Dining & Living with Passion

by Alan Cohen

“Excuse me sir, we are going to need this spot”, a deep voice awakened me from my sunset reverie. I looked up, brushed the sand from my cheek, and saw a young man in black tuxedo trousers and a short white waiter’s jacket, his head crowned by the palm tree swaying behind him. I picked up my towel, moved ten yards to the left, and watched him and an assistant set up a dining table on the grassy hill. They prepared the table with fine white linen and cutlery as if it was overlooking not the beach, but the New York skyline.

“Is there some kind of party happening?” I asked.

“It’s a wedding anniversary.”

“How many people are you preparing for?”

“Two.”

“Two?”

“Yes, it’s the couple’s twenty-fifth anniversary. The husband is surprising his wife with a private catered dinner overlooking the beach.”

In just a few hours, on a verdant knoll overlooking Wailea Beach in Maui, a happy woman would have the surprise of her life. I imagined the couple strolling along casually when the husband says, “Why don’t we sit here, honey?” As she sits, perplexed, a gourmet restaurant crew emerges from the behind the bushes and serves them a meal fit for a king and his queen, before one of the most spectacular backdrops on the planet.

Let’s hear it for romance, folks.

Passion – The Juice of Life

Passion is a very holy thing. You can lose many material things, but if you lose your passion, you’re a goner. It is the very juice of life, the electricity that sparks all human growth, expression, and achievement. Passion is the hand of God reaching into humanity to elevate it to divinity.

The film Sirens makes the statement that God is knowable through the appreciation of beauty and wonder right here on earth. Based on a true story, an uptight Anglican minister and his even stuffier wife are dispatched to mend the evil ways of an Australian painter who has attained notoriety for drawing nudes. When the couple arrives at the painter’s compound, they find that he has surrounded himself with all manner of color and delight, including nude Elle McPherson (why not have it all?). During their stay, the priest and his wife undergo a striking transformation – they begin to appreciate the earth as an expression of Spirit. Instead of convincing the painter that he is a sinner, they open up to a new discovery of divinity. While they intended to shut his heart down, he set theirs on fire.

Jay Larrin sings a marvelous song, “Don’t Let the Song Go out of Your Life”. It reflects some important questions asked by shaman Angeles Arrien: When did you stop singing? When did you stop dancing? When did you grow uncomfortable with the sweet territory of silence? When did you stop being enchanted by stories?

In one way or another, all of us have sold out on our passion. Perhaps even at an early age, we traded our joy for approval, acceptance, and the illusion of security. But the only real security is in living life from the heart, not hiding out in convention.

The good news is that it is never too late to have a happy childhood. While we can stifle our passion, we can never extinguish it. At any moment we can take it back and start to live as if our life depends on it. Then we become a master painter, all of life our palette.

Romancing Life with Passion

In the Los Angeles Airport, I saw a young man propose to his girlfriend by holding up a huge “Will you marry me?” sign when she met him at the jetway. My friend Karl proposed to his wife (in front of a video camera) atop a high ropes course. (Symbolic?) Another friend spelled out his proposal in a flower arrangement on the deck of a cruise ship, and then invited his beloved to stand on the pier and gaze down at the ship.

Real romance is not confined to sunset dinners and marriage proposals. True romance is a quality of aliveness that we bring to everything we do. We can bring passion to our career (indeed it is a coffin if we do not), to our home, and to our spiritual life. If your spiritual path is not loaded with passion, you cannot truly call it spiritual. The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek, “en Theos” – in God. This means that whenever you are enthusiastic, you are in God. Therefore the most powerful way to bring God to life is to do what you are enthusiastic about.

Let’s have a passion revolution. Random acts of kindness have gotten a lot of press over the last few years. Now let’s go for the gusto and get on with random acts of passion. Why settle for kindness when you can be a twenty-four hour lover?

Make a list of the ten most outrageous things you could do for yourself and your loved ones. Then get on with living your visions. Before long your entire life will be set at a table with an unexcelled view.

“I cross bridges with joy and with ease.”

I love “how to’s.” All the theory in the world is useless unless we know how to apply it and make a change. I have always been a very pragmatic, practical person with a great need to know how to do things.

The principles we will be working with at this time are:

Nurturing the willingness to let go

Controlling the mind, and

Learning how forgiveness of self and others releases us.

Releasing the Need
Sometimes when we try to release a pattern, the whole situation seems to get worse for a while. This is not a bad thing. It is a sign that the situation is beginning to move. Our affirmations are working, and we need to keep going.

Examples:

We are working on increasing prosperity, and we lose our wallet.

We are working on improving our relationships, and we have a fight.

We are working on becoming healthy, and we catch a cold.

We are working on expressing our creative talents and abilities, and we get fired.

Sometimes the problem moves in a different direction, and we begin to see and understand more. For example, let’s assume you are trying to give up smoking and you are saying, “I am willing to release the need for cigarettes.”

As you continue to do this, you notice your relationships becoming more uncomfortable. Don’t despair, this is a sign of the process working.

You might ask yourself a series of questions like: Am I willing to give up uncomfortable relationships? Were my cigarettes creating a smoke screen so I wouldn’t see how uncomfortable these relationships are? Why am I creating these relationships?

You notice the cigarettes are only a symptom and not a cause. Now you are developing insight and understanding that will set you free.

You begin to say, “I am willing to release the need for uncomfortable relationships.”

Then you notice the reason you’re so uncomfortable is that other people always seem to be criticizing you.

Being aware that we always create all of our experiences, you now begin to say, “I am willing to release the need to be criticized.”

You then think about criticism, and you realize that as a child you received a lot of criticism. That little kid inside of you only feels at home when it is being criticized. Your way of hiding from this had been to create a “smoke screen”.

Perhaps you see the next step as affirming, “I am willing to forgive…”

As you continue to do your affirmations, you may find that cigarettes no longer attract you, and the people in your life no longer criticize you. Then you know you have released your need.

This usually takes a little while to work out. If you are gently persistent and are willing to give yourself a few quiet moments each day to reflect on your process of change, you will get the answers. The Intelligence within you is the same Intelligence that created this entire planet. Trust your Inner Guidance to reveal to you whatever it is you need to know.

Exercise: Releasing the Need
In a workshop situation, I would have you do this exercise with a partner. However, you can do it equally as well using a mirror, a big one, if possible.

Think for a moment about something in your life you want to change. Go to the mirror and look into your eyes and say out loud, “I now realize that I have created this condition, and I am now willing to release the pattern in my consciousness that is responsible for this condition.” Say it several times, with feeling.

If you were with a partner, I would have your partner tell you if he really thought you meant it. I would want you to convince your partner. Ask yourself if you really mean it. Convince yourself in the mirror that this time you are ready to step out of the bondage of the past.

At this point many people get scared because they don’t know HOW to do this releasing. They are afraid to commit themselves until they know all the answers. It’s only more resistance. Just pass through it. One of the great things is that we do not have to know how. All we need is to be willing. The Universal Intelligence or your subconscious mind will figure out the hows. Every thought you think and every word you speak is being responded to, and the point of power is in this moment. The thoughts you are thinking and the words you are declaring at this moment are creating your future.

Your Mind Is a Tool
You are much more than your mind. You may think that your mind is running the show, but that is only because you have trained your mind to think in this way. You can also untrain and retrain this tool of yours.

Your mind is a tool for you to use in any way you wish. The way you now use your mind is only a habit, and habits, any habits, can be changed if we want to do so, or even if we only know it is possible to do so.

Quiet the chatter of your mind for a moment, and really think about this concept: YOUR MIND IS A TOOL YOU CAN CHOOSE TO USE ANY WAY YOU WISH.

The thoughts you “choose” to think create the experiences you have. If you believe that it is hard or difficult to change a habit or a thought, then your choice of this thought will make it true for you. If you would choose to think, “It is becoming easier for me to make changes”, then your choice of this thought will make that true for you.

Controlling the Mind
There is an incredible power and intelligence within you that is constantly responding to your thoughts and words. As you learn to control your mind by the conscious choice of thoughts, you align yourself with this power.

Do not think that your mind is in control. You are in control of your mind. You use your mind. You can stop thinking those old thoughts.

When your old thinking tries to come back and say, “It’s so hard to change,” take mental control. Say to your mind, “I now choose to believe it is becoming easier for me to make changes.” You may have to have this conversation with your mind several times for it to acknowledge that you are in control and that what you say goes.

The Only Thing You Ever Have Any Control of Is Your Current Thought
Your old thoughts are gone; there is nothing you can do about them except live out the experiences they caused. Your current thought, the one you are thinking right now, is totally under your control.

Example:

If you have a little child who has been allowed to stay up as late as she wishes for a long time, and then you make a decision that you now want this child to go to bed at 8:00 every night, what do you think the first night will be like?

The child will rebel against this new rule and may kick and scream and do her best to stay out of bed. If you relent at this time, the child wins and will try to control you forever.

However, if you calmly stick to your decision and firmly insist that this is the new bedtime, the rebellion will lessen. In two or three nights, the new routine will be established.

It is the same thing with your mind. Of course it will rebel at first. It does not want to be retrained. But you are in control, and if you stay focused and firm, in a very short time the new way of thinking will be established. And you will feel so good to realize that you are not a helpless victim of your own thoughts, but rather a master of your own mind.

Exercise: Letting Go
As you read this, take a deep breath, and as you exhale, allow all the tension to leave your body. Let your scalp and your forehead and your face relax. Your head does not need to be tense in order for you to read. Let your tongue and your throat and your shoulders relax. You can hold a book with relaxed arms and hands. Do that now. Let your back and your abdomen and your pelvis relax. Let your breathing be at peace as you relax your legs and feet.

Is there a big change in your body since you began the previous paragraph? Notice how much you hold on. If you are doing it with your body, then you are doing it with your mind.

In this relaxed, comfortable position, say to yourself, “I am willing to let go. I release. I let go. I release all tension. I release all fear. I release all anger. I release all guilt. I release all sadness. I let go of all old limitations. I let go, and I am at peace. I am at peace with myself. I am at peace with the process of life. I am safe.”

Go over this exercise two or three times. Feel the ease of letting go. Repeat it whenever you feel thoughts of difficulty coming up. It takes a little practice for the routine to become a part of you.

When you put yourself into this peaceful state first, it becomes easy for your affirmations to take hold. You become open and receptive to them. There is no need to struggle or stress or strain. Just relax and think the appropriate thoughts. Yes, it is this easy.

Physical Releasing
Sometimes we need to experience a physical letting go. Experiences and emotions can get locked in the body. Screaming in the car with all the windows rolled up can be very releasing if we have been stifling our verbal expression. Beating the bed or kicking pillows is a harmless way to release pent-up anger, as is playing tennis or running.

Awhile ago, I had a pain in my shoulder for a day or two. I tried to ignore it, but it wouldn’t go away. Finally, I sat down and asked myself, “What is happening here? What am I feeling?”

I realized, “It feels like burning. Burning… burning… that means anger. What are you angry about?”

I couldn’t think of what I was angry about, so I said, “Well, let’s see if we can find out.” I put two large pillows on the bed and began to hit them with a lot of energy.

After about twelve hits, I realized exactly what I was angry about. It was so clear. So I beat the pillows even harder and made some noise and released the emotions from my body. When I got through, I felt much better, and the next day my shoulder was fine.

The Secret of the Dream Catcher By Keith Varnum

A Dream Catcher is a hoop—a circle of life—on which is woven a web. Adorning the hoop are feathers, bones, crystals and other sacred items that represent your dreams. The web acts as a filter. Good dreams are captured in the web, sliding down the feathers and into your life. Nightmares pass through the web.

A Dream Catcher can be a unique wall hanging. A good luck charm. … Or an effective manifestation tool!

Using a Dream Catcher as a tool can bring you what you want in life.

The difference in the power of your Dream Catcher lies in knowing the secret.

The Secret

The secret of the Dream Catcher is like all profound spiritual truths—it’s not really a secret at all!

Metaphysical truth is truth that’s beyond (meta) physical. It’s hidden from sight—that is, hidden from ordinary physical sight. Not concealed deliberately, but effectively.

 Hidden by what? By the perceptual filters of our social upbringing. Our cultural programming. The beliefs passed on to us through parents, schooling and mainstream media.

The Good News

The Good News is that since all spiritual truth is only truth hidden from ordinary view, all you have to do is change your ordinary point of view to find it!

If you alter your perspective on the journey of life, you can easily discover all the “secret” truths that will make your life happy, healthy and abundant. A change in your perspective changes your perception.

That is, if you vary what you’re looking for—and therefore, how or where you’re looking for it—you’re more likely to find it.

For example, if you’ve been told that the secret to life is out there somewhere, you’ll look out there for it. If you’ve been taught that the power you seek is in a thing, or another human being, or organization, or belief—you’ll be searching for it in an object, person, group or concept.

Switch Your Viewpoint

You may or may not have found what you are looking for. If you haven’t, try modifying the perspective of your search.

For example, if you switch your viewpoint to seeking the secret within yourself, you may quickly find the gold you’ve been longing for.

Where Is the Dream Catcher?

Where is the Dream Catcher? … in the hoop and string of the spider’s web you have woven? … or in the weaver?

Who (what) is the Dream Catcher? … is it the physical Dream Catcher … or the maker of the physical Dream Catcher?

You Are the Dream Catcher

You are the Dream Catcher! You are the One you have been waiting for. You are the One you’ve been searching for.

Yes, I know, you’ve heard this before. You’ve read it countless times. You totally believe it. I understand.

Go Beyond Just Believing

It’s one thing to believe this. Yet, it’s another to experience it.

This is where making a physical Dream Catcher enters in.

This is where the “secret” of the true Dream Catcher comes to the rescue!

When you construct a traditional Native American Dream Catcher out of reed, yarn, leather and feathers, you’re actually only creating a physical representation of the metaphysical Dream Catcher—you!

Here’s the Magic

With the right conditions and attitude, the physical Dream Catcher becomes you-the-metaphysical Dream Catcher. The result is that all your dreams show up in your life … on earth … in this “Dimension of Manifestation.”

When you build a physical Dream Catcher with the viewpoint that you are revealing the actual Dream Catcher, you then experience becoming the powerful Catcher of Dreams that you truly are.

When you make a Dream Catcher with the perspective of uncovering the hidden power in the Universe, you discover the truth—you are the source of the power behind the holy object, behind the group leader, behind the trappings of tradition, behind the sacred belief. You are the Holy Grail!

Go for the Proof

It’s one thing to know this. It’s another to do it. It’s still another to create the personal direct evidence of the enormous creative power of being the Dream Catcher in a real and tangible, provable way.

What’s the proof of this approach? … the love, prosperity, health and peace you’ll attract immediately into your life!

When you realize (make real) that you are the true Dream Catcher, you can re-dream your financial life. Love life. Body. Age. Relationships. Livelihood. … anything you want! Your life immediately changes in front of your eyes.

 Don’t Take My Word for It

Make a Dream Catcher yourself. Make your self into a Dream Catcher! Catch Your Dreams Create your own unique Dream Catcher—a power object that will help you “catch” your dreams

It’s easy: Make a hoop (circle of life) out of a flexible tree branch or thick vine. Weave string into a web (of life) within the hoop.

For pointers, watch a spider spin its web. Go on a Vision Quest outside to find natural objects that represent the dreams you intent to attract with your personal power. Weave these symbols into your dream-catching web with love, intention and appreciation. Viola! Within minutes or days, your heartful wishes will come to you.

Dream, design and construct your Dream Catcher with the intention of “catching” what you really want in your life.

As you catch “Bright Energies”—love, health, happiness, peace, joy, wealth—you’ll weave these Energies into your personal Dream Catcher … and your everyday life.

Each person’s Dream Catcher will be unique to each person’s unique desires and intentions.

Native Magic

In Native American lore, the spirit medicine of the spider is to remind us that we are the source of our life adventures. The spider’s message is that we are the weavers of our own web of life experiences. We are the creator of our own reality—the authors of our own karma.

If we want to change the life experiences that we’re attracting, we need to change the web of thoughts, feelings and actions that we’re sending out into our world. By the Law of Attraction, the vibration at which we’re vibrating will attract people and events vibrating at that same vibrational frequency. This is the magic of you being the Dream Catcher.

Heaven Is a Here&Now Vibration The vibration of your Dream Catcher creates the reality of your dreams. The energy you’re in when you make the Dream Catcher attracts your dreams into manifestation.

Catch a Native American Catch a Native American (or a student of one) to show you how to create the physical and metaphysical Dream Catcher. … Or catch the knack from your own Higher Knowing!

Learn how to weave a web that brings all your heart’s desires—and catches your life purpose and passion.

Catch Up with Your Destiny!

Grab an opportunity. Release the patterns that attract people and situations you don’t prefer. Catch a Glimpse!

Catch a glimpse of how bountiful your life can be! Seize the day. Catch true love, a heartful livelihood, lasting health and wealth. Catch a Ride!

Catch a ride on your own Magical Mystery Tour! Discover the revitalizing force of “Bright Energies.”

Catch Your Youth!

Grab another chance. Seize the moment. Feel, look and be young and vital again.

Catch the Past!

You’ve lived here many times. Retrieve the value from those lifetimes … the wisdom, clarity, hints, tools, discoveries. awareness, learning, knowing. Mine the treasures of your past to update your awareness, learning and knowing in this lifetime.

Catch Your Future!

You’re the one who creates your dreams coming true. It’s your energy! The vibration that you generate from inside yourself. Your energy is a magnet. The high quality of energy you’re putting out attracts quality people, situations and a physical experience to match.

Catch the dreams that will make your heart and soul soar. Dream Catching is playful, practical and powerful! It works!

Weave a New Web of Joy Spiders build new webs at dawn to catch the dew that catches the early morning sunlight.

You build a Dream Catcher at the dawn of your new awareness to catch the Spirit that catches the “Bright Energies” of joy, compassion, peace, delight, innocence and passion.

As with the spider’s web, your Dream Catcher captures the Bright Energies of life and filters out the Dark Energies of doom and gloom.

As the first rays of sunlight hit the dew in the web, the “bad” dreams dissolve. As the first rays of Your True Spirit hit the Bright Energies of your Dream Catcher, the nightmares of life dissolve.

Make a Dream Catcher

This Manifestation Magnet will remind you how to continue to Catch Your Dreams! Use this ancient tool of transformation. Live your life to the fullest. Share your beauty, compassion and inner talents to transforms the world.

As the Song Goes…

Catch a falling star (light, a piece of heaven) Put it in your pocket (embody it, become it) Never ever let it fade away (don’t allow it to diminish) For love may come an’ tap you on the shoulder Some star-less night! Just in case you feel you wanna’ hold her (the joy) You’ll have a pocketful of starlight!

For our best and highest good all ways…

In every moment.

Ilumine Ao, Al Diaz

From me to you Love is the answer…all ways.

For our best and highest good, all ways…
Ilumine Ao, Al Diaz

The Waking Dream You Walk Through

by Santhan Naidoo

Dear Mark,

I accept your invitation to rewrite this from another perspective.

I’ve traveled approximately 23712km (14733 miles) within the last two months. From Buenos Aires to London to Bruge to Paris to Istanbul to Tel Aviv to Bucharest to Johannesburg to Los Angeles and so on. I lived in the homes of people from all around the world, listened to their stories, shared their pain and celebrated their laughter.

That there is change coming to our world, yes we all agree. The nature of life is change. In this world, there are the opposites which have been playing against each other from the beginning of creation. Each has their season. There is a season of more light and a season of less light. Through both seasons there is always light.  Even when the world is completely cast in shadow there is light.

What we see happening in our world is a transition to a new season of light. In this season the tree of creativity and love blossoms, and their fruits form. As the clouds of ignorance, attachment, pride, anger and envy are dispersed, the ones who lived in their shadow scramble and struggle to accustom to the season of light. There are desperate actions to prevent the light from shining through. These desperate actions are very visible in our world today.

God has given the highest of His creation the power to rise above all conditions. That power when awoken in man, lifts man up to his divinity from where he casually watches the play of life. The divine man knows his true nature and knows his Creator and sees that everything is always in divine order. The monster called fear becomes his puppy.

As there are desperate and fearful actions, so too are there harmonious and loving actions at work in our world today. The ones who have cast aside their winter garments are kindling the flickering flames of faith that remained alight through the season now coming to a close. It is not a mindset of fear, hiding, protection, separation and preparation for disaster that guides these ones actions. Celebration, sharing, creativity, unity and community are the thoughts they hold as they guide the world through the transition into the season of more light.

Through my travels, I have seen clearly a common resonance amongst people of all cultures. There is a love vibration bringing us closer to The Creator and the source of all power. This love of God is breaking through all boundaries and uniting us across distance, languages, cultures, religions and ways of life. Its like we are moving closer to a common point of reference (the highest reference point that exists!) and forgetting our differences. In the light of The Creator one begins to see that the world is a game and existence is eternal.

Here’s what God says…

” You walk through the Halls of Heaven every day. I would say that you reach the top every day, and yet there is no top of Heaven to reach. Heaven is borderless. Even as you walk the common borders of everyday life, you are not obliged to the borders. You think you are, yet every day you cross the Seven Seas that make up the life you know. You are not a one-level Human Being. You travel in circles of the Universe. You might as well know that you travel with Me, and I with you. You are Earthed and Heavened at the same time. ”

The Waking Dream You Walk Through
Heavenletter #3266 Published on: November 3, 2009 http://www.heavenletters.org

Oceans of Love,

Santhan

For our best and highest good, all ways…

Ilumine Ao, Al Diaz

Developing the Wisdom of the Heart

by Phil Lane Jr.
A wise elder once told me, “Grandson, the longest road you will ever have to walk is the sacred journey from your head to your heart.” Another elder said, “We will never solve the many critical and life-threatening issues before us solely through the intellect; for every problem the intellect solves it creates ten more.” Unto itself the intellect is a sacred gift of the Creator, but, equally, without an open, visionary, and creative heart, there is no wisdom. Both the mind and heart are sacred. Both are inseparably connected.

To help us develop the wisdom of the heart, the wisdom of peace, we must turn to Mother Earth. “You know Grandson, the Great Spirit, Wakan Tanka, has given all people wisdom,” my grandfather told me. “To every living thing he has given something special. Some people receive their knowledge and understanding through books. In your life, Grandson, you too must read and study books, but remember to take with you on your journey only those things that bring more unity within yourself and others, that bring goodness and understanding and help us to serve one another in better ways.”

“Wakan Tanka,” he continued, “also gave our Native people, and all other people who live close to Mother Earth, wisdom and knowledge through dreams, visions, fasting, prayer, and the ability to see the lessons the Creator has put in every part of creation. Look at those trees standing over there; the alder does not tell the pine tree to move over; the pine does not tell the fir tree to move over; each tree stands in unity, their mouth pressed toward the same Mother Earth, refreshed by the same breeze, warmed by the same sun, with their arms raised in prayer and thanksgiving, protecting one another. If we are to have peace in the world, we too must learn to live like those trees.”

“Look, Grandson,” he said, “at the beautiful teachings the Creator has put in the little stream. Feel the water and see how gently and lovingly it touches your hands. It travels through deserts and mountains and many places, but it never turns its back on anyone or anything. Even though it gives life to all living things, it is very humble, for it always seeks the very lowest spot. But it has great faith, power, and patience, for even if a mountain stands in its path, it keeps moving and moving until finally that mountain is washed into the sea. These are the spiritual gifts the Creator has given each one of us. If we are to be happy within ourselves and with one another, we too must develop these sacred gifts.”

In all of our actions, we must seek to be living examples of the changes we wish to see in the world. By walking the path, we make the path visible. We must find the courage and dedication to use the wisdom of our elders on the path of a peaceful and equitable future. Using that wisdom, we will find we have the power to carefully and lovingly remove the barriers limiting our development as human beings and communities. The greater the difficulty in our path, the greater the opportunity for our growth and ultimate victory; we can always become more than we have ever been.

We know from our ancient teachings that the sacred eagle of humanity has two perfectly balanced and harmonious wings — one representing woman, and one representing man. In our relationships as women and men, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, we must join together to eliminate all forms of disrespect, mistreatment, or lack of sharing in the responsibility of raising the world’s children.

It is my deepest prayer that with every new sunrise, we can recognize more and more that the most sacred and holy of all the wonderful gifts the Creator has given us is the birth of a child. Everything we can do to provide our children and communities the best possible future is a sacred gift and responsibility.

For is not the moment long, long overdue, my beloved relatives, through the unfailing power and love of our good creator, for us to free ourselves completely from the hurt of both the past and present, so we may truly soar like majestic eagles to the promised greatness of our sacred destiny and future?

For our best and highest good, all ways…

Ilumine Ao, Al Diaz

It’s All Up to You

by Diane Chambers

For most people, deciding what to do in life is a pretty tough decision, and one that requires more than a few moments’ thought. Maybe that’s why so many of us avoid thinking about it. Besides, when we simply react to life as it presents itself, we can make life itself responsible for what happens to us, rather than taking any responsibility ourselves. How many times have you heard the following statements?

“I’d be able to afford a nicer car if my boss would give me a raise.”

“The factory laid me off, so the bank foreclosed on my house.”

“She got the promotion because she’s always kissing up.”

“It’s not what you know, but who you know.”

“They hired a snot-nosed kid right out of college to be my boss.”

These seemingly good excuses often elicit a sympathetic response, but if you examine them closely you will find that they contain a common thread: everything is someone else’s fault.

Before you can identify the need and desire to make a change, it’s imperative that you get past the blaming stage. Blaming keeps you in the past.

No matter how much you believe in your excuses, you simply cannot deny that your success depends on the choices you make. You may have a tougher time than others because of barriers beyond your control (race, gender, age, and so on), but probably your toughest obstacle is the one you’ve created for yourself by failing to believe in your potential.

To overcome this obstacle, you’ve got to allow yourself the luxury of dreaming. If you’ve been struggling for some time, it might be tough to begin this process, but it’s free and can be a lot of fun.

Once you’ve decided you need to make a career change, ask yourself a few simple questions in order to reveal the what. We’ll call these the “I” questions:

1. Am I happy in my current job?
-If so, how could I enhance my skills to make it more enjoyable or profitable?
-If not, what is it I don’t like — hours, pay, people, tasks?

2. If I could walk into any job tomorrow (no questions asked), where would I choose to go? Why?

3. If I were financially independent, what would I do with my time?

4. If money were no object, what would I do to improve myself personally, academically, or socially?

5. What profession or activity did I secretly dream about as a child?

Sometimes, by asking these kinds of questions, we unlock hidden desires we didn’t realize were there. Some people have never thought about these things because they’ve always discounted their ability to ever achieve them. Many were raised with strong opposition to dreaming:

“Don’t get your hopes up and you won’t be disappointed.”

“No use thinking about something you can’t have.”

“There’s no time to waste on foolish notions.”

This so-called sensible philosophy can breed a stable no-nonsense approach to life, but it can also block valuable forethought and necessary planning for today’s complicated and competitive environment.

By allowing yourself to think beyond the present, you may discover that your current situation isn’t as sensible and practical as you once thought.

For example, Linda has been working as a factory supervisor for the past seven years. Linda is thankful for her job, but it’s not something she ever dreamed she’d be doing at this stage in her life. When her husband divorced her unexpectedly two years ago, she was left with three children to feed and a house to pay for. She always thought of her job as a second income, extra money to help pay for things like a nicer car, a yearly vacation, and her daughter’s orthodontics. When it became her sole income, however, her job no longer looked very appealing. Nevertheless, after seven years, Linda thought it made sense to continue on until her retirement was vested in three more years.

When Linda was asked about her desire to do something different with her life, her response was, “I don’t know. It would be nice to not work these crazy hours . . . you know, to have more time to be a real mom. Things get so crazy around our house now that their father isn’t around anymore. It doesn’t feel like we’re a family. I’m just maintaining a lifestyle.” Therein lay Linda’s why. Deep down she wanted more than the good pay she was receiving.

Upon further inspection, Linda discovered she felt no pride in her work. To her, it was work anybody could do. She knew she was intelligent and outgoing, and she could probably use her people skills in a job that would make her feel more fulfilled. It became apparent that Linda wanted more than a better work schedule; she wanted to feel pride not only in her career but in her ability to handle job and motherhood simultaneously, with satisfaction.

I once asked a friend, who was also contemplating a career change, to write down her idea of a perfect day. Here’s what she wrote:

I wake up in the morning before my kids get out of bed. I make a cup of coffee and scan the newspaper. I greet each of my kids one by one as they make their sleepy-eyed way into the kitchen. We chat for a few minutes over a piece of toast or bowl of cereal. I go shower and pick out what I in going to wear for the day. I dress, put finishing touches on my hair and face, and the three of us are out the door to start our day. I’m not in a big hurry, but fully aware of the necessary routine while looking forward to the challenges.

After dropping the kids off at school, I make my way to work. I arrive early enough to stop and talk with a few of my co-workers and to grab another cup of coffee while it’s fresh. Whatever job I’m doing, I know it well and feel confident about my ability to do it. My superiors and my peers respect me because of my knowledge and my commitment to hard work. I want to be there because it feels good to be appreciated — it feels good to be paid for work I enjoy — it feels good to be challenged, knowing I can handle whatever problems confront me.

At the end of the day, I’m tired, but not exhausted. I look forward to picking up my kids and hearing about their days. They help me with dinner; I help them with homework. We laugh and share stories before bed. I hear their prayers, then I say my own. I’m thankful for what I have. I’m not materially rich, but I’m spiritually and personally fulfilled. Life isn’t perfect, but it’s meaningful.

My friend’s idea of a perfect day may be completely different from what you might want. Again, what’s important is your ability to picture the kind of daily routine that would be comfortable for you and your family. Obviously, my friend’s day sounds like something from a modern-day storybook. She doesn’t mention the kids grumbling about helping with dinner or fighting with each other over the last bit of Frosted Flakes. But just because we know life is never perfect doesn’t mean we shouldn’t think about the ideal. Carl Shurz said, “Ideals are like stars: you will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but you choose them as your guides.”

It’s easy to dream, but it’s much tougher to make all the pieces of the career puzzle fit. Many things have to be considered, such as your personality and temperament, your likes and dislikes, current job availability, compensation, geographic location, and required education or training. These must all be resolved one by one before you can realistically start on a road to learning new skills.

Step # 1
Dig deep to the bottom of your desires.

Answer the “I” questions.

Study your answers and look for a common theme.

Write a paragraph about what you think a perfect day would be like.

No Excuses
I’ve talked with hundreds of women over the years who seem to think they are incapable of learning and succeeding at anything new. Somewhere along the line, they’ve been told by parents, spouses, or friends that getting ahead was reserved for the lucky ones. I suspect the naysayers in their lives discouraged them for one of two reasons: (1) misery loves company, or (2) the realization that responsibility is a personal choice just might make them accountable for their own lives. Whatever the reason, it’s hogwash (that’s a midwestern term).

Most people are naturally opposed to learning new things because of fear of failure. “What if I don’t do well and end up looking stupid?” “What if I’m not smart enough?” “What if my brain isn’t large enough to hold another bit of information?” To answer these questions, I offer the following:

Making an effort to do something more challenging is always going to be respected by the people in your life who really count. Ignore the others.

No one is asking you to become a nuclear scientist or brain surgeon, unless, of course, you feel drawn to those professions, which is exactly the point. We usually feel attracted to areas and levels of skill that are within our comfort zones. Trust your instincts. Know the difference between lack of ability and lack of desire. If the desire is strong enough, chances are you have the intelligence to back it up.

Folk wisdom says that we use about 10 percent of our brain’s total capacity. It might sound like a good excuse, but you’ve got a long way to go before your mental hard drive crashes!
Everyone will have different reasons for making career changes, ranging from needing financial stability to desiring a greater sense of self-worth or life fulfillment. Timing will depend on a variety of individual circumstances and maturity levels.

There is absolutely no good reason to believe that learning new skills and succeeding in life is beyond your reach.

For our best and highest good, all ways…

Ilumine Ao, Al Diaz

Measuring Success

by Chris Widener

As I have worked with people over the years I have seen an amazing thing. People often get frustrated because they aren’t achieving “success.” There are lots of possible reasons for this but one reason I have found that sticks out is that many people allow their definition of “success” to be driven by someone or something else.

Instead, we ought to be looking at our own skills, opportunities, life situations, etc. to determine what it would mean for us to be a success in our own mind rather than someone else’s.

Thus, the key to “success” is all in the head—our head! We develop our own thinking about what it will mean to become a success.

The frustration comes in when we look at what someone else thinks is a success and try to attain it, only to find it elusive.

For one person, being a success may mean to make $100,000 a year. For another it may be $250,000. Another may not be concerned with the yearly income but be more concerned with a net worth.

Still another may not be motivated by money and may consider himself a success by how many street kids he gets pointed in the right direction and into a productive life.

Now the temptation would be for the person working with street kids to think they aren’t a “success” because they don’t make much money. The temptation for the person making $100,000 may be to think they aren’t a “success” until they make $250,000. And the temptation for the person making $250,000 may very well be to think they aren’t a “success” because they aren’t helping street kids! And round and round it goes when we are gauging ourselves by another’s measure of success.

So my advice is this: Set your own course, and stay on course. Don’t measure yourself against any other standard of success. Do what you do best and the rest will take care of itself.

Here is the truth. Being a success is doing your best, not being the best.

When we get to that point, we will experience a lot more joy and a lot less frustration. That sounds good to me!

Chris Widener

Ilumine Ao,
Al Diaz

The Angels on the Economy by Doreen Virtue

Economic conditions are more affected by human beliefs and expectations, than by oil prices or political concerns. This is true for you personally, as well as for everyone globally. Your personal finances are greatly influenced by your expectations and emotions, so it’s doubly important to keep your thoughts and feelings at as high a level as possible.

The angels advise:
Avoid any thoughts or discussions about blaming politicians, countries, or anyone else for your personal or the global economy. Placing blame upon others puts you in a victim role, energetically. This lowers your energies, and has you attract more experiences of victimization.

If you are around someone (including a media report) who is making negative statements about money or the economy, silently (or aloud if the person is open-minded) say: “Cancel, Clear, Delete” or “In spiritual truth, we are all perfectly and abundantly supported. I now open my arms to receive and share plentifully.”

Engage in activities that make you happy! Please don’t scrimp on hobbies or trips, but instead look at them as investments in your happiness, which is the most important influence in your personal economic conditions. When you are happy, you automatically attract and create new opportunities. Your happiness also lifts up the energies of those around you.

Affirm frequently: “God is omnipresent love, wisdom, and creativity. I am forever one with God’s grace and love. I am completely supported in all ways by the love of God. I follow my Divine guidance along pathways of giving of selfless service, and receiving the support that God offers to everyone.”

Keep your thoughts about other people’s finances at a very high level. Frequently affirm that we are all richly abundant in all ways. Avoid any pity thoughts about anyone, but do give donations and support as you are guided.

Don’t worry about HOW your finances will be supported or resolved. Remember that God’s creativity, wisdom, and love is boundless. Your prayers will be answered in surprising, miraculous, and unexpected ways.

Whenever you get a strong intuitive lead to do something positive, follow it without delay! Remember that God frequently answers your prayers by giving you strong and repetitive messages to take action. These messages may come to you as an emotional or physical feeling; an idea or inspiration; a vision or dream; or words that you hear. As you follow this guidance, you co-create the answer to your prayers.

The angels say that we are already collectively seeing economic improvements which will continue into October and November. You can see and experience these improvements for yourself with faith, hope, and trust. Pray for more faith, and it is always given – I especially recommend praying for increased faith, hope, and trust as you’re falling asleep – you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel when you wake up in the morning.

I am praying on your behalf, as well.

For our best and highest good all ways… In every moment.

Ilumine Ao,
Al Diaz

Ilumine Ao,
Al Diaz

Remove Emotional Blocks To Success

by Nick Arrizza M.D.

The single biggest impediment to any individual’s ability to achieve success in any area of their life is the presence of emotional blocks that prevent them from actualizing their dreams.

Emotional blocks can take many forms. Some of them are:

1. The Fear of Change.

2. The Fear of Failure.

3. The Fear of Disappointment.

4. The Fear of Making Mistakes.

5. The Fear of Taking Responsibility.

6. The Emotional Need For Certainty.

7. Self Doubt.

8. Low Self Confidence.

9. Low Self Esteem.

10. Low Self Worth.

11. The Fear of Success.

There are many more that I’m sure you have either experienced or can name.

All emotional blocks arise as a result of one’s early life history accumulated and stored as memories in the mind/body. Such memories act to limit and constrain one’s “playing field of life”.

In other words the limitations that any individual experiences are not due to external constraints as is commonly thought rather they are instead due to this invisible yet ever present “net” of conditioned internal mental and emotional blocks that were acquired early in life.

Many are acquired so early that often the individual has no conscious recollection of the memories associated with them. Instead they become integrated into what the individual considers their personality only to find out years later, if at all, how their life has followed a definite but restricted course.

Those who feel the constraints and wish to move beyond them often turn to coaches or psychologists who attempt to help them move past such limitations.
Unfortunately the coaching and/or therapies offered have one significant limitation in themselves. What is that you ask?

Well what most coaching or therapy misses out is the fact that after all of the work is done the offending memory remains stored within the client and has the potential to rear its head again whenever the client tries to push past the limitations imposed by it.

In order to remedy this problem it becomes imperative to completely “release” the memory from the mind and body at all levels.

Releasing it means that the individual will then experience the event as if it never happened to them!

Now for some this may sound somewhat radical. After all why would anyone wish to release what they consider a part of themselves, something they identify themselves with?
Well that is exactly my point. When you identify yourself with say your so-called personality, which is the result of your life history, you are inherently bound by it. Therein lays the limitation!

In order to free yourself from such limitations you have to step out of your limiting personality and transform yourself into a more capable individual. This might be analogous to taking on a new yet more empowered identity. In order to do so however one needs to “break out” of the limitations of the old personality altogether.

In other words it is not sufficient to pretend that you are someone else or to learn new skills. The personality itself must be cracked and shed like a snake’s skin in order to allow a new way of being to come into being.

The only way to do this is to release your identification with your so called past and therefore release it from within yourself.

A new process called the Mind Resonance Process ® (MRP) was devised for this exact purpose.

If you would like to experience MRP and release your limiting emotional blocks kindly visit the web link below.

Web Site: telecoaching4u.com

Ilumine Ao,
Al Diaz

Judgment Is As Judgment Does
by Shakti Gawain

It has been tremendously helpful for me to understand the difference between consciousness and spirituality. Spirituality is one type of energy — the energy that links us to our deepest essential nature and to the universal source. Consciousness is the awareness of all of the energies within us. Thus, it is quite possible to follow a spiritual path that is not necessarily a consciousness path. That is, we could work on developing the spiritual dimension of our being, without necessarily developing the other aspects. We can become spiritually developed and totally identified with our “spiritual self”. In this case, we would usually disown many other energies, especially the physical and emotional ones. That’s why we see so many people who are very highly attuned spiritually, but may be completely out of balance in their physical and emotional lives.

Consciousness, on the other hand, involves developing and integrating all the many aspects of our being, including, but not limited to, the spiritual.

The path of transcendence is a spiritual path, while the path of transformation is a consciousness path. Contacting and developing our spiritual nature is an important part of the consciousness journey, but there are many other important parts as well. The path of transformation involves a powerful commitment to every level of growth.

One of my concerns about the New Age movement is its focus on transcendence rather than transformation. Many are hoping that by developing spiritually, they can rise above their problems and not have to face the challenge of integrating their spiritual and human natures. They feel comfortable and safe exploring the spiritual and mental realms, but hope to avoid the more painful or difficult emotional healing work. Of course, it is a perfectly legitimate option to choose a transcendent path, but it will not bring about profound healing and wholeness for the individual or for the world. And ironically, the peace of mind that so many people seek on the transcendent path cannot be fully achieved by focusing exclusively on that reality.

Feel The Feeling

In New Age circles there is much talk about unconditional love. Many teachers urge their followers to practice forgiveness, be non-judgmental, and love fully without conditions, and many sincere seekers are earnestly trying to follow these teachings. I have a problem with the way these ideas are often presented. Of course, judgments are unpleasant, separating, and uncomfortable for all concerned. Forgiveness is a powerful and healing force for both the giver and the recipient. And there’s nothing more blissful than giving and/or receiving unconditional love. However, there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about these processes, and much of what is being taught is coming from the transcendent rather than the transformative approach.

Again, we must recognize the difference between our spiritual essence and human personality. As spiritual beings, we are always at one with universal love, which is always unconditional and non-judgmental. The personality, however, has the goal of learning to live in the physical world and get our emotional needs met. On the personality level, we are fundamentally concerned with protecting and caring for the vulnerable child within us; our feelings of love are entwined with our needs for safety, trust, and intimacy. We have powerful defense mechanisms in our personalities that can close off our feelings of love when we don’t feel safe.

Rather than denying or trying to suppress these feelings and reactions, we need to respect and appreciate the function of our human personality. It is not by nature unconditionally loving. Much healing can take place when we recognize this as a given and are able to honor both our spiritual and our human nature.

When we feel judgmental, rather than denying those feelings, we need to look deeply into them to discover what is triggering them. Usually, we feel judgmental when we are frustrated because we have not followed our own truth in some way, or because we are having to confront another person who is reflecting one of our disowned selves back to us. So, instead of simply blocking ourselves from experiencing our judgmental feelings, we need to be attentive to the fact that our judgments can provide us with clues for what we need to look at in ourselves; ultimately, they are healing gifts. If we try to suppress or ignore the feelings, we miss the opportunity for learning and consciousness. Condemning ourselves for being judgmental is simply judging ourselves for being judgmental!

Obtaining Knowledge

What stops people from embarking on the transformational path? For many, it is simply a lack of knowledge. They aren’t aware that such an opportunity exists, or perhaps they aren’t sure how to go about finding it. Lack of knowledge is not the only roadblock on the consciousness path. Another one is fear. We all fear the unknown, of course, and this particular journey certainly is unpredictable in many ways. That’s why it is so important to cultivate a personal relationship with our inner guidance. Unless we feel some sense of a higher force working with us, it is simply too frightening to leave our familiar territory.

Many people are afraid of emotional healing work. There are so many misunderstandings and stereotypes about psychotherapy. Unfortunately, there are also many less than adequate or downright harmful therapists and healers, and many people who have had negative, disappointing or downright traumatic experiences with them. So it is extremely important to choose your helpers wisely and carefully.

I have found that most people are afraid that if they begin exploring deep feelings, they will get stuck there and never emerge. When feelings have been repressed and disowned, they feel very intense and powerful, and it is easy to feel that they might overwhelm us forever if we ever give them the opportunity.

However, the facts are quite different. If we move into our healing process at our own pace, without pushing ourselves and with the right support, it is not nearly as difficult as we might fear. Each of us has an internal mechanism that guides the pace of our journey. Once we allow ourselves to experience an emotion freely, we discover that rather than washing us away, the wave of feeling gradually subsides and leaves us with a deep sense of wonderful peace.

Tap Into Love

The key to unconditional love is found in the love our spirit has for our personality. When we can tap into spirit, we can unconditionally love ourselves — including the parts of us that are angry, judgmental, needy, and selfish. Then we naturally feel compassion and acceptance toward others as well. We recognize in them the same human attributes that we have learned to love in ourselves. By loving and honoring our own personality in this way, we gain clear vision about other people’s development on the personality level. We can maintain appropriate boundaries, making wise choices about who it’s appropriate to get close to. At the same time, through our connection with our own divine essence, we naturally recognize and acknowledge the spiritual being in everyone else, even those with whom we know we must maintain some distance.

Remember that it doesn’t really work to try to feel love, or any other feeling. Our feelings are not controlled by our will, and most attempts to assert this kind of power over them leads to denial, repression, and disowning parts of ourselves, or to an expression of feeling that is not authentic.
By acknowledging and honoring any feeling — no matter how “unacceptable” we might have previously judged it to be — we create space for its opposite. So trying to love unconditionally is a contradiction. Unconditional love is some thing that arises naturally when we can accept all our feelings and love all parts of us, including the parts that aren’t unconditionally loving.

For our best and highest good all ways… In every moment.

Ilumine Ao,
Al Diaz