Archive for choice
giving Thanks: every moment
Posted by: | CommentsHello Everyone,
It’s Thanksgiving week. It pleases me that here in America (and Canada) that we actually have a national holiday put aside to give thanks. Although for the life of me, I dearly wish they’d cooked something other than turkey. Personal preferences aside, we honor that the attitude or vibration of appreciation and gratitude is part and parcel of a happy life.
Haven’t you noticed that people who are not focused in appreciation for what they have are focused on what they do not have? This is the old “glass half full” or “glass half full” attitude, a choice of focus which is wholly within our individual domain.
When you consciously begin to shift your focus of awareness to the fullness of having, the Universe by Law of Attraction begins matching your “full” and “appreciative” vibration with more things to feel full and appreciate. Pretty cool how that works. Don’t you just wonder and appreciate who set this up with such elegance?
So how do you go from the “I don’t have” attitude to the “I have and appreciate” attitude? Practice. Purposeful, intentional practice to apply the focus of your mind to loving, appreciating, adoring, thanking for every teeny tiny little thing that pleases you. Every moment of every day.
Start small. Declare your intention to see and appreciate this day/this moment. For example, you might want to start general if you’re experiencing some difficulties in your life. [This practice, I might add, will change everything else in your life so long as you're giving more "air time" in your mind to appreciation than the negative stuff.]
So appreciate the fact that the sun came up this morning! How we take that one for granted, eh? This a big WoW that goes unnoticed and unappreciated. This single phenomenon points directly to the overwhelming Well Being in which we live. As winter approaches, instead of the ordinary and commonplace complaining about the weather, why not try thinking along these terms? If it weren’t for the cold, apples, grapes, pears and many other foods we love would not be possible. Therefore, I appreciate the winter.
Not well? Then try appreciating the parts of your body that ARE well. If your left hip hurts, appreciate the right one which is happy and well. How about appreciating that your body has recovered from myriad dis-eases over a lifetime; and appreciate that. Your body turns your food into new cells everyday without nary a thought from you. Another big Wow. With respect to the human body, there are about a zillion big Wow’s. Consider a few of them. The number of chemical reactions, tiny synapses, and split second timing to move something, digest food, make love.
Got your eyes fixated on the political or economic scene? Well how about appreciating the abundance and community that you do have and experience everyday? The abundance of air comes to mind. None of us have to gulp it in the morning for fear there won’t be enough by 4 PM. How about the abundance of life all around you and including you. The flora, fauna, creatures of the sea? They live in community and do it well. Think bees, dolphins, ants….
I am reminded of a Bible quote, “I will keep thee in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Me.” Me is Well Being. All That Is. Source Energy and yourSelf.
Not just on Thanksgiving, but today starting right now, begin to shift your focus of attention to seeing and appreciating how Full you already are. Make lists when you can. At stop lights look around for things to appreciate. In business meetings look for things you love and appreciate. And do this as a waking meditation all day long. I am charmed by that one’s smile. I appreciate this one’s wit. I love the color blue.
Thanks for the green light.
Thanks for the red light.
Thanks for this car, the highways, the people who made all this happen.
Thanks for the flat tire.
Thanks for the sun, egg, breakfast burrito and everyone who had anything to do with making it.
Thanks for what is becoming our new reality.
Thanks for my connection with Source.
Thanks for Universal Laws.
Thanks for my being a part of all this Creation and my contributions to it.
Thanks for ever little thing, both positive and negative, for without the contrast I could not wish for more and expand God Itself.
I’ll leave you with this. I often think about the moment when we’re passing from this physical reality back into Well Being. A ReEntry Angel escorts you Home. In your debriefing they ask you, “What were your favorite parts? What did you love most?” I started doing this one day and literally couldn’t stop. Here were a few of mine: I love flannel sheets. I loved skipping. I loved whipped cream…. now you go and make your list.
I appreciate each of you who are a part of the Applied Spirituality Community. You have no idea how much I celebrate you! But I hope you can know even a little how I adore you and appreciate your participation in expanding yourSelf in Life and allowing me to be a part of your becoming.
It’s truly my honor and pleasure.
I truly Love You; and I do mean You
Kath
relaxing into well being (a story, part 1)
Posted by: | CommentsHello Everyone,
Letting go of human mind is directly proportional to one’s ability to relax and Trust in Well Being. Life transformation is simple; I never said it was easy. If you, like me, have been working, working, working at having the life you want and find yourself exactly where you’ve always been, then it’s not that the Universe isn’t answering you, because it is. It is simply that we keep creating the same conditions over and over again like n the movie, Groundhog Day. Conclusion: there’s a persistent belief in the black box of human mind that dis-allows your relaxing into Well Being so you can realize what you want. Allow me to share my story with you…
I recently realized that this was the case with myself. So in Applied Spirituality theory, I’m supposed to “play”, “relax”, and “have fun”. Do I believe that’s right and natural? Check. That belief feels right to me, but then I spend 12 hours a day working with my face buried in the computer, writing articles and posts, learning the technology, studying myriad subjects but never really paying attention to HOW I FEEL when I’m doing all this. I just do it. So accustomed am I (habituated) to the work ethic: head-down and sacrifice now for the future. I couldn’t see my own forest for the trees until the negative feeling became so big that I could no longer miss it.
I experienced myself less enthusiastic, less eager, and really not accomplishing much. Yes, I still be worked 12 hours a day, but without results and admittedly not much fun. I wasn’t playing either outside work nor within the work. It had become dull and lifeless to me. Slowly I realized this. And when I finally did, it felt like a powerless place to me – dead end. Now what do I do?
The box my human mind had cornered me into was this: if I wasn’t working, then I felt guilty playing. Deeper than that, however, was another operating belief: amount of work=amount of my worth. Ye gads. So I was in a bind – you know, that proverbial rock and hardplace that I write about. There I was. My human mind blathering about I’m only valuable if I’m working hard and my Self telling me to play, play, play and enjoy my life and through that attitude of joy, everything I want would come. My human mind, naturally, was sneering that that proposition.
Yet, the observable evidence was irrefutable. Working hard without joy was getting me nowhere. I was NOT happy. Something had to change; and it wasn’t something in the physical world of doing, because I’d been “doing” a lot. I had to let go…of what? I had to change something, but what? I had to let go of my human mind belief that work=my value; but then my human mind kept saying that if I stop working so hard, then what? Where will the dollars come from? This was a Trust issue. Clearly a rubber meets the road Waterloo moment. Just me and Me. Which would I choose?
When I listened to ‘me’ I already knew the outcome because I was living that: unhappy, lifeless, and going nowhere fast. When I listened to “Me”, I wanted to believe that all my Good would come if I could relax into Well Being and play. I realized my resistance to going there was because I didn’t Trust. Oh boy! So clearly I knew the direction I wanted to go – I wanted to be enjoying my life and abundant. In order to do so, I would have to TRUST. My human mind wanted me to think it was either/or…my Big Self knew the Truth.
Visions of the old parable, the Grasshopper and the Ant came roaring back. More human mind programming. I was literally assailed by my human mind ego to warn me off from even considering what Me was proposing – go play. Whilst Me sat quietly and patiently awaiting my arrival, not trying to entice me, but waiting for me to allow It. My human mind suggested I work at deliberate creation processes. Work. Work. Work!!!! I did, for awhile, and then stopped. My knowing is that life is natural. The birds don’t work for their worms; my garden is growing outrageously without any efforting. The planet spins on its axis quite well, the sun comes up every single day without any effort. Then life, my life, should be effortless as well.
My pea brain was unrelenting…”Allow? ALLOW??? No Effort??? Are you NUTS? You can’t let up for a minute! You’ll go broke. You’ll be lost forever! Work! Work! Work. That’s the way. That’s the ticket. It’s the way it’s done’ it’s the way it’s always been done.”
And so it went for weeks…with me walking the line between them. Not really working; and not really allowing. The results…the same in the physical world. Not much progress; not falling backwards…just unsatisfying mediocrity. Yuck!
Clearly I had reached a personal place within me that was illuminating the next place I had to LET GO in order to move forward, to evolve and expand. I had to relax into Well Being. I had to Trust at a deeper level; and in order to do so…I had to let go. Oh arg, arg, arg! Have you ever seen a kid at the swimming pool up on the diving board for the first time? He wants to dive in or jump in, but he can’t…yet. The line of kids getting longer behind him as he is stuck between his desire and his fear. Yes, no, yes, no, yes, no……Well consider that a good picture of where I’ve been.
I’m telling you all this in the gory detail, because this is an example of how it happens within all of us. The bind. Leap into faith and trust (and be ruined according to the human mind) or stay the course and be miserable. When I could at last see the choice to be made clearly, it was fairly simple. I didn’t want to live a mediocre life. I never have and I never will. So that propelled me to consider: what it would take for me to relax and Trust into Well Being.
Every been here? Tell me your thoughts and experience. I’d love to hear from you!
to be continued…
with malice towards none…even Osama bin Laden
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Let us be The Nation of Love
If we rejoice at the death of another human being, how is it that we are any different than those who celebrated in the streets on 9/11?
A few days have passed since the death of Osama bin Laden, an event that came back to back with the Royal Wedding. The Wedding captivated us with Love, and we knew this because it felt Good and Life affirming. The report of bin Laden’s death did not feel good or life affirming. I’ve watched news accounts, read of the reactions of the American people. I’ve come to the conclusion that we are missing the point and a great opportunity. Abraham Lincoln would be disappointed.
“With malice toward none, with charity for all, …let us strive on to finish the work we are in, …to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address, Mar. 4, 1865 16th president of US (1809 – 1865)
The Law of Attraction exactly matches like-minded people, bringing them together in elegant ways. Such was 9/11. For the past 10 years we have been embroiled in the “war on terrorism” locked in combat by matching thoughts of hatred and fear. We are missing the opportunity to take the Ordinary Heroes Journey, which is the spiritual journey.
Frequently I am asked how “spirituality” has any relevance to everyday, real life like business, politics, or war. The answer is always the same, every creation on Earth is a spiritual event, for we are the focusers of Source Energy. Source Energy, the Field of Awareness, the Christed Consciousness, Infinite Intelligence, the Field of All Potential is the field of Energy from which we create. It is the same Energy that creates worlds. We draw that energy through us and what we focus It on, is what we create here on Earth.
We say that we are a Christian nation whose foundations are in the teaching of Jesus whose entire message was Love. Period. So we are charged with not to worship him, but rather to become more Love right here in this physical life. The spiritual journey, which is the Ordinary Heroes Journey, is to become the Love that we are by answering the Call to Adventure. The Spiritual Adventure is about clearing out the human ego mind, the black box of false beliefs, limiting perceptions and biases that we focus Source Energy through. Without doing the personal development work of the spiritual journey, no spiritual growth happens and we mis-create. This is how we create aberrations such as war, disease, poverty and all things that don’t feel Good, which are without Life. Without Life is what we call evil: the absence of Love.
Every spiritual journey is about clearing out your black box so that you can be more Life, more God, if you will, in your everyday human life. Every religion ought to be about that as well.
Osama bin Laden was a man who did not take the spiritual journey by answering the Hero’s Journey Call to Adventure. However, he gave us the greatest gift: the contrast. Would you like to be like him or not? In the face of something we do not like or love, the toughest question anyone can ask is, How am I like him? Without this self reflection there is no spiritual growth, and the Call to Adventure has been refused, the opportunity missed. The world doesn’t change except that each one of us answers the Call to Adventure and goes on the spiritual journey to be the Love that we are in our ordinary human lives.
Osama bin Laden refused the call of personal development and spiritual growth but gave us the opportunity to change and transform ourselves by his presence on the planet. Will you refuse the Call to Adventure? Or will you heed the call and take the Ordinary Heroes Journey and become more Love?
With malice towards none and charity for all…these are not empty words, nor is it impossible. We have a great opportunity to become More than what we have been. It is not a national movement, but it is a personal opportunity from which America The Nation of Love will spring forth. I hold that space.
If you would like to take that Ordinary Heroes Journey, begin right now. Go sign up for the Free Online Course delivered in 52 weekly messages at Applied Spirituality.com.
Thanks for reading,
Kath
think a better thought NOW
Posted by: | CommentsGood Morning Everyone!
Find a Better Feeling Thought photo courtesty wikipedia.org
I’ve been having some interesting conversations lately. With what is going on in Japan, the Middle East, and whatever else pops up on the news, I see folks focused on what was, what could have been, what should have been – wasting a whole lot of Source Energy focus feeling bad, negative, blaming, judgmental, and in fear. This is a waste of focus of Source Energy though you if you want to make a difference.
It’s difficult to get the human mind ego (i) to let go of old habits of thinking. “Well, it’s true,”they say. And so what if it is? The acid test is does it make you feel good whilst thinking about it or focusing on it? If it does, keep on doing it. However, most of these things don’t make us feel good as we look at them, dwell on them and witness them. This is purposeful. These events give us a contrast to launch a new rocket of desire for what we do want to witness, experience, see manifest.
Right now, in this moment is the only place where we ever live. We don’t live in the past (except in mind focus) and we don’t live in the future (except in mind focus). Right now, this moment is all there is…really. And right now is where all our power of focus is concentrated and we get to choose what we will focus on.
You can choose only now on what you want to focus. You can choose only now how you want to feel. You can choose only now what you want to experience next. You can only do that right now. When you truly understand how powerful your focus is – focusing Source Energy that creates worlds through you, then you begin to understand that it is very beneficial not just to you, but to whatever “cause” you feel passionately about to clean up your thoughts and take conscious control over your NOW focus.
Certainly there are things going on right now that are giving us powerful contrast. Use the contrast only so long as it takes you to launch your new rocket of desire: safe hydrogen fuel, peace in the Middle East, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle…whatever it is that the contrast has inspired within you. Then turn your focus NOW towards what is wanted, not what is or has been. Lamenting, commiserating, endless ruminating on how bad things are is a waste and misuse of Source Energy. You are not only keeping that reality around longer, you’re making yourself feel bad in the meantime. So does it help the folks in Japan if you feel bad, too? No. It prolongs their situation.
Thought forms are like the wake behind a jet boat in the water. They create slip streams that others can “latch onto” like a life preserver. Someone in Japan is in need of a better feeling thought right now and perhaps reaching for it. You can provide that thought stream for them. This is how we are either part of the problem or part of the solution…not just in actions, but first and foremost by our thoughts.
Thinking the thoughts that they are having of doom and desperation only add to the “mass” of that thought. Creating a vision in your mind of what Good is coming, begins building the new reality right NOW. Reach for a better feeling thought; it’s uncommon but powerful…NOW. It’s all Applied Spirituality; but is it conscious and deliberate is the question.
Thanks for reading,
Kath
what you can do for your country
Posted by: | CommentsHello Everyone,
It’s 50 years since JFK delivered his first inaugural address on a cold, bright winter’s day in Washington, DC. Some of us may remember it; some of you may not. Perhaps you were not even born yet. It’s a speech worth hearing, because unlike some who would say that JFK’s was a presidency interrupted and therefore, lost; he laid the ground work for what we are endeavoring to carry forward today. On that winter’s day he planted the seeds in not just our American consciousness, but all of mankind’s consciousness for a world where we would realize – make REAL – certain ideals. He illuminated the idea the God’s work was actually our work. That we are the creators of our Reality. ..all of it.
He told us we would go to the moon in 10 years when we did not have the technology to do so; and we did it in 9. He laid the ground work along with Bobby and Martin for human rights. Today we are seeing the last remaining vestiges of bias falling by the wayside one by one. He knew we were Source Energy having this physical life. He kept us focused on the infinite possibilities. He said the work may not be done in our life times, but we must start – and we did. Now we must carry on the Good work.
What you can do is expand your own consciousness. Focus yourself on the infinite possibilities, removing your eyes from the distasteful, the degenerate, the quarrelsome, the bad and instead, insist your eyes stay fixed on where we desire to go, not where we have been.
choose You, first: your gift to the world
Posted by: | CommentsHello Everyone,
Selfishness has gotten a bad rap. However are you going to give anything to anyone if your basket is empty? How are you going to give the world, your family, your job, your kids your Best Self if you haven’t nourished it?
The idea that giving is more blessed than receiving is maybe true; buy only if you think in terms of giving the gift of You to the world. I see so many people stretched beyond their limits, running like the Mad Hatter from job to soccer to home to scouts to home to job to meetings without ever taking a moment to see if their Tank is full or empty. Judging from the rise in healthcare all across America, I am persuaded to believe that most are going through each day with their Energy Tank on Empty.
There’s an Easy Way and a Hard Way to go through life. The hard way is the way most Americans do it; we approach Life through our human mind which is telling us there’s not enough time, money or energy. So we better run harded, work harded, move faster to get it all done, measuring ourselves by what we accomplished throughout the day without taking a Quality reading, ease reading, or love reading.
The Easy Way to go through Life is to open your hose to your Godself allowing in the full flow of Source Energy into every Now Moment, funding each transaction on Earth with Life, Enthusiasm, Energy, Creativity, Joy, and E.A.S.E. You can go through Well or you can go through hard, the choice is entirely up to you. The wonder of doing it the Easy Way is that time bends and expands as you leverage the Power of the Universe. You have Time, You have Energy; You have Efficiency and Effectiveness and Ease, Joy, Love, Abundance. Yes, you can have it all.
How to go through Life in Ease, connected to Source is what Transformational Life Coaching is all about. The reason to participate in Transformational Life Coaching is purely selfish. When you get yourself connected to Source and feel Good, then and only then can you enjoy the life you’re in; and what’s more then and only then can you deliver your Best Self to the world. So to be a blessing on the world, the only sane thing to do is tend to your Connection with Source. Then it really is more blessed to give than receive. This is what Applied Spirituality is, mastery of your Connection with Source. Won’t you join us for Sunday Evening Life Coaching and choose You, first?
Thanks for reading!
Kath
What Would It Take for You to Stop Being Afraid?
Posted by: | CommentsGood day everyone!
Last evening I watched the movie, V for Vendetta. It was released almost exactly 4 years ago, somehow I missed it then.
I was impressed with the film altogether. Thought provoking, intelligent, well written, acted, filmed, etc. The take away for me was contained in the scene sequences where Evey is put through prison and interrogation, where she stops being afraid of her own death and is free from fear to choose an action that she otherwise wouldn’t have been able to even see as a choice.
In the movie there takes place much discussion of the word terrorist. But as I watched it, I came to see more clearly than every before that a terrorist, by my definition, is anyone or anything that preys on your fears. Fear being the ultimate oppressor of a life well and fully lived.
I participate in an auto survey group. Once a week we are sent a survey (and I am sure these are commissioned by the American car manufacturer). They use us as a focus group, what do we think of this, that, etc. Last week the survey was to my mind, repulsive. The survey began with a commercial where it’s a dark night, a deer jumps in front of car, there’s a crash and the car’s onboard satellite system sends the life saving message to send help (thanks to the onboard gps system). We were to rate this commercial. Then, we were to rate this commercial in light of Toyota’s recent problems. Did we now feel better about Chevy or not? How do we now feel about Toyota?
Fear. They prey on your fears. They market to your fears. You now think that you’re not safe in a Toyota; but with this onboard satellite system in a Chevy, you are now “safe”, once again.
My feedback on the commercial to GM?
This is a time when real leadership would be attempting to lead Americans back into the idea of Well Being, strength and courage. Real leadership would acknowledge that we, as a people and individually create the whole of our destiny and future. We are capable. We are strong in love. We are innovative and creative. We are fearless in the face of any challenge, because we believe in ourselves.
To prey on people’s fears, to exacerbate fear, to imply they “need” help because they are unable to help themselves is loathsome and shameful. This commercial and most of the marketing messages are all about fear.
The trouble is, they get to you because you “buy in”. Now I ask you once again? What would it take for you to become unafraid and live your life as a free person. The real terrorist is fear presented to you a million times a day. When will you stop buying? It’s your free-will choice, wholly and completely your decision. If not now, when?
Want to stop living in fear? Check our Applied Spirituality’s new teleclass, The User’s Manual:Getting the Life You Want and start living as a free being the life you dream about.
Evolution: All About Consciousness
Posted by: | CommentsGood Day Everyone!
What is so interesting to me is that scientists conduct studies about evolution only as it pertains to biology, as if biology and consciousness weren’t inter-related. For example, in the study they conclude that due to natural selection, women in Farmingham, Mass (subjects of the study were participants in Framingham Heart Study will be 2cm shorter due to natural selection over time.
However, no one studied the elements of the choices that were inherent in their selections for mating. Those elements of choice, which reflect the individual’s attitudes, beliefs, and degree of awareness (consciousness), are what drove the selection choice initially.
The Evolution of Consciousness
Way, way back, Neanderthal people were highly developed physically. We suppose that they were not mentally developed. However, their choices (consciousness) drove them to hunt and track for food and survive their environment, which made the physicality highly developed.
As ‘time’ marched on (long stretches of it), their “desires” for easier, warmer, led them to increased awareness for ideas such as fire, wheel, team work, etc. These “new” inventions, led over more large stretches of time to the physical changes right up to current day.
The earth, mankind, the Universe, changes and expands with each and every new desire that issues forth from every single living thing. It is an elegant process, slow and deliberate, which creates the next version of what we see manifested in physical format.
Steve Jones, an evolutionary biologist at University College London says, “Uniquely in the living world, what makes humans what we are is in our minds, in our society, and not in our evolution.”
Here! Here! Mr. Jones. Finally!
We are choosing every single bit of our reality from the quality of our DNA to the quality of our fuels. Everything goes into the big mix, and when we come up with something (result) that we don’t like, we desire something better, and thus the evolution and expansion of consciousness and physicality go hand in hand. We have the power to change our DNA.
For now, though, it’s lovely to see science knocking on the door of consciousness as the thing that drives absolutely everyone and everything.
Thanks for reading!
Kath
