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Turning Barriers into Bridges
by Guy Finley
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Only the person who never gives up in life, who persists with his wish to find and fulfill the promise of himself, makes this truly self-liberating discovery: those places that he once mistook as being impassible barriers to his happiness become as bridges to the same, but only if he learns to welcome them as part of his journey.
Your Secret Power of Self-Disconnect
When you hear someone say, "I'm sick and tired of it," what he is really saying without realizing it is that he's sick and tired of suffering from his own lack of understanding. This all becomes clear once we understand that unhappiness does not come at us, it comes from us. For instance, impatience with our level of understanding is the very level of understanding we are impatient with. The understanding of this spiritual principle allows us to disconnect ourselves from our impatience. Life becomes instantly better. For one thing, the frustration fades. In its place, learning flowers. And the more we inwardly grow, the easier our whole life flows.
This new and higher idea of disconnecting ourselves from whatever we think has us blocked leads to true self-liberation because we have never been trapped by anything outside of our own lack of understanding. This is why even the attempt to disconnect ourselves from our present life-level already belongs to a higher level of understanding.
This new, intelligent action we are calling "self-disconnect" works for you by gradually breaking down the painful circle-of-self that is repeatedly formed by asking the problem for the solution. Barriers begin to crumble and disappear, because you have stopped creating them. In the truest meaning of the words, you are getting out of your own way! Practice self-disconnect as often as you can. The more you work at this special kind of letting go, the freer your days will flow and the higher your life will go.
Persistence
Persistence is everything in your personal work. You must persist even if it is only with your wish to be persistent. You must persist in spite of all forces that seem to be against your wish to break through to a New You. Believe me, there are no real obstacles to keep you from making it all the way to a Brand New World.
Remember This
With any true inner-growth, the hardest step is always the one you have never taken before. The greater the doubt you will step across, the greater the possibility for walking beyond yourself, because doubt and fear form the perimeter of all self-limiting barriers. Risk only comes into account in the self-limited view of seeing life as a win/lose scenario.
When self-discovery becomes more important than winning, then every situation in life presents you with an opportunity to win in a new way. Every time you step past yourself, you win a little more freedom. . . freedom to take another and yet another step into the great unknown where eventually, with persistence, fear turns into fearlessness because you have disconnected yourself from yourself.
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guyfinley. com
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MOVEMENT AND CHANGE
by Ann Albers
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This is a year ripe with movement and change. You are witnessing movement and change within your own hearts, your lives, and upon the earth. Movement and change are nothing to fear, and yet so many of you fall into a panic when they occur, because often you can't control all the factors associated with change. You can't always forsee when and how things are going to happen for you. You can't always understand the reasons you are motivated to change, or at times, propelled into it. Nonetheless, change is nothing more than the breath of God breathing new life into your life and your hearts. Change helps you to release stagnant energy and beliefs that no longer serve you. Change helps you move away from situations that no longer honor the current state of your spirit and move towards situations that do. Change brings growth, expansion, and without fail, greater opportunity.
Suppose you are in transition right now. You want a new job. You hate your old one. You can't wait to move on. Create movement first, dear ones, inside of your hearts. Move towards love. Bless the current job. Acknowledge what you have learned here. Acknowledge how you have grown in self love and your desire for more. Bless this job so you can release it, then without panic, without fear, wait for the inspiration that will create the new one. Perhaps you will be motivated to look in a traditional manner, or to pick up the phone and call an old friend. Perhaps you won't be motivated to do a thing but wait until opportunity is brought to you. If you create the inner movement first, the outer movement is inevitable.
Suppose you are trying to sell a home. Dear ones, your homes often represent the state of consciousness in which you abide. If you abide in fear, how can you move? Release the fear, step into a new state of consciousness - one of faith, trust, and wonder, and THEN you will find yourself able to physically move at the right time and in the right way as well. Abide in the house of faith and you will move in perfect timing.
Suppose you need to make changes in a relationship. Create the movement first inside of yourself. You want more love? Be more loving first, and you can then see whether or not you receive more in return or whether it is time to leave. You want great communication? Have the difficult conversations with love and see if that creates the movement you seek in the other before you run away in fear.
Suppose you want to move closer to God and your relationship with the angelic realms. Dear ones find the expression of God's perfection within your own heart, seek to acknowledge your own angelic nature. THEN, in that vibration it will be easier to experience our love and God's love more strongly.
Movement dear ones, is inevitable. Growth and change are the natural order of things upon your planet earth. If you create the movements you seek within your own hearts first, then your outer changes will be more graceful and beautiful. If you resist the movement of your own heart, perhaps it will be the changes in the outside world that impose this movement upon you.
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visionsofheaven. com

Being Present & Conscious With Others
by William Frank Diedrich
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It is a human tendency to categorize each other. We place labels on people and tell ourselves that is who they are. Once we create a label we look for evidence to continually prove that the label is correct. That comes from another tendency-- the need to be right. If you step back from your labels and reflect, you will find that your opinion of another is just an image. Images are usually not true. Each human being is a bundle of potentiality. We will only find this potential when we move beyond labels and learn to be present with people.
People speak; things happen; and we react. Reactions are conditioned responses. We react without thinking. Someone says something. My brain interprets their words, their tone, and their body language to mean something. I tell myself this is what it means, and the story I tell myself becomes my reality. For example, I see someone who is clearly saying something that demonstrates he is only thinking about his own needs. I label him as selfish. I now become critical of him for his selfishness. I find myself feeling anger and some resentment that he only thinks of himself (and not me).
It is at this point in my thinking that I need to interrupt myself. If we step back from this situation and honestly look at "reality", there are several things that emerge.
• People are often selfish.
• There are times to be selfish and there are times to think of others.
• When people are inappropriately selfish, it is out of fear.
• If I am thinking about how hurt or angry I am, who am I thinking about? Me. Therefore, my reaction to someone else's selfishness is also selfish. Rather than being concerned for their state of fear, I am focused on my own.
• How does my judgment help this person?
• How can I be most helpful?
The trick is to be conscious, and to not believe everything you tell yourself. Just because you are totally convinced someone is a certain kind of person doesn't mean you are right. In fact, you probably are not. Your view of another is an image. As long as you are focused on the image, you cannot see the person. You cannot see the bundle of potentiality that stands before you. You cannot see that your judgment is a contributing factor.
If you judge someone to be a certain way, you will expect them to behave that way. Your expectation will show up in the words you use, the tone of voice you take, and your body language. You are part of this person's environment. Your influence will set up an expectation, and other people will meet your expectation.
We often avoid communication, because we think we already know how the other person will react. The problem is not in how they will react. The problem is about how you will react. Will you respond to the person, or will you react to the image you have of that person? How do you respond to a person? You suspend judgment. You listen without judging. You listen with the intention of understanding them.
In order to listen you must become fully present. That is, bring your mind into this moment. Allow yourself to be surprised by this person, by who they are, by the potential that is within them. Don't try to fix them, but do help them. What is help? Help is shedding light on what they are saying. Help is empathetic. Help is intuitive. Sometimes it means not saying anything. Sometimes it means offering another perspective or supplying information the other person doesn't have. Sometimes it means direct, honest feedback. Sometimes it is reassurance. If you are in the moment you will know what to say and do, because your mind is not clouded by the past or the imagined future. You are not distracted by personal hurts and opinions.
In our relationships, each moment is new. Things seem to be the same because we expect the same. We are so conditioned to see people in certain ways that we miss other possibilities. We adopt the attitude: "Don't bring me any new data, I already have an opinion of you." By being present, we open ourselves to new information. Personally, I find that I develop a new appreciation for people when I suspend judgment and listen. The other person can feel that I am truly listening and that I am accepting him. This helps him to feel safe and to trust me.
Ah, you say, trust is the problem. I don't trust that person. The real question is: Do you trust yourself? Do you trust your ability to listen, to understand, and to make good decisions? Do you trust your ability to respond in the moment and to be truly helpful to another person? It's not about trusting them. If you are in a situation and you sense something is wrong, you act on that sense. Depending on the situation--you speak up; you ask a question; you leave; you bring to the surface the issue that is hidden. We each have an intuitive sense that many of us don't trust. Practice trusting it. Have the courage to act from this inner knowing.
So often we set ourselves up to be disappointed or resentful of another person. We create these huge expectations about how they should behave, and they can't meet the expectation. Accept people where they are right now. Seek first to understand where they are. Honestly express where you are without blaming them. Relate to the person, not your image of them. Bypass the constant chatter in your mind and be here now. In this silence of right now your wisdom will emerge.
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© William Frank Diedrich intelligentspirit. com ______________________________________

Hospital Window...

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.

One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.
His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.




The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.



One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.






Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall.




The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."


Epilogue:

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.

Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.

If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.

"Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present."

Researchers find the virtues of gratitude include good health.

In recent years, many scientists have begun examining the links between religion and good health, both physical and mental. Now two psychologists are working to unlock the puzzle of how faith might promote happiness. Dr. Michael McCollough, of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and Dr. Robert Emmons, of the University of California at Davis, say their initial scientific study indicates that gratitude plays a significant role in a person's sense of well-being.

From Cicero to Buddha, many philosophers and spiritual teachers have celebrated gratitude. The world's major religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hindu, prize gratitude as a morally beneficial emotional state that encourages reciprocal kindness. Pastors, priests, parents and grandparents have long extolled the virtues of gratitude, but until recently, scholars have largely ignored it as a subject of scientific inquiry.

McCollough and Emmons were curious about why people involved in their faith seem to have more happiness and a greater sense of well-being than those who aren't and decided to study the connections. After making initial observations and compiling all the previous research on gratitude, they conducted the Research Project on Gratitude and Thanksgiving. The study required several hundred people in three different groups to keep daily diaries. The first group kept a diary of the events that occurred during the day, while the second group recorded their unpleasant experiences. The last group made a daily list of things for which they were grateful.

The results of the study indicated that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy. Additionally, the gratitude group experienced less depression and stress, was more likely to help others, exercised more regularly and made more progress toward personal goals. According to the findings, people who feel grateful are also more likely to feel loved. McCollough and Emmons also noted that gratitude encouraged a positive cycle of reciprocal kindness among people since one act of gratitude encourages another.

McCullough says these results also seem to show that gratitude works independently of faith. Though gratitude is a substantial part of most religions, he says the benefits extend to the general population, regardless of faith or lack thereof. In light of his research, McCullough suggests that anyone can increase their sense of well-being and create positive social effects just from counting their blessings.

As I look back over my life, I recognize that everything that has ever happened to me has contributed to the person I am now. While I have gone through different professions, living situations, travels and relationships, I see that each of them bestowed me with a gift. Even the painful or difficult times taught me lessons that make me a better person now. All of it has been a blessing.

It is important that we hold our past in a sense of reverence, along with the people we have known. If we resent our former spouse, employer, or friends, we are tied to the pain and are unable to move forward. The hardship of the past will stay with us until we find a way to make it a gift; then it will empower us to move ahead.

Make a list of significant past events and relationships, and next to each entry note the gifts that you received from that person or experience. If you are willing to find the good, you will. Assume that everyone in your life is here to bless you in some way. The other person may not know their role in your awakening, and they may serve you in ways quite unrelated to the reason you thought you interacted with them.

Spirit’s intentions go far beyond human planning.

Then write a note or letter of gratitude to each person on your list. Thank them for the gifts they brought to your life, and specifically describe how you have grown and improved your life as a result of your interaction with them. Be sure to include those who challenged you. While this writing is for your own illumination, you may send the letters to the people when appropriate. By time you finish your writing, you will be bursting with so much peace and joy that you will wonder how you could have ever thought anyone was your enemy.

Gratitude is the key to happiness; apply it to your past, and you will find friends you never knew you had.

Affirmation

Show me the gifts that I have overlooked, and fill my heart with gratitude for all my blessings.

Everyone and Everything in my life is a gift from God

From-~A Deep Breath OF Life by Alan Cohen~

 

You needn't search for light in that moment of darkness,

You are light divine.

The essence of your being connects us,

And it shall wipe out all of darkness.

You needn't cry out for love to fill you,

You are love divine.

The essence of your generosity connects us,

And it shall fill the hearts of all the universe.

You needn't search for happiness to befall you,

You are Joy divine.

The essence of your delight connects us,

And it shall conjure smiles of happiness to all that you pass.

You needn't create peace out side of yourself,

For you are Peace Divine.

The very essence of your spirit that connects us,

And it shall manifest peace forward on this journey of life,

That eternally connects us,

Then we shall all find,

That Peace Be Within.

©~Charity Robinson~