There’s much written in the spiritual/self-help/motivational books about how important it is to give, but there is much less written about how vital it is to open yourself to receive.
In our modern culture, it is the strong male energy that is dominant. This male energy is proactive, aggressive and out-reaching. Yet, spiritual teachers have known for eons that it is the feminine energy that is receptive, willing, and open.
Men in our world have difficulty with receiving. Most feel they must achieve, acquire or conquer to gain with integrity. They don’t feel comfortable when they receive–and especially from women–because they perceive that it diminishes their power. How often do you see men casually brush away gifts, praise, or acknowledgement? Few are masters of receiving with grace.
Many women today have assumed the mantle of masculine energy due to demands of today’s working environment. Their feminine energy is sublimated because of the need to fight to have all of their financial and material needs met. As a result, many women have also lost the ability to attract and receive passively.
So it is an art that men and women must re-learn as we grow spiritually. Whether it is receiving money from new and unexpected sources; receiving assistance or help; receiving wisdom and guidance; receiving love; receiving kindness; receiving praise and acknowledgement; receiving gifts; receiving honor; receiving peace and tranquility; receiving ease; receiving unforeseen and wonderful opportunities—we must discover ways to make ourselves better vessels for receiving.
Here are some ways to cultivate the Art of Receiving:
• Commit more time to “being” than “doing.” Stop and relax, be quiet and meditative. When you are active, you’re not in the actively receptive mode. Slow down. Make sure you have enough rest.
• Make sure that the left side of your body (the feminine side) is un-constricted. Get massages, stretch, use essential oils to make sure it allows the free flow of energy.
• Consciously invite The Universe to send you gifts by intentioning: “I am willing to receive today.” “I am open to receiving.”
• When you are given anything—including praise–show your gratitude. Do not demure in embarrassment or brush it off. If you are not grateful for what you do receive, why should the Universe send you more?
• Whether you are a man or woman, indulge your feminine side. Pamper yourself using whatever tools bring you enjoyment. The feel of silk shirts, occasional professional shaves, bubble baths, spa days, etc. For women, wear more feminine clothes, especially flowing, indulgent apparel.
• Listen to soft music that puts you in a receptive, graceful and contented mood.
• Visualize beautiful rainbow colored energy flowing to you from all different directions and filling all your cells with brilliant radiance.
• Be in a vibration of love. Love is the most powerful attractor in the Universe and creates the signal that you are a deserving recipient.
• If you ask for something and it manifests, do not take it for granted…Feel the wonder of how effectively the Universe works. Wonder opens the door for more.
• Make sure there is fun in your life. If you are about all work, and no play, there is no space for the new blessings to plant themselves. Have fun. Enjoy. Laughter and joy will open the door for you to receive more blessings.
• Say “yes”…when the Universe puts something in your path, it may be a gift and you may not know why. Unless you are convinced that it is absolutely and clearly NOT in your highest good, say “yes” and see what gifts come forth. If you shut down too many opportunities, fewer will come.
• Be willing. Be aware. Be receptive. Be grateful.
May you receive in abundance, joy and radiance!
Morning is rebirth, renewal and re-ignition! It is a beautiful time to engage your connection with the divine, set your intentions for the day and step fully into your empowerment as a heart-centered light-being on the planet.
Each morning you can leave behind what was, what you did before, who did what to you in the past and how you did things previously. It’s a new day! But we often tend to slip backward if we don’t deliberately and consciously create separation from the past. Morning Rituals are a wonderful way to create that divide, and remind us of our brilliant power for reinvention of ourselves…a power that is indeed supported by our supreme Source.
I use my Morning Ritual to make a deliberate connection to God each day, to establish my gratitude, to ground myself, to consciously choose to come from a place of love, to set my intentions for the day and to infuse myself with the essence of spiritual light for that which I wish to manifest in myself.
You can create or build your Morning Rituals around whatever purposes you deem most empowering in your life. So here are some that you can mix and match to create the ideal Morning Ritual for you.
I’ll let Rita Roberts, my dear friend and colleague, share with you what she does for her Morning Ritual intentions: “When I wake up in the morning, before my feet touch the floor I set my intentions and align myself with them (important to do both). I say: ‘Today is a great day and EVERYTHING I need is in my path.’ I make a commitment to stay true to what’s in my heart and follow those desires because this is the path that’s lined with answers and provision. I pray that God opens my eyes to see the answers that He’s already provided. I remind myself that I too will be an answer for someone today. I also remind myself that I am well loved and provided for. I set an intention to give my best, appreciate myself and see the best in others and to be of assistance to others. I am then poised for love, progress and adventure at every turn. With all of this in mind, I set my feet on the floor beside my bed and take my first step of the day into purpose and provision. ”
Journaling or Writing Lists—Grab that pen and starting writing. You can put your intentions in writing, pour out whatever is in your mind and heart or write lists of affirmations. Writing is a way to deepen your connection with God and create alignment.
So go forth and create or refine your Morning Ritual so that it serves to manifest your highest soul purpose and greatest joy!
Tips to Get the Most from Personal Growth Conferences When You’re Bombarded by Wisdom–Today’s New Tech Tools Help!
So you’re intent on finding better ways to live and expanding your consciousness, but you’re easily overwhelmed by the all that fabulous wisdom coming at you in one big dose when attending a conference…what to do and how to retain it?
With Hay House publishing’s extraordinary I Can Do It! conferences in San Jose in March and Atlanta in April–chock full of luminaries and emerging leaders, and attended by thousands–it’s a good time to examine what works and what doesn’t.
And fortunately, some of the new technologies that are changing our lives are helping us to retain much of this content.
So here are some tips for soaking it all in and fostering growth:
And should you be in the mood for a little wisdom, personal growth, motivation and inspiration, look no further than the I Can Do It! conferences March 17-18 in San Jose and April 14-15 in Atlanta, to use these new skills! You’ll learn from such luminaries as Dr. Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Marianne Williamson, Doreen Virtue, Carolyn Myss, Cheryl Richardson, Brian Weiss, Gregg Braden and other emerging leaders!
For info, go to http://www.hayhouse.com/tour_details.php?tour_id=109.
Clear Your Cache
(Second of two parts)
In the last newsletter, we looked at ways to “clear your cache” emotionally and spiritually. In this second of two parts, we explore how to “clear your cache” in your physical sphere.
So “Clear Your Cache” and open the way for new miracles!
Clear Your Cache
(First of two parts)
You’ve probably had the experience where you go to a web page that you know has been updated or changed, but your browser is still showing you the old page? You seek out your computer expert to find out why and he tells you the only way to see the revised page is to “Clear Your Cache.” This means you must clear out all the old programs, retained pages or temporary pages held in the browser memory so your new pages can appear.
The Universe operates very much on the same principle. As spiritual beings, we are charged with releasing the old before the new can be seen, experienced and enjoyed. Do you really want to get stuck in life looking at old pages and doing the same things over again, suffering the same fate? Do you want to live with what you have or clear the way for something better, new or exciting? New energy fills an energy vacuum.
If you are going to “Clear The Cache” from your own life, you will need to look at many areas and see what you can expel in favor of leaving space for what shows up next. So let’s take a look at some of the areas that should be up for review.
To Be Continued…
In the last newsletter, we began an overview of ways to adapt various meditation techniques to your own personal style, time constraints and enjoyment. Here is the second half of that article.
Mantras & Chants
Spoken-word meditation is the ideal solution for some who have difficulty releasing or calming their thoughts. Focusing on a word or phrase repeatedly, coupled with rhythmic breathing creates the vibration that draws in and anchors spirit, or creates a peaceful space for your soul to express itself.
Try some of these:
Eyes Open/Focused Meditations
Where many meditators prefer to keep their eyes closed and shut out the outside world, others prefer a focused eyes-open approach. One of the goals of such a practice is to
join your essence with whatever it is that you are intensely gazing at. You will be merging and exchanging energy and creating the opening for spiritual inspiration.
Among these:
Sound Meditation
Audio inspiration is a nice addition for meditators. While silence is golden, sound can be a doorway to heightened awareness and elevated states of consciousness. Some meditators also prefer to listen to guided meditations as a way to relax and bring themselves to a fully present meditative state.
Here are some of the options for Sound Meditation:
Visualization
As a Conscious Creator, you no doubt know the power of visualization for manifestation, but visual images can be used for many meditative purposes. To help open you to guidance, to purify, to imbue yourself with some desired trait or state of mind, or to relax.
Here some ways to practice visual meditation:
So let me close with two thoughts about meditation. One of the blessings of meditating is that you are letting go of the past and the future, and you are letting in the truth of NOW in this one peaceful moment. The other is a reminder offered by author Caroline Reynolds in her book Spiritual Fitness: “The important thing to remember is to meditate not with your mind, but with your heart.”
(The first of two parts)
So you’ve tried meditating and you’re not sure you’re actually getting it right. You want to meditate for many reasons: you’ve learned that it is the best way to access your intuition, guidance and Universal wisdom; you’ve heard that meditating gives you a doorway to inner peace and tranquility; you’re aware of the studies that reveal the medical benefits of meditation—lower blood pressure, increased sense of wellbeing, faster healing.
But meditating isn’t that easy. Sitting still for a long time, trying to close out those thoughts speeding across your mind, rhythmic deep breathing…do you visualize your future, do you listen for guidance? How is this supposed to work?
The answer is that finding the right meditation practice is like finding a therapist. You have to try a few different ones till you find one that works for you. So in the following content, I will offer you many different options from which to choose. I encourage you to try a variety until you have a growing sense of comfort—and you don’t have the annoying urge to just get it over with!
I’ll begin with my two personal favorites.
Sending and Receiving
As a Conscious Creator, you know that much of your power in creating your own reality is visualizing how you want your life to be. But if you have a limited time for meditation, say 30-40 minutes a day—how do you do both? My solution has been to do a sending-receiving meditation. The first half of my meditation is when I send my desires to the Universe, visualizing with emotion the desire I wish to see manifested. The second half I commit to receiving, blanking my mind, putting out my “antenna” and allowing messages and guidance to come forth. I begin that process by asking God/The Universe what it wants me to know that day and then stay open to whatever comes through.
Just Be
Oftentimes we think there is a right way and a wrong way to do something. But the blessing of meditation is that we don’t have to do anything. We can just BE. When you get quiet, simply eliminate any should or shouldn’ts. Release everything that binds you, worries you, demands of you. Just let your soul BE. It’s a profound sense of relaxation to not have to do anything. Breath in, breath out. Just BE. Be with yourself. Be with the oneness. Be with the source. Be at peace. Just BE.
Breathing
There are many, many versions of meditative breathing, but most recommend that you breathe deeply from your abdomen. Inhale and exhale to a steady rhythm. Some suggest breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. The point is to focus on your breath so it becomes almost hypnotic and takes you away from any outside stimulus.
Here are some options:
Objective Observer
One way to release yourself of the tyranny of your thoughts is to make yourself an innocent bystander. As your thoughts float by, just notice them as if you were an observer and let them escape. Don’t judge. Don’t shoo them away. Just observe and refocus on your own inner place.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of focusing exclusive on what is going on in or around you. You become totally focused on what you are feeling physically or emotionally to the exclusion of everything else. You notice how your buttocks feels as it is pressed to the ground, where it has contact, if your muscles are tense or released, if it feels cushioned or pressed onto a hard surface. You become aware of what that part of you is experiencing internally and externally. Become aware of all sensations. This forces you to stay present. “All that is asked is that you bring compassionate attention to what you are experiencing, moment by moment,” says Dr. Jeffrey Brantley in his book Calming Your Anxious Mind.
Here are some mindfulness meditations:
To Be Continued…
The Magic of Changing Your Perspective
For most of us, dealing with changes and events that take us out of our comfort zone instantly takes us to a place of fear and negative thinking. It is the rare person who doesn’t emotionally invest the experience with anxiety and assign a negative value to it.
Yet the truth is that all things are neutral, they just are—until we bring our perspective to them and assign value. More importantly, every experience brings with it an opportunity for growth, for greater wisdom, for new knowledge, for redirection from the Universe, for expansion in some way, shape or form.
The task for us as Conscious Creators is to retrain ourselves not to immediately go to that dark place, but instead to seek the light. To assign POSITIVE value to every experience. The best way to do that is to learn new perspectives, and to apply them to each situation. You can magically turn a perceived problem into a blessing by asking the right questions or applying the right filter.
So this article is designed to give you many options on new ways to look at things. By having these “tools” in your tool kit, testing the ones that work best for you and then applying them through practice many times over, you will be able to change your knee-jerk negative pattern of thinking to a welcoming and positive perspective that raises your frequency. And eventually will become your new permanent pattern of perspective.
Here are some really insightful questions that will lead you to look at your perceived challenges, problems and issues as your next opportunities, gateways and gifts:
You undoubtedly know that everything happens for a reason. Here’s an opportunity to look at that reason as Source does. You would not be offered this experience if there was not purpose here for you, your life and your spiritual growth. But the Universe gives you these experiences out of its desire to help you reach your own truth and highest good. Use these questions to be open to seeing a more objective view of what is in your highest good.
What do you think of when you contemplate RISK? Gambling at the crap tables? Starting a new business in an economic downturn? Jumping over a chasm?
These are all pretty extreme versions of risk, but we actually face risk in almost every daily decision we make. Which unfortunately is why many people are stuck on neutral in their lives, because they are so risk averse.
How do you define risk? It is when one must evaluate a new opportunity in light of standing steadfast on previous ground…it is taking a leap into the unknown when you can safely stay where all the factors are known and familiar. What must a person give-up to gain anew?
But what most people do not realize is that risk is really a gift. It is an opportunity to rise to a new level, to have and demonstrate courage, to sharpen our decision-making skills, to explore new vistas with eyes open, to gain self-confidence when one has chosen well, to force us to confront limiting beliefs, to truly face what we are capable of. In other words, risk is an exceptional tool of spiritual growth.
Yes, risk can be scary, but it can also be a doorway to vast new personal and financial blessings. Accepting the right risks can mean new fortune, new love, new freedom, new expression, new joy and more.
On the other hand there is a risk in not taking the risk. If you never say yes to taking your future in your own hands because you fear not having a paycheck, what might you lose? If you don’t ask her to marry you because you fear commitment or constraint, what then happens when she accepts another proposal?
So how does one know what risks to take and which to forego?
I recently read in a magazine that Natalie Cole said: “I know that God has had my back, even when I was screwing up.”
And I thought, “How profound! What a simple, comforting thought!” GOD HAS MY BACK!
Even for people who have trouble with the concept of “trust and surrender,” God Has My Back is a very simple and elegant way to realize that they are not alone and that they have an amazing support system in place to rely upon.
It’s a great way to realize that even in the worst of circumstances, God’s hand is guiding you out of the morass, and pointing you to the light.
Just think about the times when you might have experienced this support system at work:
God Has My Back!
What a wonderful thought! Even when I make a grievous mistake or am unkind or do self destructive things, God still has my back. And even if I am slapped with the consequences of my bad behavior, that’s still God looking out for me, teaching me that I must be more thoughtful, conscious and compassionate.
What a relief! I am not alone and I have powerful protector! Whether you are a dynamic leader who feels like everything must fall to you and you are alone on the precipice, or someone who feels weak and battered by life– with God at Your Back, you can relax! When you relax, you become more intuitive, more confident, less pressured to make decisions that could be ill considered. Your frequency rises. You manifest more effectively. Your life is easier.
Just imagine going through life feeling that God is always there to nudge you in the right direction or pick up you up when you fall. How would that change the way you feel about your life? Would it make life easier, more comfortable, less harrowing, more encouraging, more hopeful, less strenuous, less taxing, more forgiving? What would change in your attitude if you were always aware that
God Has Your Back!
Whether we know it or feel it, each of us deserves salvation in our lives—and by that I mean deliverance from unhappiness and unpleasant experience. Sometimes we can be the architect of our salvation and sometimes we just need a little help. If God Has Your Back, than you know that salvation is possible…that you can find a way–or that you will be guided to the way–out of misery and pain.
And you know what, if you know in your heart that you have this great protection, than you can call up on it. Whether that is through prayer, meditation, conscious creation or other ways that you can reach out to the divine Universal source, you can speed up your rescue by asking for assistance.
So don’t forget God Always Has Your Back! You can take that to the bank!