open-hearted human beings I have ever met!



LOVE CAN NEVER HURT US

These are some inspiring and insightful passages in “Creating Real Happiness A to Z: A Mindful Guide to Discovering, Loving, and Accepting Your True Self” by Stephani Grace

 — I endured a difficult childhood, but I wouldn’t change any of it. I believe that as humans we learn best through contrast. I needed to be born into a family that couldn’t love me so that I could learn to love myself and in return teach others to love. I have a belief that everything is intended to help us grow into our best, highest selves. In this way of thinking, nothing is trying to harm or punish us. I believe this is the truth because I have learned complete contentment, and I’m not sure I would have understood this love had I not experienced the opposite.

When I am working with people to help them find happiness, I am coming from a place of knowing. I know absolutely that it is possible for anyone to be truly happy, regardless of his or her circumstances or origin. The amazing thing about this is that it is all within our own control. It is all about our conditioning and our beliefs about ourselves and what we think we deserve. When we learn to shift these beliefs, we shift everything.

My clients are on a journey with me. As I am learning and discovering things in my own life, I weave these teachings into my counseling practice. Anything that I am utilizing in my practice comes from what has worked for me. I have deep empathy for those who suffer, and because I have learned how to create happiness out of struggle, I know that no one should settle for suffering. Therefore, I am tenacious in my patience with others in their search for happiness. I know it’s possible to create happiness, and I also know that it’s not difficult, although it seems impossible at times. Happiness is always available to us, always within our reach.

I want to help as many people as possible understand this process and to help them learn how to love themselves. I have been in practice for 20 years and have helped hundreds of people find happiness and live a more authentic life. With this book, I hope to reach a wider audience and share the tools that have helped not only me but also my clients. We all deserve to be happy. This is our birthright. Just think how things would shift in our world if we were all coming from a place of absolute self-love.

ON OPENNESS

— Openness is being open to what life has to offer. If we pay attention, we will notice that we open and close throughout the day. We also have ways of thinking or have had experiences that close us down to certain aspects of life, or sometimes everything. We close down to protect ourselves. We believe we are keeping ourselves safe, but the problem with being closed is that we are also closed to the positive things we want to experience as well. For example, if we believe we have been hurt by love and we decide to shut ourselves off from love in order to keep from being hurt again then when love comes along we won’t be open to receive it. Remember, love actually never hurt us in the first place. It was anything other than love that hurt us. Love can never hurt us.

We are always safe with love. Sometimes we might be closed to love because we are reserving it for the “right” person, or maybe we are afraid to be loving to everyone because we don’t want to give people the “wrong” idea. Any of these ways we are closing only keep us from love because we are not open to receive it. We can love freely, knowing we can trust ourselves to manage any situation that presents itself. Remember, love cannot hurt you, so when anything arises other than love, you will know what you need to do in that moment. We always have everything we need to manage any situation in the present moment.

Practice: Throughout the day practice being aware of whether you are open or closed to love. Another way to say this is: Is your heart open or closed? What do you notice that helps your heart open? What do you notice that makes it close? See if you can practice remaining open when you feel inclined to close. Please be gentle with the part of you that wants to close. Let this part of you know that she is safe—that love can’t hurt her, that she has everything she needs to keep herself safe.


EXPRESSING LOVE THROUGH YOUR EXPERIENCES, YOUR VOICE & YOUR GIFTS

These are some inspiring and insightful passages in “Unapologetic: Shedding Inauthenticity To Become Uniquely You” by Natali Brown

 

— As each painful part fell away and other beautiful parts of my Soul returned, to awaken within me such a deep remembrance of my healing gifts and the power of my innate universal knowledge and connection with all that is, there was an intense outpouring of love that flowed from this crack.

The intensity and vastness of this love would often scare me and make my human side feel incredibly vulnerable.  It would sometimes make other people feel very uncomfortable too as it always came with a great big bag full of truth pouring from my lips in words and energy. 

Humans are scared to face their truth because the truth hurts, so they steered away from me or would often be nasty and venomous because they did not have the capacity to receive or could not comprehend this potent outpouring of love. 

Over the years I’ve helped and guided many lightworkers and light leaders to their truth, their gifts, soul mission, and purpose. I often guided them to where no one dares to go because sometimes you have to traverse the deepest and darkest spaces of pain and trauma and heal those parts of you first, so you can let the light come through you. 

Due to our upbringing and societal influences, we have been conditioned not to feel, not to be sensitive or show emotions, not to be too much, too powerful, too strong, too honest, too vulnerable, too feminine or too masculine. 

So often our dialogue with ourselves and each other is based on apologies and excuses.  Instead of saying Heck Yes to life! We often choose a more mediocre response because it’s too hard or too much or not perfect. We fluff our way through life and never really anchor our dreams and intentions. 

This world would be a very different place if we stop apologizing for hard things and take a stand for our yes and our no, take a stand for what we feel and what we want. Humans have been kept under this matrix of control and fear for too long and only the truth will set us free. We have to feel to heal.

I fought many of my own demons and battles—depression, anxiety, alcohol, sexual abuse—and did the inner work and healing to peel away my own untruths. I’ve been hurt by people I trusted so deeply, because they were hurting too. I know this now and hold no grudges. I only have love for this crazy life we get to live. The good, the bad and the ugly. I didn’t want to give up on people, I didn’t want to think the worst of them so this love within me turned to passion and passion turned into helping those who were stuck but who knew that their soul was calling them to be more, to rise beyond fear into their next level greatness. Through healing each of my clients I healed a part of myself too. We would cry together and laugh together. In their eyes, I would see myself. After all, we are all connected.  I will never regret any of my experiences and am so incredibly grateful for each beautiful soul I get to meet. When we come together and see each other, really see each other and support each other we can move mountains.

My wish is that we can live life without any regrets but turn our experiences into powerful catalysts for change to create a world that we are all proud of, a world where we won’t destroy each other and our planet but love and see each other’s truth and beauty.   world where we can co-create as sovereign beings living in harmony with our planet and all living beings. For this to happen, many structures within and without will fall away. It starts with a simple choice: “What do you want now?”  Because all that needs changing starts in the now, this present moment. 

Life is not meant to be mediocre, you are meant to express yourself as love through your experiences, your voice and your gifts.

GENDER EQUALITY FOR ALL HUMAN BEINGS

These are some inspiring and insightful passages in “A Global Dialogue on Masculinity: 33 Men Speak Out” by Gayle Kimball

 

— We are limited by outdated gender stereotypes, both men in their lack of access to a wide range of emotions and caregiving and women in their limited access to leadership and power. It’s in our best interest to move towards flexibility and being instrumental or nurturant as circumstances require. This means we stop telling boys not to cry or be like girls and stop telling girls to be nice little ladies. We need to encourage girls to go into leadership and STEM fields of science and technology and boys into caregiving professions, like many of the men in this book, did as therapists, instructors, and heads of helping organizations.

The consensus of our experts is that boys and men are not permitted to show vulnerability, a word often repeated in this book. From the Netherlands, Stephan van de Ven, 32, said, “I don’t know how to really express my emotions, not having had that many examples in my environment from men around me, from movies, from TV series, or anything.” This prejudice shuts down even being aware of some emotions, which is why EVRYMAN and other men’s groups begin with identifying body sensations.

Asking for help may require being vulnerable, which fits in the “threat to masculinity” danger zone. This fear of being perceived as weak contributes to men’s health problems and a higher suicide rate. Being shut down emotionally also inhibits men’s intimate relations with people they love, one of the reasons why women in English-speaking countries are much more likely to initiate divorce than men. Femininity is seen by sexists as weakening precarious masculinity and can increase the fear of intimacy.

Divorce and poverty lead to an increase in single-mother households, which MIT Economics Professor David Autor links to worse outcomes for the boys than the girls with single mothers. This is part of the explanation of why boys are falling behind girls in higher education. This equation is shutting down boys’ expression of human feelings leads to health and relationship difficulties, which is especially harmful to boys raised by single mothers. As Jed Diamond said, mothers, can’t teach boys what it means to be a man. The solution is to educate parents and teachers about how to encourage boys to be in touch with the full range of human feelings, as modeled in countries like Denmark.[i] As with other social and environmental problems, solutions are available but the will to implement them is lacking.

Why are some men willing to advocate for changes in male socialization and risk being seen as outside the norm of masculine interests? We’ve learned that it’s mostly women who take men’s studies college courses. Our changemakers, similar to men I interviewed for 50:50 Marriage and 50:50 Parenting, were influenced by a very positive or very negative role model, either a loving involved father (the minority) or an absent father due to death, divorce, or long work hours.

Many of our contributors felt that they didn’t fit the masculinity standard as boys and were concerned about ways girls and boys were harmed by sexism. Gary Barker’s female friends told him about forced sex, leading him to want to take action as a man: “This kind of manhood, with so much violence and anger, is not who I think I am.” With feminist analysis, John Stoltenberg said, “I felt freedom from the cookie-cutter I was trying to fit into. I found it was possible to be who I am without constantly thinking about, am I male enough?”

Many of the contributors agree that schools need to accommodate boys’ need for more physical activity, especially with many boys being developmentally behind girls. Boys of color act out their own versions of masculinity, which may include looking at school success as “acting white,” as our men of color reported. Wanting improvement in gender liberation, changemakers organize men’s groups, teach courses, research and write about gender socialization practices and lobby for legislative change--particularly in child custody.

The common concern for gender liberation and equal opportunity doesn’t mean these activists are united. Every progressive or liberal group I know argues over who is most politically pure and the men’s movement is no exception. They debate who is most oppressed by traditional gender roles and if gender is more shaped by nature or nurture. As Michael Messner reports, “Those schisms between different groups run pretty deep and have been going on for many decades.”

Men’s rights advocates think men suffer more, while feminists think women suffer more from gendered power systems. The latter don’t want to talk with the former, thinking problematically in a zero-sum game so that if I win, you lose. Daniel Ellenberg reported, “It’s remarkable how many smart, professional people seem to think it's an either/or game. I think it's both/and. It tends to trigger a lot of vitriol from different folks. Until we change our mindset about it, we're still going to be at war.” Some blame the peer-led men’s groups for not being political and “getting stuck looking at our own belly buttons,” as Barker said. However, many of our men have been part of men’s groups.

What surprised me from interviewing these men of different ages, ethnicities, nationalities, religions, and ideologies is that some felt disadvantaged in relationships and in school, including young men like Tristan Glosby. (I Hate Men is  the title of a recent book by Pauline Harmange, translated from French.) I was also surprised that young men still hear, “don’t be a sissy.” Some felt being male was under fire with the frequent use of the phrase “toxic masculinity.”

Progress certainly isn’t a straight line upward, as evidenced in the sexist cult led by Donald Trump. George Simons finds in international surveys that about one-third of men support gender equality. I’m hopeful because Generations Y and Z tend to not limit themselves in regards to their gender roles or skin color. They have models to emulate as they assume more political power, learning from Nordic gender equality programs, Danish emotional literacy instruction for children, research on boy’s development (like that done by Andrew Smiler and Warren Farrell), and support groups for boys like those developed by Jerry Tello and Ashanti Branch. Promundo and MenEngage provide models of how to involve boys and men in activism for gender equality for all human beings.


THE HEART’S DESIRE, EMPATHIC KONSCIO AND A THRIVING HUMANITY

These are some inspiring and insightful passages in “THE KONSCIO METHOD™: Heal. Expand. Evolve.” by Milly Diericx

 

— If the heart is the seat of the soul, the place where you can connect to know your purpose and the things that fill you with joy, and the brain is a problem-solving machine that takes you where you want to go, then together they are the greatest team to help you manifest who you are in the world. However, they have to be aligned toward the same goal. What usually happens, is that our heart desires one thing, but we have been taught that following our heart is not rational and doesn't make sense—that we have to think and be logical—so we follow the path of the head, which is the one that everyone else approves of because it makes sense. We do so and end up being wretchedly unhappy. We end up living lives that are not what we want them to be, because our alignment is off.

We need to know our heart's desire very clearly, then enlist the mind to tell us how we can make that happen with who we are and what we have. Then, we can start doing what has to be done to achieve our desire. This is the sequence and formula for living the life you really want and not the one that makes sense to others.  When you align yourself with your heart’s desire, a plan, and action, magic happens.

— The empathic movement would be a social movement in which we refuse to be bigots: We treat each other kindly, and we denounce social injustice, police or other authority’s brutality, and criminal behavior every time we encounter it. If we have a firm set of values, we can act from them and ask others to do so with us; the values of the majority—those who hold in the face of the opposition that will surely arise—will, I assure you, provoke social change. This movement should be based on the sincere desire to serve, to be a team, and not in values that are self-righteous, for they tend to exclude those who don’t share such values. The whole idea of being in Empathic Konscio is seeing the richness of diversity, and how every single individual, viewpoint, idea, and value contributes to Team Humanity. Of course, I am not talking about destructive or divisive ideas, like hatred, intolerance, or greed. I’m talking about Higher Konscio values, which will always be cooperative, cohesive, loving, and compassionate. If you are unsure about which values come from Higher Konscio states, go back to the values exercise and read the list to get the gist of the values that contribute to Team Humanity.

Caring for the environment is the same kind of movement; if we, as people with economic power, stop buying goods that are damaging for the environment, they will stop producing them. It's up to us to make large businesses and corporations change their practices with the power of our money. When we invest in something, it thrives; what we don't spend money on becomes unprofitable and stops being produced. Imagine if we stop buying products that damage the environment, like plastics. What would happen to the plastics industry? They would have to adapt to the new market trends or go out of business. If we continue to buy their products as they are, with no criticism, with no conscience, it will continue to be good business, and such corporations will continue to produce them, damaging our environment even further. Just as governments seek power, corporations seek profit, so let's make what is damaging to us and the environment unprofitable for them, so they will adapt and produce things that are both good (or at least not destructive) for the environment and still meet our needs. Power and money are forms of energy; if we give our energy to that which is aligned to our Higher Konscio values and stop giving it to that which is not, we will change what thrives and what doesn’t in our world.

Human ingenuity has no bounds. We can make the things we want and need in different ways, using different materials, halting the destruction and still enjoying our commodities. It is amazing to think that we already have solutions for most of the problems facing us; we are not implementing them because they are not profitable, but they already exist and are quite viable. As an example, we can take the problem of climate change, which we know is produced by an excess of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mostly carbon dioxide, which is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels. There are many alternatives to the use of fossil fuels, from the use of electric cars to the electricity produced by geothermal, wind, solar, and other ecologically sound means. Why, then, do we keep using fossil fuels? Because large corporations lobby the governments for their use so they can continue to make huge profits. What if we stopped using things that burn fossil fuels, like gasoline cars? What if each of us invested in solar cells for our homes instead of consuming electricity produced by fossil fuels? What would those petroleum consortiums do? Adapt or die. That's what they would do.

We have little awareness of the power each of us has in our own wallet, or the votes we give and the policies we support or protest, but we hold all the cards; they are just trying to cater to us and get our money or our votes. Where we put them is our choice. Money is also energy; just as we are sovereigns in our choice of where we want our energy and how to get it there, we are also sovereign in where we invest the fruits of our labor. We are extraordinarily powerful in all regards. How we behave dictates social trends, laws, and directions of the governing class; where we invest directs the market trends; and how we feel and treat each other directs our own life, our own well-being, and that of those around us.

Take responsibility for your own life and healing, expand your consciousness, and become who you really are: A magnificent being full of light, made of love. By healing the wounds of your own history, you remove the obstacles to being the magnificent light-bearer you were created to be. By healing your heart and creating better relationships with others, you heal your family and community. Healthy communities build better societies and so forth until we have a whole world attuned to Empathic Konscio, acting from love and compassion, being a team, focused on the greater good. Pass every decision through the wisdom of your heart, be empathic to others and nature, and watch the magic happen around you.

LIBERATING SUPPRESSED EMOTIONS — RETURNING TO A SENSE OF WHOLENESS

These are some inspiring and insightful passages in “Quantum SHIFT: Healing the Fragmented Soul” by Lorna Wilson

 

— “Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. At all counts, it forms an unconscious snag, thwarting our most well-meant intentions.” Carl Jung

‘Fragmentation’ or the creation of what we perceive to be negative feelings or emotions, remain buried within the shadow ‘parts’ of our consciousness, whether created through the stories of past-life individuals, or the current-life personality. They are compartmentalizations of the fragmented self and are similar in their effect on the current personality. Reintegration of these unconscious stories does not negate the value of the lessons learned or the value of life issues, but it does initiate closure for the current personality. By liberating the suppressed emotions, a unification takes place within the self, returning to one a sense of wholeness.

To simplify things, let’s think about aspects of ourselves, or our soul, as consisting of parts that are in the ‘shadow’ or unconscious, not visible but affecting us adversely. Integrating them creates wholeness. A shaman ‘sees’ through an altered state of an expanded consciousness where problems may be, or what they are exactly. This is similar to what occurs during a hypnosis session, or any other non-physical exploration, as our own subconscious mind knows, holds the answers, and has recorded our individual history.

Soul ‘retrieval’ is not exclusive to shamanic techniques, although it is one way to attain lasting results. The subconscious knows what is needed and will therefore initiate its own process to achieve the desired results. 

Session – An Interesting Way Our Shadow 'Stuff' Can Look Dark 

I had some theta music playing quietly in the background to distract the noise of the neighbors as it was a weekend session and outdoor sounds were a bit more active. Leading up to a ‘significant moment’ the client tells me that she hears music in the background. Because I’d quietly put on the music, I hadn’t known if she was speaking about the music in the room or if it were something in her mind. She spoke about the music emitting waves of energy all around her. I told her to just be with the music and to see what it brought to mind.

C.  I see an image of something hunching forward, but I’m seeing it from the side. It’s a black face with wings. I can see the wings. It looks like it’s sad as it’s hunching forward; I can’t see the face.

L.  Let’s see why your subconscious has brought this to mind. What do you sense about this thing? You mentioned wings... is it bird like?  

C.  It’s human and is turned to the side so that I can only see the wings.  

L.  Go backward to just before this thing with the wings came to be there. Let’s find out what led up to this moment and what’s going on for it that led up to the hunched feeling of sadness.

C.  It doesn’t talk to me.

L.  Mentally – like telepathy – ask it to help you to understand more.

C.  Maybe the sound of the music is healing that angelic person.

L.  Ask it if it’s connected to you or wants you to know something.

C.  Goya came to mind, that sadness in Goya’s painting. It’s now looking at me.

L.  Ask it what it wants you to know or understand.

C.  It just says one-word “heal”.

L.  What does it mean to heal?

C.  I think it’s me because when I asked is it me, it felt happy.

We explore this more and she discovers that it’s her heart that carries the sadness. The figure is representative of her heart and that the loneliness from her childhood is the source. It shows her the life experiences that caused that, by bringing back childhood memories and past lives. The goal was that she was to discover that it’s time to take care of herself.  

DISCOVERING, REDISCOVERING & REDEFINING THE MEANING OF HEALING AND LOVE

Here is an inspiring and insightful passage in “The Holding: Prequel to The Healing” by Lynda Faye Schmidt

 

— …Cate walks into a quiet house. Lady hears her and comes padding out to greet her, tail wagging. She seems to sense Cate’s heaviness as she presses her muzzle against Cate’s shin. Cate bends down to pat her and Lady licks her hand. The simple gesture brings a flood of fresh tears. Cate throws herself on the couch. She doesn’t know how to do this. She retrieves her journal, still in her purse. She looks out the window at the sky. The stars twinkle. Cate hopes to spot her father’s spirit ascending to heaven, but all she sees is space. She turns to a fresh page and begins to write.

“Looking out the window into the dark night sky,

I glimpse the beginning of a new and spectacular dawn. The sky in the east transforms from inky black to

rusty indigo, to majestic magenta, to a soft cherry pink. It seems to speak to me of promises and dreams, of someplace I recognize but feels like so long ago.

I don’t see my father’s spirit out there, but I picture him in my mind, playing baseball. I see him standing

at the plate, legs planted firmly, his expression deadpan. I see him looking over at me, sitting in the bleachers— a conspiratorial wink. The pitcher releases the ball.

It sails through the air. Dad swings the bat. Crack.

It makes contact. Dad drops the bat in the dirt and starts running.

I pray that somewhere in that forever sky my father is running free, watching over me, proud of who I’ve become. I pray he will always be with me, bonded in spirit, in our hearts, for eternity.

I don’t know how I’m going to do this, how to carry on without him. God knows I’ve endured one hell of a lot of hardships in my lifetime, but this feels like too much. My father was my rock, the one true thing I always could rely on. He was a simple man. He didn’t change the world, but he changed mine. I felt witnessed, accepted, perfect. His hands have always held me as I laughed and cried. My father’s hands, they were my refuge. I always felt safe in his arms, with him only a phone call away. Where will my strength come from now? How will I manage, stuck in an unhealthy, unhappy marriage? How will I be the good mother my children need me to be, deserve me to be?

I don’t have the answers. All I have left are the memories, of the holding. I suppose it will have to be enough. “

Cate is crying so hard by this time, she can’t write anymore. Her tears fall onto the page, smudging her words. She closes her eyes. She sits in silence, for how long she doesn’t know. After a while she stirs as if aroused by divine inspiration. She has the strongest urge to write a poem for her father. She goes into the office and sits down at the computer to write. The words flow out of her with lightning speed, her fingers on the keyboard barely able to keep up….