To really KNOW is to be in direct, even intimate relationship. Do you truly desire to have this with the Truth of Source and the Law of Attraction?
It’s tempting to be aware of this information, talk about it, wish about it yet never KNOW it to the point of living it. It seems so much easier this way than doing what might be required of us, but ultimately our experience is the opposite; life can feel more difficult and even chaotic without it.
All knowing starts with thought. Our conscious thoughts are what go into our subconscious memory bank. This means any thought in our subconscious can be changed by our conscious (deliberate) thought. The most direct method to do this, according to Ernest Holmes, is to KNOW we did not inherit spiritual limitations in any form. Learned and inherited them from others—yes; inherited them from Source—no. This means we can choose to step away from limiting beliefs we have, we can step away from limiting beliefs our families, friends, education systems, religions, races, cultures, and society have. This is only one step toward the Truth, and one that may take time, but it’s worth it.
Your thoughts become YOUR law, and the Law of Attraction matches them, however long it takes. The degree your subconscious thoughts are united with the Truth of Law of Attraction is the same degree you use it In Unity… meaning deliberately in your favor and based in the Truth.
“To learn how to think is to learn how to live,” wrote Holmes. “This is not done by holding thoughts, but by knowing the Truth.” Holding thought is the same as wishing or hoping, which is very different from knowing and being unified with the Truth. However, this is often the first way we begin to move along this path; but our goal is to KNOW and be in unity with the Truth. We learn the Truth through what we read or hear about it, but we come to know it through observation and practice.
Your sustained or prevalent emotions—in each moment—reveal your relationship with the Truth of Source and Law of Attraction—in each moment. This is why choosing to feel good or better is so important. This is easier to do when you know and trust the Truth of Source and Law of Attraction, and not based on your perceptions about how circumstances appear to be.
The thoughts you choose put you into or out of alignment with the Truth. Alignment results in the feelings you desire; misalignment results in the feelings you don’t want. Either of these ways of feeling produces outcomes and experiences that give you more of what you feel. Something I do when I notice I don’t feel the way I want to—have a feeling I don’t want to have as my vibration that gets matched (and choose to stop myself from doing this)—is to pull up a positive memory of genuine appreciation, one with no negatives attached to it. I match my vibration to that memory, and this causes me to recall that time as a blessing, to FEEL that blessing, which re-minds me there are many, many times to appreciate, possibly even to consider everything a blessing or worthy of appreciation, even if it’s not quite yet apparent.
If you feel negative, recognize you’re out of alignment with Source, Truth, and the Law; and that you can anticipate or expect to experience some or all of the results of this misalignment of your vibration with what you desire to feel. At the time you recognize this, it is YOUR choice to continue down that path—as Abraham-Hicks says, to “go against the stream of your well-being,” or to shift this so you’re back into flowing with it. Again, this is more easily, and deliberately, done when you know and identify with the Truth of Source and Law of Attraction.
This Spiritual Realization leads you to discern rather than decide based on emotional reactions; and to understand the TRUTH is that Source has divine wisdom applied to a divine evolving plan, and applies it in your favor despite some appearances. But, you are part of this evolution, so you can influence how smooth or rough your inner experiences are.
It also means you realize Source fulfills your feeling-based thoughts as requests—according to the Law put in place for you; and allows leeway for your thinking to guide you to empowered, enlightened relationship with the Truth of Source and the Law. This practice shortens the gap between an event and your choices that follow, as well as your choices before events, and about how to be, do, and have what you choose at the inner level, which eventually shows up in the outer one. Each time you have a realization, you KNOW a bit more. As you practice you’ll gain knowing; so, you’ll have a mix of current beliefs and knowing operating simultaneously. But, any KNOWING can help you during times when your beliefs take you away from well-being.
You can’t look at what others do who are not in relationship with the Truth, follow their example, and expect the results you desire—that is, how you desire to feel. This means you sometimes have to stand alone in the physical world, though never spiritually: Source is always with you. Nor do you have to talk about this with others in an infringing way, especially to bolster your belief… or theirs. Sometimes you have to practice Silent Power, and speak about your process only if others ask why you’re able to be calmer and happier no matter what appearances may be. Just be aware that not many will ask. They may even think something is wrong or off with you.
Knowing the Truth of Source and Law of Attraction doesn’t mean a completely “problem”-free life; though, you’ll likely, eventually, interpret “problems” differently, begin to notice that everything is a puzzle piece moving and fitting into position. It does mean deliberate choice of serenity and joy instead of inner turmoil. It means understanding you have create-ability, as well as a reNEWed responsibility over your choices. It means willingness to give up attachment to lack, self-doubt, worry, and any other belief and feeling that’s opposite of the stream of well-being… accomplished over time, as you grow into your knowing. This is part of your individualized evolution within the larger one you play a part in.
What are you doing to KNOW—be in an intimate relationship with—the Truth better, to trust it… to live it? No one can do it for you, only you. And you are fully equipped to do so, as soon as you allow yourself to do so. And allow that this will more likely unfold over time rather than burst into being… though, that could happen.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
You are welcome to use this article in your newsletter or on your blog/website as long as you use my complete bio with it.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
The Uncomfortable Law of Attraction Truth
Has your experience of using the Law of Attraction felt challenging or impossible? Maybe one particularly important truth hasn’t been clearly understood.
When you first learned about Law of Attraction, perhaps you felt excited about what this could mean for you, and you just had to know more. Then the bloom kind of left the rose when you learned that you’re already using it, because it’s a law of the Universe, like gravity is a law on our planet.
Perhaps your original hope was that you’d learn tools or tricks; in other words, you’d learn how to easily use this Law to easily change your life. Perhaps you didn’t expect that to use the Law deliberately in your favor, you’d have to change, as well; and that was uncomfortable for you. It may have felt uncomfortable to learn that if you observed your experiences and linked them to your feeling-based thoughts, past or present, and your thoughts to specific and even seemingly unrelated events, you’d see how you use Law of Attraction all the time, how you affect your experiences all the time.
Maybe you felt or feel about this as you do a car: you just want to drive it, not understand the mechanics of how and why it works. In some respects about this, you are completely right: you can know how it works or not—it will still work, but you BELIEVE a car will work… as long as everything required is in place. Everything IS in place regarding Law of Attraction, except, perhaps, your willingness to adjust in ways that make it work in your favor.
Earl Nightengale said, “You become (and get) what you think about most of the time.” Ernest Holmes wrote, “If man takes his images of thought only from his previous experiences, then he continues in the bondage which those previous experiences create. If we talk about discord, we shall become more discordant…. People who spend all their time talking about their unhappiness become more unhappy.” What do you think about, or how do your feeling-based thoughts run… most of the time?
It may seem too simplistic that how we use our thoughts and feelings—most especially how we feel—has this much bearing on our results and experiences, but they do. It’s a vital part of the Law, like gravity. However, large jets can fly. They defy gravity through the law of lift. You can defy the gravity of how you feel by choosing to lift how you feel, to feel even just a little better, until you can connect with or allow yourself to feel good or really good. This is so important for you to get, because like always attracts like. Always.
Let’s say there’s something you want. You can’t desire something AND doubt it can or will be yours. You also cannot focus on its absence, because… like always attracts like.
One LOA approach would be to complain to others and think, most of the time, about how and why what you want isn’t happening. This is the vibrational frequency you transmit and that gets matched. As it continues to not happen, your feeling-based thoughts increase in intensity and frequency. You dwell on this as though obsessed. Your wanting something but not allowing it, which is what this approach does, gets matched to the vibration of not allowing, and what you want stays just out of your reach.
The other approach would be to hold feelings of appreciation for what you have now and how good you’ll feel when you get what you desire, but feeling as much of that right now as you can, and expanding this feeling. You hold the thought, “I don’t know when or how it’ll happen; I only know it or something even better will.” Every day and often during the day, you hold this thought and the good or even-better feeling. The vibrational energy of that feeling is transmitted by you, picked up by the creative field and others, and gets matched, which pulls an experience to you… that matches the desired FEELING you’ve transmitted. This is why sometimes results are even better than you asked for.
Abraham-Hicks said, “…come to understand [that] to the degree you feel blessed and expect good things to flow to you, this indicates the level of your state of allowing; and to the degree that you do not feel blessed, where you do not expect good things to come to you, this indicates your degree of resistance.” Blessed, here, means you understand that nothing in your favor is ever withheld from you unless you hold it back from coming to you.
This is important: Your desire and your belief that you will receive your desire must match vibrationally. If your belief is lower, you need to look at this and ask what might have to happen to have them be equal. Maybe you need to work towards your desire in steps or stages because you find that your belief about accomplishing or receiving the first step or stage is more aligned than focusing on the end result. So, either adjust your desire or adjust your belief, initially, and look for what it takes within you to increase your belief. But, they must match.
In the second LOA approach described above, there’s a clear desire based on how you wish or choose to feel (really good, and always, ultimately what you really want anyway); belief it will happen (you have no doubt nor are you focused on the present, temporary absence of what you want); you aren’t struggling with how it will happen or contriving ways to make it happen; and you aren’t concerned about when it will happen. This puts the how and the when in the hands of the Universe, where it is anyway. What the Universe wants to feel from you is your Why. Why do you want what you say you do? You could travel through layers and layers of whys, but the final one is always about how you want to feel. Law of Attraction is clear: feel as much of that feeling as you can right now. If and when action is required on your part, you’ll know; and you’ll feel good or aligned about taking it.
Making these changes in yourself and your approach doesn’t have to be hard work. But, how easy is it for you right now to use your thoughts and feelings as described in the second LOA approach? Any time you learn a new skill, it takes consistent practice—practice doing it the right way—for it to become second nature for you. You can’t cross the finish line without first running the race, so to speak. You can’t be a master at this unless you first learn what this requires of you and put it into consistent practice.
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that you are a transmitter of your own vibrations, as well as a receiver. Every single one of your 10,000-a-day thoughts is a vibration received by the creative field and others, and gets matched in some way and in some measure. Your predominant attitude is your dominant vibration. Like attracts like; always. If you criticize or worry, you get more reasons to be critical or worried sent your way. If you appreciate, especially deeply, and especially if you relax your energy and release attachments to how and when—while allowing that if what you want is in your highest good, it’s yours and will show up on time—you get more to appreciate sent to you. It’s the Law; and it’s always at work in your life.
It’s, likely, not the truth of the Law that’s uncomfortable, but the truth of what you need to change within that is… not that others have to change, not that the economy has to change… but how your use of your own thoughts and feelings as integral creative contributors to your experiences have to change—that is, have to align with the feeling you want. Give it time and consistent practice. You will improve. And, you’ll be learning even more, for as long as you live. Law of Attraction is not a tool; it’s a way of life.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
When you first learned about Law of Attraction, perhaps you felt excited about what this could mean for you, and you just had to know more. Then the bloom kind of left the rose when you learned that you’re already using it, because it’s a law of the Universe, like gravity is a law on our planet.
Perhaps your original hope was that you’d learn tools or tricks; in other words, you’d learn how to easily use this Law to easily change your life. Perhaps you didn’t expect that to use the Law deliberately in your favor, you’d have to change, as well; and that was uncomfortable for you. It may have felt uncomfortable to learn that if you observed your experiences and linked them to your feeling-based thoughts, past or present, and your thoughts to specific and even seemingly unrelated events, you’d see how you use Law of Attraction all the time, how you affect your experiences all the time.
Maybe you felt or feel about this as you do a car: you just want to drive it, not understand the mechanics of how and why it works. In some respects about this, you are completely right: you can know how it works or not—it will still work, but you BELIEVE a car will work… as long as everything required is in place. Everything IS in place regarding Law of Attraction, except, perhaps, your willingness to adjust in ways that make it work in your favor.
Earl Nightengale said, “You become (and get) what you think about most of the time.” Ernest Holmes wrote, “If man takes his images of thought only from his previous experiences, then he continues in the bondage which those previous experiences create. If we talk about discord, we shall become more discordant…. People who spend all their time talking about their unhappiness become more unhappy.” What do you think about, or how do your feeling-based thoughts run… most of the time?
It may seem too simplistic that how we use our thoughts and feelings—most especially how we feel—has this much bearing on our results and experiences, but they do. It’s a vital part of the Law, like gravity. However, large jets can fly. They defy gravity through the law of lift. You can defy the gravity of how you feel by choosing to lift how you feel, to feel even just a little better, until you can connect with or allow yourself to feel good or really good. This is so important for you to get, because like always attracts like. Always.
Let’s say there’s something you want. You can’t desire something AND doubt it can or will be yours. You also cannot focus on its absence, because… like always attracts like.
One LOA approach would be to complain to others and think, most of the time, about how and why what you want isn’t happening. This is the vibrational frequency you transmit and that gets matched. As it continues to not happen, your feeling-based thoughts increase in intensity and frequency. You dwell on this as though obsessed. Your wanting something but not allowing it, which is what this approach does, gets matched to the vibration of not allowing, and what you want stays just out of your reach.
The other approach would be to hold feelings of appreciation for what you have now and how good you’ll feel when you get what you desire, but feeling as much of that right now as you can, and expanding this feeling. You hold the thought, “I don’t know when or how it’ll happen; I only know it or something even better will.” Every day and often during the day, you hold this thought and the good or even-better feeling. The vibrational energy of that feeling is transmitted by you, picked up by the creative field and others, and gets matched, which pulls an experience to you… that matches the desired FEELING you’ve transmitted. This is why sometimes results are even better than you asked for.
Abraham-Hicks said, “…come to understand [that] to the degree you feel blessed and expect good things to flow to you, this indicates the level of your state of allowing; and to the degree that you do not feel blessed, where you do not expect good things to come to you, this indicates your degree of resistance.” Blessed, here, means you understand that nothing in your favor is ever withheld from you unless you hold it back from coming to you.
This is important: Your desire and your belief that you will receive your desire must match vibrationally. If your belief is lower, you need to look at this and ask what might have to happen to have them be equal. Maybe you need to work towards your desire in steps or stages because you find that your belief about accomplishing or receiving the first step or stage is more aligned than focusing on the end result. So, either adjust your desire or adjust your belief, initially, and look for what it takes within you to increase your belief. But, they must match.
In the second LOA approach described above, there’s a clear desire based on how you wish or choose to feel (really good, and always, ultimately what you really want anyway); belief it will happen (you have no doubt nor are you focused on the present, temporary absence of what you want); you aren’t struggling with how it will happen or contriving ways to make it happen; and you aren’t concerned about when it will happen. This puts the how and the when in the hands of the Universe, where it is anyway. What the Universe wants to feel from you is your Why. Why do you want what you say you do? You could travel through layers and layers of whys, but the final one is always about how you want to feel. Law of Attraction is clear: feel as much of that feeling as you can right now. If and when action is required on your part, you’ll know; and you’ll feel good or aligned about taking it.
Making these changes in yourself and your approach doesn’t have to be hard work. But, how easy is it for you right now to use your thoughts and feelings as described in the second LOA approach? Any time you learn a new skill, it takes consistent practice—practice doing it the right way—for it to become second nature for you. You can’t cross the finish line without first running the race, so to speak. You can’t be a master at this unless you first learn what this requires of you and put it into consistent practice.
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that you are a transmitter of your own vibrations, as well as a receiver. Every single one of your 10,000-a-day thoughts is a vibration received by the creative field and others, and gets matched in some way and in some measure. Your predominant attitude is your dominant vibration. Like attracts like; always. If you criticize or worry, you get more reasons to be critical or worried sent your way. If you appreciate, especially deeply, and especially if you relax your energy and release attachments to how and when—while allowing that if what you want is in your highest good, it’s yours and will show up on time—you get more to appreciate sent to you. It’s the Law; and it’s always at work in your life.
It’s, likely, not the truth of the Law that’s uncomfortable, but the truth of what you need to change within that is… not that others have to change, not that the economy has to change… but how your use of your own thoughts and feelings as integral creative contributors to your experiences have to change—that is, have to align with the feeling you want. Give it time and consistent practice. You will improve. And, you’ll be learning even more, for as long as you live. Law of Attraction is not a tool; it’s a way of life.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
Friday, February 10, 2012
Two Ways We Contradict Law of Attraction
Law of Attraction is always at work, but we often contradict its ability to assist us the way we’d prefer. Here are two ways we do this and what we can do about it.
Ernest Holmes had this to day about laws of physics, Law of Attraction, and similar means: “We do not create laws and principles, but discover and make use of them. Let us accept this position relative to the laws of Mind and Spirit and see what we can do with them, rather than how we may contradict their existence.” Without realizing it, we contradict their existence by Omission and Commission.
Omission
Most of us are not exposed to the laws of Mind and Spirit until long after we’ve been conditioned by and into the general mindset. That is, we are indoctrinated into beliefs about what reality is from the Mind of Man perspective instead of Mind of Spirit. The general mindset does not consider such laws and principles part of what constitutes reality. We may not be conscious of them, but they are, by their natures, subject to our thoughts. This is why it’s such a challenge to experience them fully, in the ways we desire that is, even after we know about them. Even once we know about them, we don’t, or we irregularly, put them into practice.
Commission
Whether we know about these laws and principles or not, thinking the same negative thoughts over and over will eventually, or more often than we’d like, cause what we think about to show up as our experience. Or, one thought with a huge emotional surge attached to it can have the same result. This works the same for positive thoughts. It is commission to choose negative thoughts over positive ones. This suggestion may seem simplistic, but it works: if a negative thought pops up—or I should say when—say, “Cancel, cancel;” then think the thought you truly want to have and hold, one that doesn’t infringe on anyone, and contributes to the highest good of all involved.
It’s imperative to keep in mind how what you keep in your mind influences how you use Law of Attraction, deliberately or not. Consider the words of two great men of the last century. Earl Nightengale wrote that the strangest secret is, “You become what you think about most of the time.” You can also swap the word become for get. Napoleon Hill said this about the Law of Success: “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and bring itself to believe, it can achieve.” The thing to realize about Hill’s statement is that we may assign only one meaning to the word achieve. Let’s reword his statement, without altering its meaning, and see what happens: Whatever the mind of man can imagine (think), either positive or negative, and convince itself to believe (consider as a fact rather than an opinion or hold as a belief despite what the truth might really be), it can pull into the person’s life as an experience or make happen. Law of Attraction, subject to our thoughts, is always at work.
Energy and Attitude
It’ll help you to understand something about energy. This brief and simple explanation isn’t a judgment about higher or lower, just an example.
Say your metaphysical energy is on the slow side (Mindset of Man). It may take months or years for the result of a thought backed by an emotional surge, or the same thought repeated over time, to show up as your experience. If you think about how many negative thoughts you entertain, you may feel relief that you’ve been a bit slow energy-wise. If you think about how often your negative thoughts contradict your positive ones, you can see why your experiences don’t shift the way you’d like. If your energy were faster (Mindset of Spirit), you’d often experience having a thought and appearance of the result either instantly, darn near instantly, or within what you’d feel or know was an acceptable amount of time.
The dilemma is that if you raise your energy but are still challenged by negative thinking, you’ll likely find you create situations you don’t want and didn’t mean to. The ideal “formula” is to raise your energy and manage your thoughts simultaneously. You can do both by expanding your conscious awareness and by choosing a positive or Mind of Spirit perspective as often as possible or eventually, for those times it doesn’t feel possible to do this initially. Sometimes, the best thought for certain situations is, “There’s more to this than I know or see, so I choose to trust.” There are nuances to all of this that are learned through experience and observation.
Attitude, which has all to do with mindset, plays a strong role. Lack and abundance, poverty and prosperity are experienced, but they are not things; they are attitudes, mindsets. It’s the same for any contrast we experience. If we truly grasped this, we’d step into more of the personal power and influence regarding our experiences that we seek, but especially affect how we perceive our experiences. It’s as the other Holmes – Sherlock – says, “You see, but you do not observe.”
We tend to look at life from the ego mindset of man, which is limited because of its beliefs about reality and how it works. We can observe life from the Mindset of Spirit instead and become aware of what reality really is: a grand illusion we help create and have more influence on than we recognize and take ownership of.
All shifts, to be lasting and effective, must happen within you. They must be felt, must become part of who you choose to be. You can’t fake it ‘till you make it. Change must happen on the inside; otherwise, you frustrate yourself by trying to behave one way while being another. Comprehension is needed. Comprehension comes from observation and asking better and deeper questions. Comprehension leads you out of contradiction. Rather than judge so quickly, seek to comprehend. Judgment, which is opinion, blocks. Correct perception and judgment (opinion) cannot occupy the same space.
Begin to notice your attitudes, which reveal your mindset. Begin to observe rather than just see. Begin to use what you know ahead of time rather than after you mis-create. Pay attention to when you’re influenced by the Mindset of Man rather than of Spirit and your unique expression of it. Put this into practice and you’ll gradually notice ways you contradict the spiritual laws and principles, and begin to shift this. Law of Attraction, subject to your thoughts, will respond in kind… as it does to your contradictions. Choose to infuse yourself with wisdom gained from observation and trust, and grace gleaned from genuine and broader understanding.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
Ernest Holmes had this to day about laws of physics, Law of Attraction, and similar means: “We do not create laws and principles, but discover and make use of them. Let us accept this position relative to the laws of Mind and Spirit and see what we can do with them, rather than how we may contradict their existence.” Without realizing it, we contradict their existence by Omission and Commission.
Omission
Most of us are not exposed to the laws of Mind and Spirit until long after we’ve been conditioned by and into the general mindset. That is, we are indoctrinated into beliefs about what reality is from the Mind of Man perspective instead of Mind of Spirit. The general mindset does not consider such laws and principles part of what constitutes reality. We may not be conscious of them, but they are, by their natures, subject to our thoughts. This is why it’s such a challenge to experience them fully, in the ways we desire that is, even after we know about them. Even once we know about them, we don’t, or we irregularly, put them into practice.
Commission
Whether we know about these laws and principles or not, thinking the same negative thoughts over and over will eventually, or more often than we’d like, cause what we think about to show up as our experience. Or, one thought with a huge emotional surge attached to it can have the same result. This works the same for positive thoughts. It is commission to choose negative thoughts over positive ones. This suggestion may seem simplistic, but it works: if a negative thought pops up—or I should say when—say, “Cancel, cancel;” then think the thought you truly want to have and hold, one that doesn’t infringe on anyone, and contributes to the highest good of all involved.
It’s imperative to keep in mind how what you keep in your mind influences how you use Law of Attraction, deliberately or not. Consider the words of two great men of the last century. Earl Nightengale wrote that the strangest secret is, “You become what you think about most of the time.” You can also swap the word become for get. Napoleon Hill said this about the Law of Success: “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and bring itself to believe, it can achieve.” The thing to realize about Hill’s statement is that we may assign only one meaning to the word achieve. Let’s reword his statement, without altering its meaning, and see what happens: Whatever the mind of man can imagine (think), either positive or negative, and convince itself to believe (consider as a fact rather than an opinion or hold as a belief despite what the truth might really be), it can pull into the person’s life as an experience or make happen. Law of Attraction, subject to our thoughts, is always at work.
Energy and Attitude
It’ll help you to understand something about energy. This brief and simple explanation isn’t a judgment about higher or lower, just an example.
Say your metaphysical energy is on the slow side (Mindset of Man). It may take months or years for the result of a thought backed by an emotional surge, or the same thought repeated over time, to show up as your experience. If you think about how many negative thoughts you entertain, you may feel relief that you’ve been a bit slow energy-wise. If you think about how often your negative thoughts contradict your positive ones, you can see why your experiences don’t shift the way you’d like. If your energy were faster (Mindset of Spirit), you’d often experience having a thought and appearance of the result either instantly, darn near instantly, or within what you’d feel or know was an acceptable amount of time.
The dilemma is that if you raise your energy but are still challenged by negative thinking, you’ll likely find you create situations you don’t want and didn’t mean to. The ideal “formula” is to raise your energy and manage your thoughts simultaneously. You can do both by expanding your conscious awareness and by choosing a positive or Mind of Spirit perspective as often as possible or eventually, for those times it doesn’t feel possible to do this initially. Sometimes, the best thought for certain situations is, “There’s more to this than I know or see, so I choose to trust.” There are nuances to all of this that are learned through experience and observation.
Attitude, which has all to do with mindset, plays a strong role. Lack and abundance, poverty and prosperity are experienced, but they are not things; they are attitudes, mindsets. It’s the same for any contrast we experience. If we truly grasped this, we’d step into more of the personal power and influence regarding our experiences that we seek, but especially affect how we perceive our experiences. It’s as the other Holmes – Sherlock – says, “You see, but you do not observe.”
We tend to look at life from the ego mindset of man, which is limited because of its beliefs about reality and how it works. We can observe life from the Mindset of Spirit instead and become aware of what reality really is: a grand illusion we help create and have more influence on than we recognize and take ownership of.
All shifts, to be lasting and effective, must happen within you. They must be felt, must become part of who you choose to be. You can’t fake it ‘till you make it. Change must happen on the inside; otherwise, you frustrate yourself by trying to behave one way while being another. Comprehension is needed. Comprehension comes from observation and asking better and deeper questions. Comprehension leads you out of contradiction. Rather than judge so quickly, seek to comprehend. Judgment, which is opinion, blocks. Correct perception and judgment (opinion) cannot occupy the same space.
Begin to notice your attitudes, which reveal your mindset. Begin to observe rather than just see. Begin to use what you know ahead of time rather than after you mis-create. Pay attention to when you’re influenced by the Mindset of Man rather than of Spirit and your unique expression of it. Put this into practice and you’ll gradually notice ways you contradict the spiritual laws and principles, and begin to shift this. Law of Attraction, subject to your thoughts, will respond in kind… as it does to your contradictions. Choose to infuse yourself with wisdom gained from observation and trust, and grace gleaned from genuine and broader understanding.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
Friday, February 3, 2012
Why Do You Pursue Spiritual Evolution?
How long have you been on the spiritual evolution path? Do you feel the way you thought you would, could or should, or do you (still) feel disconnected and discontented?
The inner nudge was to get Ernest Holmes’ book, The Science of Mind, from the bookshelf and find the reading for that particular day. The content was meaningful, but it was the last sentence that got my attention: “Spiritual evolution should make the Infinite not more distant, but more intimate.” This is one of those things that may make you go, “Hmm…”
Evolve means to develop gradually by a process of growth and change, to unfold. Spiritual evolution means we do this—grow, change, and unfold—to, for, and with our spiritual (inner) natures. Why do we aim at this evolution? Why do we get the books or products or do the programs? And why after the time we put into this, sometimes years or decades, don’t we feel and do better?
There’s a lot of attention given to tools, techniques, methods—call them what you will, which are created (we hope) to help us to not feel as helpless as we can tend to feel in the experience of our lives. When we use these tools, we deliberately intend to (and can) engage and develop our spiritual abilities and awareness of them, to support our physical efforts and results. We most often travel this path because we want greater influence over our physical experience. Nothing wrong with that at all. Source wants us to participate in and with universal abundance and creativity, which are aspects of who we are.
But, what about our spiritual (inner) experience? Say you get the parking spaces, receive the needed funds, or whatever you use Law of Attraction or any technique on. That’s terrific, empowering, and fun! But do you also perceive how you can or do evolve spiritually because of such experiences? Does this potential evolution enter your mind to consider, or does getting the desired result seem to be enough?
Holmes had something else to say: “…if we merely think of an abstract Principle [God, Source, Universal Mind, etc.], and a mathematical Law of Cause and Effect, we shall lose all warmth and color. We should be very careful in abstracting the Principle not to forget the essence.” [Bolding and info in brackets are mine.]
I’m all for using the techniques; that’s what they’re there for. But look at that vital puzzle piece Holmes included: When we focus on using the techniques solely for what we can get and leave out how knowledge and use of them can expand our connection with Source, and cause us to feel and be more of our own infinite natures, in alignment with and as part of Source, we lose all warmth and color. We lose or leave out the full “texture” that can be created and experienced in our inner and outer lives.
Without the bigger picture experience (warmth and color) in mind, we focus on how we can get more, not grow more. Because of this we feel “the hour of our discontent” hour by hour, and we don’t know why. We believe stuff or money and more stuff or money will ease the discontent. Yet, we see many examples all around us of how this simply isn’t true; at least, it seems to rarely be the result. In such examples something is missing. That something can only be found within us, like an ember than can be fanned into an illuminating, warming, energizing flame.
The way to evolve, to expand awareness, is to open to it; to put what we learn into practice; to observe and assess the before, during, and after aspects; and to appreciate what we witness, including and especially at the feeling level, because this holistic or multi-faceted process teaches us about ourselves, Source, and what’s possible for us. How we develop an intimate connection with Source is as individual as we are. This relationship, if nurtured and experienced, can calm any and all discontent or insecurity… because we can absolutely know who we are and can behave, act, and create from there… more often than not, and as we evolve. Keep in mind the “gradually” aspect.
What really happens when you use Law of Attraction or a parallel technique? You may think it develops your own consciousness, but that’s not what happens. You develop your personal USE of the Universal Consciousness, which you are an individualized expression of. There is only ONE creative consciousness, and you are free to use it in your individualized way, as a contributing participant in the bigger picture experience. This is what’s meant by, “You are more than you imagine.”
We are individualized because of and by our conscious perceptions, but have the capability to expand our perceptions so that we embrace and live the truth that we are “part and parcel” of the Universal Consciousness, Abundance, Wisdom, and so forth. “Part and parcel” is an idiom that means a necessary part of an experience which cannot be avoided. Discontent is the result of avoiding this truth, whether done deliberately or not. It is also the result of our spirit nudging us to expand in this way, and we resist it.
Here’s something to keep in mind: if your belief system doesn’t create or allow you to return, when triggered, to desired feelings like serenity or trust or joy, either the system or your understanding of it needs reassessment.
You already have within you and in your power every technique and ability you seek to learn. But you are in the process, through Spiritual Evolution, of re-membering this. The more this awareness grows and strengthens in you—that is, the more you deliberately grow and strengthen it, the more you’ll feel, be, and live what you desire to feel, be, and live.
Is it really possible, or desirable, to develop and expand in this way and NOT deepen your relationship with Source? How do you develop, expand, and deepen any relationship you desire (or find yourself involved with)? You engage in conversations and interactions. Replace some of your solo mind chatter with conversations with Source. Ask questions. Ask for what you want. Ask for guidance. And, listen and pay attention with your ears, eyes, and feelings for responses.
Holmes wrote that all law is Mind in action. Law of Attraction, etc., is Mind in Action. We are discontent primarily because of how we put our minds into action. You can decide right now to put your mind-in-action to better practice.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
The inner nudge was to get Ernest Holmes’ book, The Science of Mind, from the bookshelf and find the reading for that particular day. The content was meaningful, but it was the last sentence that got my attention: “Spiritual evolution should make the Infinite not more distant, but more intimate.” This is one of those things that may make you go, “Hmm…”
Evolve means to develop gradually by a process of growth and change, to unfold. Spiritual evolution means we do this—grow, change, and unfold—to, for, and with our spiritual (inner) natures. Why do we aim at this evolution? Why do we get the books or products or do the programs? And why after the time we put into this, sometimes years or decades, don’t we feel and do better?
There’s a lot of attention given to tools, techniques, methods—call them what you will, which are created (we hope) to help us to not feel as helpless as we can tend to feel in the experience of our lives. When we use these tools, we deliberately intend to (and can) engage and develop our spiritual abilities and awareness of them, to support our physical efforts and results. We most often travel this path because we want greater influence over our physical experience. Nothing wrong with that at all. Source wants us to participate in and with universal abundance and creativity, which are aspects of who we are.
But, what about our spiritual (inner) experience? Say you get the parking spaces, receive the needed funds, or whatever you use Law of Attraction or any technique on. That’s terrific, empowering, and fun! But do you also perceive how you can or do evolve spiritually because of such experiences? Does this potential evolution enter your mind to consider, or does getting the desired result seem to be enough?
Holmes had something else to say: “…if we merely think of an abstract Principle [God, Source, Universal Mind, etc.], and a mathematical Law of Cause and Effect, we shall lose all warmth and color. We should be very careful in abstracting the Principle not to forget the essence.” [Bolding and info in brackets are mine.]
I’m all for using the techniques; that’s what they’re there for. But look at that vital puzzle piece Holmes included: When we focus on using the techniques solely for what we can get and leave out how knowledge and use of them can expand our connection with Source, and cause us to feel and be more of our own infinite natures, in alignment with and as part of Source, we lose all warmth and color. We lose or leave out the full “texture” that can be created and experienced in our inner and outer lives.
Without the bigger picture experience (warmth and color) in mind, we focus on how we can get more, not grow more. Because of this we feel “the hour of our discontent” hour by hour, and we don’t know why. We believe stuff or money and more stuff or money will ease the discontent. Yet, we see many examples all around us of how this simply isn’t true; at least, it seems to rarely be the result. In such examples something is missing. That something can only be found within us, like an ember than can be fanned into an illuminating, warming, energizing flame.
The way to evolve, to expand awareness, is to open to it; to put what we learn into practice; to observe and assess the before, during, and after aspects; and to appreciate what we witness, including and especially at the feeling level, because this holistic or multi-faceted process teaches us about ourselves, Source, and what’s possible for us. How we develop an intimate connection with Source is as individual as we are. This relationship, if nurtured and experienced, can calm any and all discontent or insecurity… because we can absolutely know who we are and can behave, act, and create from there… more often than not, and as we evolve. Keep in mind the “gradually” aspect.
What really happens when you use Law of Attraction or a parallel technique? You may think it develops your own consciousness, but that’s not what happens. You develop your personal USE of the Universal Consciousness, which you are an individualized expression of. There is only ONE creative consciousness, and you are free to use it in your individualized way, as a contributing participant in the bigger picture experience. This is what’s meant by, “You are more than you imagine.”
We are individualized because of and by our conscious perceptions, but have the capability to expand our perceptions so that we embrace and live the truth that we are “part and parcel” of the Universal Consciousness, Abundance, Wisdom, and so forth. “Part and parcel” is an idiom that means a necessary part of an experience which cannot be avoided. Discontent is the result of avoiding this truth, whether done deliberately or not. It is also the result of our spirit nudging us to expand in this way, and we resist it.
Here’s something to keep in mind: if your belief system doesn’t create or allow you to return, when triggered, to desired feelings like serenity or trust or joy, either the system or your understanding of it needs reassessment.
You already have within you and in your power every technique and ability you seek to learn. But you are in the process, through Spiritual Evolution, of re-membering this. The more this awareness grows and strengthens in you—that is, the more you deliberately grow and strengthen it, the more you’ll feel, be, and live what you desire to feel, be, and live.
Is it really possible, or desirable, to develop and expand in this way and NOT deepen your relationship with Source? How do you develop, expand, and deepen any relationship you desire (or find yourself involved with)? You engage in conversations and interactions. Replace some of your solo mind chatter with conversations with Source. Ask questions. Ask for what you want. Ask for guidance. And, listen and pay attention with your ears, eyes, and feelings for responses.
Holmes wrote that all law is Mind in action. Law of Attraction, etc., is Mind in Action. We are discontent primarily because of how we put our minds into action. You can decide right now to put your mind-in-action to better practice.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
Friday, January 27, 2012
Why Being and Feeling Authentic Can Be Challenging Especially These Days
Mark Twain said, “The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.” Whatever you pursue in your outer life will never fill the inner void created by feeling inauthentic; you have to fill it yourself, and first.
“Sam” was so distressed and confused that he’d pretty much shut down; and even told me he almost didn’t want to do our coaching call. What happened to Sam was that he’d recently entered a new career field and believed he’d found the ideal company to work with. What he soon discovered was that his values and theirs didn’t match. He’s about listening to clients and providing service that meets a client’s needs; the company is about closing the deal, even if it requires falsehoods and pressure be used—tactics they teach. Though he’s had successes since he started there, without using these “tricks of the trade,” a co-worker told Sam that he’s considered a “failure to launch.”
Sam is a person who’s clear about his values and knows he must stay true to them or he goes out of harmony with himself and his life. He succeeds at whatever he does, in accordance with his definition and parameters, no one else’s. He was out of balance and couldn’t figure out how to get back in harmony. This was a new experience for Sam—not being able to return himself to inner harmony, and he couldn’t figure out how to lift himself out of this mire so he could feel he stood on solid ground again.
Because he’s still in a learning phase and needs a support system while he adjusts, he had true inner and outer turmoil going on. On the one hand, he was being asked to compromise his values for profits. On the other hand, he was being referred to as a failure because of how this “request” was affecting him. Anyone who’s just getting started with something new is eager for the day they feel they can trust their skills completely, and feel and be strong because of it. This skill strength was, understandably, still missing for Sam. So he dwelled more on self-doubt than on what was really happening.
Sam felt immobilized, and he felt alone, which is frightening. Engaging and meeting challenges and accomplishment are two of his values, so he hesitated to leave the company; but how could he willingly assist clients in the way the company insisted? He can’t; and he had to come to terms with this self-truth. He also needed a few good next steps, which we achieved. By the end of our session he said, “I can actually breathe again. I’ve been losing a lot of sleep over this.”
Being authentic is about knowing yourself and self-acceptance that supports and nurtures you, and helps you thrive. Self-doubt, which is about not being in a strong relationship with yourself, clouds many issues, as well as any process, decision-making or not, you move through. It’s difficult to see the real you or a what the real issue is in a clouded mirror.
Authenticity comes from discovering what your Values are then living from them, knowing that not doing so takes you out of integrity and diminishes your life force energy. Values are what help to create and sustain feelings in you that make you feel alive, enlivened, inspired, and in integrity. They can include accomplishment, connection, creativity, family, fulfillment, humor, honesty, inspiration, spirituality, personal development, service, adventure, abundance, and more.
When you know and live your values, you have a better chance of being and staying in harmony with yourself and, therefore, a better chance of being in harmony with others and life, as well as being more selective about who and what you choose to associate yourself with. When you live this way, prosperity and abundance take on greater meaning. Though you may have both as outer level experiences, in whatever degree that is, it becomes, ultimately, about your experiences of them growing deeper and richer at an inner level first.
These days, messages come at you and me from many directions that tell us what we “should” be and have so that no one has a reason to consider us failures or sub-standard. That’s a lot of people to please! And, many of these messages have nothing to do with our values or helping us stay real with ourselves and others. It’s pretty darn frustrating for a lot of people. What’s additionally frustrating, as it was for Sam until he saw this, is we aren’t always sure what exactly is frustrating us; so, we assume it must be about us not measuring up in some way.
You aim at improvements for yourself and your life, perhaps not always feeling certain about what you’re doing (and, certainty isn’t always required, just action on a next step that moves you forward), and along comes someone (often in an email) telling you that you don’t measure up unless you have or do XYZ. Even if you feel at your core that XYZ is not a good fit for you now, or ever, you might take on this belief (especially if you’re in a challenging phase in an area of your life), which causes you to doubt your abilities or not believe in yourself. You may even start down a path you know in your intuitive gut is not going to lead you where you want to go, but you believe you need to receive a better “measurement” in the eyes of… who? When you find the path doesn’t work for you, because it never was supposed to, you might jump into self-judgment, when you should check in with your values. Anytime something feels off or as though it doesn’t fit you, check in with your values.
In order to believe you’re less than what you truly are, you have to view yourself and life primarily through the lenses of ego and intellect, when the truth is that you and all in existence are so much more.
I ask you to begin paying attention to any message that causes you to feel less, diminished, judged… and question or dump it. Sometimes messages need to address a certain situation in order to open a discussion or thought process, and to let you know that something can be done to improve it, but this can be done in a way that speaks to or with you, not down to or at you. If a message doesn’t inspire you, that is, breathes life into you in some measure, question it.
No one can define who the real you is except you. No one can tell you what being authentically you is about except you. No one can deepen and enrich the relationship you have with yourself… except you. Like Sam, you might get some assistance, but it all comes back to you: what you allow, and what you embrace.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
“Sam” was so distressed and confused that he’d pretty much shut down; and even told me he almost didn’t want to do our coaching call. What happened to Sam was that he’d recently entered a new career field and believed he’d found the ideal company to work with. What he soon discovered was that his values and theirs didn’t match. He’s about listening to clients and providing service that meets a client’s needs; the company is about closing the deal, even if it requires falsehoods and pressure be used—tactics they teach. Though he’s had successes since he started there, without using these “tricks of the trade,” a co-worker told Sam that he’s considered a “failure to launch.”
Sam is a person who’s clear about his values and knows he must stay true to them or he goes out of harmony with himself and his life. He succeeds at whatever he does, in accordance with his definition and parameters, no one else’s. He was out of balance and couldn’t figure out how to get back in harmony. This was a new experience for Sam—not being able to return himself to inner harmony, and he couldn’t figure out how to lift himself out of this mire so he could feel he stood on solid ground again.
Because he’s still in a learning phase and needs a support system while he adjusts, he had true inner and outer turmoil going on. On the one hand, he was being asked to compromise his values for profits. On the other hand, he was being referred to as a failure because of how this “request” was affecting him. Anyone who’s just getting started with something new is eager for the day they feel they can trust their skills completely, and feel and be strong because of it. This skill strength was, understandably, still missing for Sam. So he dwelled more on self-doubt than on what was really happening.
Sam felt immobilized, and he felt alone, which is frightening. Engaging and meeting challenges and accomplishment are two of his values, so he hesitated to leave the company; but how could he willingly assist clients in the way the company insisted? He can’t; and he had to come to terms with this self-truth. He also needed a few good next steps, which we achieved. By the end of our session he said, “I can actually breathe again. I’ve been losing a lot of sleep over this.”
Being authentic is about knowing yourself and self-acceptance that supports and nurtures you, and helps you thrive. Self-doubt, which is about not being in a strong relationship with yourself, clouds many issues, as well as any process, decision-making or not, you move through. It’s difficult to see the real you or a what the real issue is in a clouded mirror.
Authenticity comes from discovering what your Values are then living from them, knowing that not doing so takes you out of integrity and diminishes your life force energy. Values are what help to create and sustain feelings in you that make you feel alive, enlivened, inspired, and in integrity. They can include accomplishment, connection, creativity, family, fulfillment, humor, honesty, inspiration, spirituality, personal development, service, adventure, abundance, and more.
When you know and live your values, you have a better chance of being and staying in harmony with yourself and, therefore, a better chance of being in harmony with others and life, as well as being more selective about who and what you choose to associate yourself with. When you live this way, prosperity and abundance take on greater meaning. Though you may have both as outer level experiences, in whatever degree that is, it becomes, ultimately, about your experiences of them growing deeper and richer at an inner level first.
These days, messages come at you and me from many directions that tell us what we “should” be and have so that no one has a reason to consider us failures or sub-standard. That’s a lot of people to please! And, many of these messages have nothing to do with our values or helping us stay real with ourselves and others. It’s pretty darn frustrating for a lot of people. What’s additionally frustrating, as it was for Sam until he saw this, is we aren’t always sure what exactly is frustrating us; so, we assume it must be about us not measuring up in some way.
You aim at improvements for yourself and your life, perhaps not always feeling certain about what you’re doing (and, certainty isn’t always required, just action on a next step that moves you forward), and along comes someone (often in an email) telling you that you don’t measure up unless you have or do XYZ. Even if you feel at your core that XYZ is not a good fit for you now, or ever, you might take on this belief (especially if you’re in a challenging phase in an area of your life), which causes you to doubt your abilities or not believe in yourself. You may even start down a path you know in your intuitive gut is not going to lead you where you want to go, but you believe you need to receive a better “measurement” in the eyes of… who? When you find the path doesn’t work for you, because it never was supposed to, you might jump into self-judgment, when you should check in with your values. Anytime something feels off or as though it doesn’t fit you, check in with your values.
In order to believe you’re less than what you truly are, you have to view yourself and life primarily through the lenses of ego and intellect, when the truth is that you and all in existence are so much more.
I ask you to begin paying attention to any message that causes you to feel less, diminished, judged… and question or dump it. Sometimes messages need to address a certain situation in order to open a discussion or thought process, and to let you know that something can be done to improve it, but this can be done in a way that speaks to or with you, not down to or at you. If a message doesn’t inspire you, that is, breathes life into you in some measure, question it.
No one can define who the real you is except you. No one can tell you what being authentically you is about except you. No one can deepen and enrich the relationship you have with yourself… except you. Like Sam, you might get some assistance, but it all comes back to you: what you allow, and what you embrace.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
Friday, January 20, 2012
Three of the Biggest Blocks to Manifestation Fulfillment
There are three main (typical) ways you block manifestation. Learn what they are so you learn what to do about them.
BLOCK 1
The first block to manifestation is not asking for what you want at the start, or if you do ask, not asking in the correct way. Many spiritual disciplines provide versions of “Ask and you will receive,” but there’s more to this, as you’ve probably discovered, and which I’ll explain.
Okay, we get that we need to ask; but what usually happens is we think about what we want or need then jump into making a plan or take massive action, often because others expect us to or told us this is the way to act, or to appease the ego. We rush around, exhaust ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally, and feel frustrated about minimal results, or the absence of them. Also, thinking something “to death” or worrying about it is NOT asking.
An old adage says, “Sharpen the ax before you go to the tree.” Ask in the right way first. Examples: “If (insert your request) is in my highest good and the highest good of all involved, I ask this to be fulfilled, and I trust that it will be. While I wait to receive results or guidance about this, I’m going to be happy and/or serene now, rather than wait to be happy or serene if or when I receive this or something even better. I am truly thankful for all that fulfills me and is fulfilled for me.” Or, “I ask that the right (clients, customers, resources, monies I need) be sent to me. While I wait for these to show up and trust that they will, or for guidance about this, I’m going to be happy and/or serene now, rather than wait to be happy or serene if or when I receive fulfillment of this request. I am truly thankful for all that fulfills me and is fulfilled for me.”
I know that many action-driven people might disagree, at first blush, with the above paragraphs. We (and they) have been taught that strategies and systems and actions are what “responsible” and “successful” people do, but we’re seldom taught how vital it is that we strengthen and trust our relationships with our Infinite Selves and Source… above all. Yet, these relationships are what are needed as our foundation, are where real inner power comes from and where highest-good fulfillments get created and put into motion in our lives. Too often, much too often, we attempt to do everything on our own, without the assistance of our Infinite Selves and Source. I’m not saying you aren’t to take action, I’m saying get aligned with your Inner Energy before you take action, so that your action is Source and Life Energy-driven, not fear-based ego-driven.
BLOCK 2
This leads to the second biggest block: Strife. Notice that “happy and/or serene” were included in the requests shared above. Strife is a really big problem when it comes to manifestation because the vibration or energy of fulfillment, the vibration or energy that allows and supports fulfillment, is serenity. There’s no way around this. Judging is strife. Anxiety is strife. Anger is strife. Stressing is strife. Anything not supportive or serene – anything not a positive vibration – is strife.
We often call what we do “striving to succeed” or, perhaps even, to survive; but we’re really “strifing,” which will never result in the full success or fulfillment we desire. Strife blocks requested manifestation fulfillment, and creates more of what you don’t want. If your ego wants to disagree with this, just consider your typical experiences and results. You can ask and ask (or plead or demand); but as long as strife instead of serenity is present, the energy of strife will push away the very results, resources, or people you wish to have in your life.
By the way, serenity doesn’t mean you’re so mellow you can’t function; it means your actions or non-actions, your words, your thoughts and feelings are centered and fueled via your connection with your Infinite Self and Source, instead of spiking out and poking people’s eyes out… energetically speaking, that is. This is the Catch-22 it’s so easy for all of us to find ourselves engaged in. This may help: Think of a sailboat. Is sailing smoother, faster, more effortless on calmer waters or on stormy seas? Effortless manifestation is a form of sailing in life, and is worth doing what’s required to know you can do this consistently; but, it is way more about first Being than Doing.
BLOCK 3
The third biggest block is doubt. Make your requests to Source free of doubt and self-doubt, free of any doubts about your self-worth and what you deserve. Source supplies freely. Source doesn’t supply you or anyone based on what’s deserved, but will honor that you believe this, until you don’t. Doubts of any kind come from the ego that’s been affected by limiting beliefs, and are contrary to the truth of Source, your Infinite Self, and how Source set up the Creative Energy to work for and with you.
Some manifestations are instant because everything is set up and ready to go – as soon as you ask and allow it. Others are not in your highest good, so never happen. And some requests require a bit of time because more than just you is involved. While you wait, occupy yourself and your mind with positive and productive thoughts and actions. Do what you need to maintain states of serenity and happiness, which are the “attractive” energies, literally and metaphysically. Do this despite what appearances are. Remind yourself of how you felt when something or something even better happened before. State, as often as you need to, throughout the day that you believe or know that Source is at work on this in ways for your highest good.
You cannot expect what you ask for to manifest fully if strife is driving your life and doubt is what you entertain. You don’t even have to believe or practice metaphysics or spirituality for this to be the truth. Life, through the creative quantum energy, responds in this way no matter what your belief system is or isn’t. The more strife and doubt you stop practicing the more serene you’ll be. Obvious, but we miss it more often than we see it. To do this requires dedication to develop your strife-free, doubt-free inner power, and to practice daily self-discipline about this, so that you shift away from ego’s insecurities that cause you to engage strife and doubt. If life or particular life areas don’t seem to be working out for you, it’s likely you’re allowing strife and doubt to clutch you in their grasp instead of you holding serenity and trust at your core.
Begin to practice looking at your blocked life areas to reveal whatever strife or doubt you may be engaging in. Ask for what you want, in the right way. It is your choice to either wear yourself out while you try to do everything yourself or to follow a path with Source as your companion that leads to more effortless manifestation and greater serenity, fulfillment, and joy.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
BLOCK 1
The first block to manifestation is not asking for what you want at the start, or if you do ask, not asking in the correct way. Many spiritual disciplines provide versions of “Ask and you will receive,” but there’s more to this, as you’ve probably discovered, and which I’ll explain.
Okay, we get that we need to ask; but what usually happens is we think about what we want or need then jump into making a plan or take massive action, often because others expect us to or told us this is the way to act, or to appease the ego. We rush around, exhaust ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally, and feel frustrated about minimal results, or the absence of them. Also, thinking something “to death” or worrying about it is NOT asking.
An old adage says, “Sharpen the ax before you go to the tree.” Ask in the right way first. Examples: “If (insert your request) is in my highest good and the highest good of all involved, I ask this to be fulfilled, and I trust that it will be. While I wait to receive results or guidance about this, I’m going to be happy and/or serene now, rather than wait to be happy or serene if or when I receive this or something even better. I am truly thankful for all that fulfills me and is fulfilled for me.” Or, “I ask that the right (clients, customers, resources, monies I need) be sent to me. While I wait for these to show up and trust that they will, or for guidance about this, I’m going to be happy and/or serene now, rather than wait to be happy or serene if or when I receive fulfillment of this request. I am truly thankful for all that fulfills me and is fulfilled for me.”
I know that many action-driven people might disagree, at first blush, with the above paragraphs. We (and they) have been taught that strategies and systems and actions are what “responsible” and “successful” people do, but we’re seldom taught how vital it is that we strengthen and trust our relationships with our Infinite Selves and Source… above all. Yet, these relationships are what are needed as our foundation, are where real inner power comes from and where highest-good fulfillments get created and put into motion in our lives. Too often, much too often, we attempt to do everything on our own, without the assistance of our Infinite Selves and Source. I’m not saying you aren’t to take action, I’m saying get aligned with your Inner Energy before you take action, so that your action is Source and Life Energy-driven, not fear-based ego-driven.
BLOCK 2
This leads to the second biggest block: Strife. Notice that “happy and/or serene” were included in the requests shared above. Strife is a really big problem when it comes to manifestation because the vibration or energy of fulfillment, the vibration or energy that allows and supports fulfillment, is serenity. There’s no way around this. Judging is strife. Anxiety is strife. Anger is strife. Stressing is strife. Anything not supportive or serene – anything not a positive vibration – is strife.
We often call what we do “striving to succeed” or, perhaps even, to survive; but we’re really “strifing,” which will never result in the full success or fulfillment we desire. Strife blocks requested manifestation fulfillment, and creates more of what you don’t want. If your ego wants to disagree with this, just consider your typical experiences and results. You can ask and ask (or plead or demand); but as long as strife instead of serenity is present, the energy of strife will push away the very results, resources, or people you wish to have in your life.
By the way, serenity doesn’t mean you’re so mellow you can’t function; it means your actions or non-actions, your words, your thoughts and feelings are centered and fueled via your connection with your Infinite Self and Source, instead of spiking out and poking people’s eyes out… energetically speaking, that is. This is the Catch-22 it’s so easy for all of us to find ourselves engaged in. This may help: Think of a sailboat. Is sailing smoother, faster, more effortless on calmer waters or on stormy seas? Effortless manifestation is a form of sailing in life, and is worth doing what’s required to know you can do this consistently; but, it is way more about first Being than Doing.
BLOCK 3
The third biggest block is doubt. Make your requests to Source free of doubt and self-doubt, free of any doubts about your self-worth and what you deserve. Source supplies freely. Source doesn’t supply you or anyone based on what’s deserved, but will honor that you believe this, until you don’t. Doubts of any kind come from the ego that’s been affected by limiting beliefs, and are contrary to the truth of Source, your Infinite Self, and how Source set up the Creative Energy to work for and with you.
Some manifestations are instant because everything is set up and ready to go – as soon as you ask and allow it. Others are not in your highest good, so never happen. And some requests require a bit of time because more than just you is involved. While you wait, occupy yourself and your mind with positive and productive thoughts and actions. Do what you need to maintain states of serenity and happiness, which are the “attractive” energies, literally and metaphysically. Do this despite what appearances are. Remind yourself of how you felt when something or something even better happened before. State, as often as you need to, throughout the day that you believe or know that Source is at work on this in ways for your highest good.
You cannot expect what you ask for to manifest fully if strife is driving your life and doubt is what you entertain. You don’t even have to believe or practice metaphysics or spirituality for this to be the truth. Life, through the creative quantum energy, responds in this way no matter what your belief system is or isn’t. The more strife and doubt you stop practicing the more serene you’ll be. Obvious, but we miss it more often than we see it. To do this requires dedication to develop your strife-free, doubt-free inner power, and to practice daily self-discipline about this, so that you shift away from ego’s insecurities that cause you to engage strife and doubt. If life or particular life areas don’t seem to be working out for you, it’s likely you’re allowing strife and doubt to clutch you in their grasp instead of you holding serenity and trust at your core.
Begin to practice looking at your blocked life areas to reveal whatever strife or doubt you may be engaging in. Ask for what you want, in the right way. It is your choice to either wear yourself out while you try to do everything yourself or to follow a path with Source as your companion that leads to more effortless manifestation and greater serenity, fulfillment, and joy.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
Friday, January 13, 2012
Maybe It Is All in Your Mind
Where do you experience most of your life? Is the majority of activity outside of you or inside your mind?
I was with a person who, as other times before, talked about what’s perceived as wrong in her life, wrong with others, and recounted past events shared from a negative perspective. Yet, I didn’t have the same experience of this as I’ve had prior times. Instead, I was serene, which allowed me to listen and observe differently (rather than absorb that energy). In fact, my all-round participation was different. It was like being in freezing temperatures, but staying warm because there was a heater hidden in my energy field. While the person complained, I felt cozy inside and out, with no need to engage or judge her “it’s miserable” perspective. Eventually, my inner flame warmed her, as well.
Granted, our time spent together was limited, but when I thought about this, I realized that what I usually experience with this person is not the person herself as much as it is that I experience myself, that is, my perceptions, my judgments, my expectations, and my ego’s inner dialogue that likes to run on and on. It’s called mind chatter, which is one of the biggest wastes of life force energy we self-indulge in.
Mind chatter takes up mental space, which means there’s little room for inspiration, creativity, and intuitive information to communicate with you and lead you along a more joyful, productive, and fulfilling path… one of genuine connection with yourself, Source, others, and your life.
We, understandably, believe we are fully present with others, or with life matters, but we aren’t really as “there” as we might like to think we are. Instead, we’re inside our mind, usually listening to our insecure ego that is busy sniping about how it wants everything and everyone to be a certain way. This bumps us right out of being fully present, where we can be responsive in a productive way, and makes us less prone to remember we are spiritual beings with an inner power more dynamic than we usually allow it to be for us; a power that waits for us to remember it’s there and “plug in” so its energy can flow to us and through us.
Sometimes we get so full of mind chatter we spew it out, believing we’re having a conversation or being productive, when we’re just informing people in which ways we feel out of control in our life. Mind chatter happens; and if you let it have its way, it’ll have you upset more often than not, and possibly doing battle with people in real life or on the battlefield created in your mind.
So, how did I get into and stay in that more serene inner place during that time? I decided to hold silent power, to pay attention differently, to be with the person and the energy instead of in the mind chatter of my ego… kind of like watching a film, or being okay with a minor role instead of being the star or competing for top billing (not always easy, but doable). I allowed and reminded myself to stay connected to the truth of my inner power, as much as possible.
My experience included asking myself questions like: Do I choose to be aligned with my power enough to provide appropriate energetic and other support to this person so she won’t feel so insecure, or worse, judged because of my ego’s as yet unresolved issues? Am I listening with more than my ears and ego? What and how do I choose to engage, and will this engagement be fueled by my personal power and connection to Source… or my ego?
Sometimes the way you can best support or engage yourself and others is through silence; but this requires the energy of serenity from higher understanding and awareness so that your silence isn’t underscored with negative mind chatter and the ego’s resentment about you choosing to keep your mouth shut.
Stuff happens, and we get triggered. Personal power helps you stay stable. If you’re not engaging your power, then anything, even small stuff, can rattle you and you find yourself following your emotions wherever they lead. There are at least two typical ways you might deal with mind chatter, which include either going with it, which puts you in a bad mood you then “share” with others, or self-deprecation because you have the chatter going on, so you tell yourself you have to stop this, which frustrates you if you don’t have a way to do this that works. What’s working for me, as soon as I see this happening (or sometimes before it starts), is I use a few genuinely empowering-for-me statements and repeat them like a mantra, to remind myself to more deeply connect with my personal power and what it really means; and to re-dedicate myself to this every day.
You cannot be strong in your personal power if or when your emotions are out of control. Mind chatter keeps you out of control because you choose to let the needy ego run amok rather than do what it takes to build up and stand in your power.
Personal power requires self-discipline, or self-management, if that’s an easier term for you to accept and allow. Without this, your life is disorganized, messy, and therefore, unfulfilling; and this is true for any area of your life. Any emotional, and even physical, “mess” in your life indicates a weakness in your connection to your personal power, in partnership with Source, and that ego is running the show. Messes are a declaration by ego that it either believes it can make a mess and others will clean it up or that it’s too “special” or “justified” to concern itself with such details. The more you follow either of these paths the more ego will control your life; and, you won’t appreciate the results, including how this affects your confidence, your ability to put your attention and energy towards what you really desire to experience, and your level of success and fulfillment.
If your life or a particular area of it seems out of control, look first at what you’re allowing to happen in your mind. Consider what you’ve read here and put some or all of it into practice, and you will begin to build your life force energy and personal power. This may happen quickly or may feel slower than you’d like; and the building speed may be different for the affected areas of your life. Your progress depends on your practice. Whatever it is that you think you want, personal power and life force energy are what you really want because they are what support you to experience your life the way you really desire to, inwardly then outwardly. Whenever you’re ready, get out of your mind chatter and into your true power. You’ll find Source is ready to assist you.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
I was with a person who, as other times before, talked about what’s perceived as wrong in her life, wrong with others, and recounted past events shared from a negative perspective. Yet, I didn’t have the same experience of this as I’ve had prior times. Instead, I was serene, which allowed me to listen and observe differently (rather than absorb that energy). In fact, my all-round participation was different. It was like being in freezing temperatures, but staying warm because there was a heater hidden in my energy field. While the person complained, I felt cozy inside and out, with no need to engage or judge her “it’s miserable” perspective. Eventually, my inner flame warmed her, as well.
Granted, our time spent together was limited, but when I thought about this, I realized that what I usually experience with this person is not the person herself as much as it is that I experience myself, that is, my perceptions, my judgments, my expectations, and my ego’s inner dialogue that likes to run on and on. It’s called mind chatter, which is one of the biggest wastes of life force energy we self-indulge in.
Mind chatter takes up mental space, which means there’s little room for inspiration, creativity, and intuitive information to communicate with you and lead you along a more joyful, productive, and fulfilling path… one of genuine connection with yourself, Source, others, and your life.
We, understandably, believe we are fully present with others, or with life matters, but we aren’t really as “there” as we might like to think we are. Instead, we’re inside our mind, usually listening to our insecure ego that is busy sniping about how it wants everything and everyone to be a certain way. This bumps us right out of being fully present, where we can be responsive in a productive way, and makes us less prone to remember we are spiritual beings with an inner power more dynamic than we usually allow it to be for us; a power that waits for us to remember it’s there and “plug in” so its energy can flow to us and through us.
Sometimes we get so full of mind chatter we spew it out, believing we’re having a conversation or being productive, when we’re just informing people in which ways we feel out of control in our life. Mind chatter happens; and if you let it have its way, it’ll have you upset more often than not, and possibly doing battle with people in real life or on the battlefield created in your mind.
So, how did I get into and stay in that more serene inner place during that time? I decided to hold silent power, to pay attention differently, to be with the person and the energy instead of in the mind chatter of my ego… kind of like watching a film, or being okay with a minor role instead of being the star or competing for top billing (not always easy, but doable). I allowed and reminded myself to stay connected to the truth of my inner power, as much as possible.
My experience included asking myself questions like: Do I choose to be aligned with my power enough to provide appropriate energetic and other support to this person so she won’t feel so insecure, or worse, judged because of my ego’s as yet unresolved issues? Am I listening with more than my ears and ego? What and how do I choose to engage, and will this engagement be fueled by my personal power and connection to Source… or my ego?
Sometimes the way you can best support or engage yourself and others is through silence; but this requires the energy of serenity from higher understanding and awareness so that your silence isn’t underscored with negative mind chatter and the ego’s resentment about you choosing to keep your mouth shut.
Stuff happens, and we get triggered. Personal power helps you stay stable. If you’re not engaging your power, then anything, even small stuff, can rattle you and you find yourself following your emotions wherever they lead. There are at least two typical ways you might deal with mind chatter, which include either going with it, which puts you in a bad mood you then “share” with others, or self-deprecation because you have the chatter going on, so you tell yourself you have to stop this, which frustrates you if you don’t have a way to do this that works. What’s working for me, as soon as I see this happening (or sometimes before it starts), is I use a few genuinely empowering-for-me statements and repeat them like a mantra, to remind myself to more deeply connect with my personal power and what it really means; and to re-dedicate myself to this every day.
You cannot be strong in your personal power if or when your emotions are out of control. Mind chatter keeps you out of control because you choose to let the needy ego run amok rather than do what it takes to build up and stand in your power.
Personal power requires self-discipline, or self-management, if that’s an easier term for you to accept and allow. Without this, your life is disorganized, messy, and therefore, unfulfilling; and this is true for any area of your life. Any emotional, and even physical, “mess” in your life indicates a weakness in your connection to your personal power, in partnership with Source, and that ego is running the show. Messes are a declaration by ego that it either believes it can make a mess and others will clean it up or that it’s too “special” or “justified” to concern itself with such details. The more you follow either of these paths the more ego will control your life; and, you won’t appreciate the results, including how this affects your confidence, your ability to put your attention and energy towards what you really desire to experience, and your level of success and fulfillment.
If your life or a particular area of it seems out of control, look first at what you’re allowing to happen in your mind. Consider what you’ve read here and put some or all of it into practice, and you will begin to build your life force energy and personal power. This may happen quickly or may feel slower than you’d like; and the building speed may be different for the affected areas of your life. Your progress depends on your practice. Whatever it is that you think you want, personal power and life force energy are what you really want because they are what support you to experience your life the way you really desire to, inwardly then outwardly. Whenever you’re ready, get out of your mind chatter and into your true power. You’ll find Source is ready to assist you.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
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