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Enter Coupon Code transform37

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INSPIRATION11 Money Magnets in the Twilight Zone16 Real Security is an Inside Job17 Divine Partnerships19 The Spirit of Astronomy20 Your Spiritual Path: Superhighway or Dirt Road?30 Reboot Your Day!32 SelfEvolution:RecognizingtheFeminine

TOOLS & TIPS21 Nature&Yoga:BalancewithEssentialOils24 AllowingSuccess:TheUltimateSpiritualPath26 The True Meaning of Mindful

SPIRITUALITY4 Becoming a Spiritual Mentor8 Decisions, Decisions10 InvitationtotheSpiritualPath12 Nature & the Divine: A Cal for Reverence13 The 5th Element28 Enlightened Beings: Walking a Conscious Path

HEALTHY LIVING34 How to Crush Your Sugar Cravings

TRANSFORMATION6 UpsettingtheAppleCart

RELATIONSHIPS14 When Love Happens18 AreRelationshipsGoingtotheDogs?22 AttractingYourDivineMate

© Copyright 2014 Transformation Magazine. All rights reserved.

www.TransformationMag.com

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Spirituality

By Berenice Andrews

It’s not for the faint of heart, for becoming a spiritual mentor involves a sustained striving for “impeccability.”

“[It] begins with a single act that has to be deliberate, precise and sustained. If that act is repeated long enough, one acquires a sense of unbending intent, which can be applied to

anything else. If that is accomplished, the road is clear. One thing will lead to another until the [spiritual] warrior realizes his full potential.” —Carlos Castaneda, The Fire from Within

For you, a spiritual warrior (aka soul searcher), that“single act” is your sustained response to an inner summons to undertakeyourjourneyofspiritualevolution.Fromthatfirststep,youarecommittedtolivingthespiraling,ongoingpathsofopen-ingtheway,comingintobeing,enteringwithinandfindingwis-dom.It’sa“circuit”thatcanoccupyfiveminutesand/or50years.With every turn, you strengthen your intent, for this is a journey of“becoming”thatisconstantlyculminatingintohigher“being.”

Your intent requires, above all, ”heart awareness.” It’s a “knowing” (gnosis)thatyouareanenergybeing—asoul—ami-crocosmic creator who generates your “bodies” of consciousness (i.e.,whoandwhatyouarephysically,emotionally,mentallyandtranscendentally)withthepowerofthecentersofconsciousness

(chakras)containedwithinyourhumanenergysystem.GuidedbytheindwellingSpirit,youmakethosebodies(soulstructures)outoftheconsciousnessenergies(soulsubstance)ofthe“quantumsea”—theSoulField—inwhichyoulive,moveandhaveyourbe-ingness. Your heart awareness resides in the heart center of your human energy system. With it, you have all the power you need to maintain your intent.

That’s because your heart center connects with the transcendent life, light, loveand lawenergiesof theSoulField.Then, this chakra acts as a “bridge” for channeling the healing lifeenergies fromyour“higher”centersofconsciousness (yourthroat, thirdeyeand crownchakras)down to your root, sacraland solar plexus chakras that vibrate at a much lower frequency. Yourheartcenteralsoactsasa“crucible,”(awordfromalchemymeaning a container in which something “base” is changed into somethingenormously valuable). In yourheart center crucible,theloveenergiesoftheSoulFieldcatalyzeyourtransformation.Thus,yourheartcenter/SoulFieldconnectionmaintainstheun-bending intent while the “road” is being “cleared.” The clearing work involves…

Three Concurrent TasksEssentially,youthesoulsearcherarerequiredto“clean

up your act,” a work made necessary because human energy be-ingsbeginthislifetimeasanimalsouls—theirfirstdevelopmentalstage.Itrepeatsanearlierevolutionaryphasethatincludedtheprimitive instinctsand theotherprimalcharacteristics requiredfor survival. During this stage, human energy beings can sustain muchdamage.Even in theuterusand certainly afterwardyou,asananimalsoul,canexperiencesoullossandsoulwounding—

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trauma to your centers of consciousness that causes parts of yourenergyfieldtogomissing.Thus,youcangenerate(andre-inforce)damagedsoulstructures—perceptions,beliefs,feelings,thoughts,etc.—thatseriouslyhinderyourhumandevelopment.

Onyourevolutionarypath,whileyoumaintainyourun-bending intent, the clean-up that heals the damage and promotes spiritualevolutionhappenswithinyourheartcenter.

There, the tasks involve purifying, simplifying and unifying the consciousness

energies of your chakras and thence your “bodies.” (Form follows consciousness!)

Althoughtherearemanywaysthattheclean-up/healingcan be done, the shamanic paths of seeking spiritual knowledge in theOtherworld—especiallythewaysoflove—aretried-and-true.Onthosepaths,thejourneycanoftenunfoldlikethis...

Forthetaskofpurifying, the spiraling path of opening the way takes precedence. You focus on your survival-driven root chakra and, in particular on its perceptual filtering system—in-strumental in producing your beliefs. While you spirit journey and learnthewaysoflove,youexplorethatchakra’sfunctionalityandexamine the beliefs you carry about yourself and about life. And, you begin lovingly to replace them with the truth and repair the damage to the root center.

Now,thiscanbechallenging,fortworeasons:first,ananimal soul’s emotional “body,” generated in an environmentdominatedbytherootcenter’ssurvivalimperative,usuallyresistsany change and second, there’s the likelihood that the heart cen-ter itself has been damaged, perhaps from before birth. Thus, the firststageofpurifying will also involve some intense, heart cen-terexplorationsinadditiontothosefortherootcenter...intheOtherworld.

Inthemeantime,withtheworkoftransmutingtheold,falsebeliefs,youaregentlyhealingyouremotionalbody,despiteits resistance. Your former enslavement to it is being replaced with growing discernment and detachment. And, because yours is a holistic energy system, you are also adding to the power of yourheartcenter.Thus,theenergiesoflifecanstartflowingoverthe“bridge”andthetransformativepowerofthe“crucible,”in-formed by the energies of love, can begin to manifest. And, in all of this process, the consciousness energies of your root, sacral andsolarplexuschakrasarebeing raised toahighervibration.(Asabove;sobelow.)Whilethishappens,the“i-am”conscious-nessenergiesofthosecenters—thecrucialfirststageofahumansenseof“self”thatwilleventuallymergewiththeSelf—arealsoevolvingupward.Fortunately,inyourholisticsystem,allthisisac-tually taking place at once.

Thus, with unbending intent, you are cleaning up your act byhealingalotofdamageandinstillingtheloveconnection.Andyouare learning—through discernment and detachment—to be whoyoutrulyare—amultidimensionalsoul--ahumanenergybeing.

Meanwhile,withinthisholisticsystem,thetaskofsimpli-

fying hasalreadybeenunfolding—mainlyonthepathofcominginto being. This is also a challenge, because animal soul structures, especiallythoseoftheemotionalandmental“bodies,”areoftenconvolutedandevencompartmentalized.Manyof themarede-fensemechanismssometimesinitiatedbeforebirth.Theyareoftenexpressedbyemotionalinstabilityand“muddled”thinking.Thus,therecanbea lotof“clutter”touncoverandtransmute inyourroot, sacral and solar plexus chakras and in those “bodies.” With yourongoing,unbendingintenttoevolvespiritually,youcontinuetheexplorationsofthedamagedchakrasandtheir“bodies”intheOtherworld, while you progress along your spiraling paths.

The simplifying task willlikelycontinueonthepathofen-teringwithin,mainlybecauseyouareconnectingmoreandmorewiththeunendingflowofloveenergies.Meanwhile,youhavebeenimmersing in the other transcendent energies. Thereby, your ca-pacity for discerning and detaching has greatly increased.

Within your heart center’s awareness, the intent has remained unbending and the tasks have become easier. And all thattime,theindwellingSpirithasbeenguidingyou,whileyoulived,movedandhadyourbeing in theSoulField.Throughoutall of this raising of animal soul consciousness, the healing work inthelowercenterswaschangingtheenergiesoftheentiresys-tem. And your heart awareness expanded constantly. Thus, there was developing an increasing capacity to embrace “oneness,” for all along, your third task of unifying had been unfolding. But it wasnot a “merger.” Itwas (andwill continue tobe) a “dance”ofbalancedandhealthycentersofconsciousness—awholeness.Theyhavebeengeneratingtrulyhuman“bodies”whose“i-am”consciousness energies were being readied to be one with the indwelling Spirit.

It’s a transformation and a culmination. In your heartawareness there is a newness of being. It’s the joy of entering within...andfindingwisdom.That’sthegoalofspiritualevolution.Atthatpinnacle,you—thesoulsearcher—arebothlovinglydis-cerning and lovingly detached. That’s what makes “impeccability” possible.Withthiswonderfullyhumanattribute,youcanbecomea spiritual mentor. If this is the result of your striving, you should be honored and revered. The world has great need of you.

Berenice Andrews is a shamanic teacher/healer. To learn more about her teachings, consult her book Rebirthing Into Androgyny: Your Quest for Wholeness, And Afterword. To become her student, see her web site, thestonecircleclassroom.com.

[Author’s note] For additional information about microcosmic cre-ator, consciousness energies, soul, Soul Field, soul substance, soul wounding, the human energy system, chakras (i.e., centers of con-sciousness) and “bodies” of consciousness (i.e., soul structures), see my articles in the September, 2013, to June, 2014, issues of Trans-formation Magazine.

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The Applecart: If you have ever been advised (or heard the idiom)

“Don’t upset the applecart,” you are being told not to disturb the way things are done because it might ruin things. In general, we alltendtolivebythisoftenunspokenrule.Wegoaboutourlivescollectingapplesandpilingthemneatlyintoourcarts,takingcarenot to “upset” the others. The apples here represent all of those aspects of the “mind-made identity” thatwe discussed above.When the road gets bumpy our primary goal is to traverse the challengeunscathed—applecartintact.Atremendousamountofour energy goes into sustaining the applecart. When we discover rottenapples,weusuallydiscretelytuckthemunderneathashinyone,afraiddiscardingitmightcausetoogreatashift.Whenweencounternewappleswefacethemwithanintenseskepticism;weevaluatewhetheranynewappleswillshiftthebalancewithinthecart,orperhapsmakeusquestionthevalueofotheritemsinthecart.Evenaveryappealing,potentiallyhealingnewapple—thatdeepdownweknowis“justright”—willquicklybepassedbyif we get even a hint that it might lead to a change in the contents or structure of our applecart.

“God forbid we’d have to shift, change, or adjust. Oh no, no, we mustn’t do that. Anything, but upsetting the applecart.”

So, we already agree that life is a continuous changeprocess, and we’ve already acknowledged that humans have a strongtendencytoresistthischange.However,weleftoutone

Transformation

By Natalie Amsden Rivera

Nothingstandsstillinlife.Changeisconstant,inevitable.As you read these words you are moving, growing, changing. This being the case you would think we humans might be more accus-tomedtothechangeprocess.Insteadweoftenliveinresistance,orevenfierceopposition,tochange,andthereforetolifeitself.There are many reasons for this, but generally the cause is fear broughtonbyourunconscious attachment toourmind-madeidentity.ByunconsciousImeanwe’renotawareofit.Byattach-ment I mean a clinging-to, a dependency on. By mind-made iden-tityImeanthewho-we-think-we-are;ourroles,ourbeliefs,oth-er’s beliefs about us, our material goods, our accomplishments, ourrelationships,ourfailures,whatwedoforaliving—ouregos.In other words:

We cling to the circumstances that make up our current life situation because we believe that if they change we will lose part of our

“self,” and therefore, we fear change.

There aremany ways to dismantle this false identity,bring the unconscious into awareness, and break through the fear. But, those are all topics for another day. Today I’m going to discuss why we are seeing unprecedented change going on around us and why so many of us are choosing to ride the wave of change and seeking a deeper understanding of life through a spiritual path.

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important point, and that is that the resistance to make large-scale changes—totaltransformations—isnotsomethinguniquetohu-manity. All of the natural world appears to operate the same way. Naturalscientistsandevolutionarypsychologistsalikehaveshownusthatallevolution(whichsimplymeanspassingtoadifferentstageorchanging inheritedtraits)followsthesamepattern:ex-tremelylongperiodsoftimeinwhichaparticularspeciesexistsunchanged, followedby a rapid period of evolutionary growth.From fossil records we have been shown clearly that specieschangeandadaptonlyafterpushedtotheirlimitsofsurvival.

For instance, fossil records show compelling evidencethat at somepoint(s)fish transformed inorder to liveon land.Imagine Earth covered in water. The earth’s inhabitants freely roamed the waters until the geologic forces of volcanoes andtectonicshifting(alongwithotherprocesses)broughtmoreandmore of the earth’s land above the surface of the water. As groups offishfoundthemselvesinpoolsofwatercutofffromthemainocean, they had to adapt to their new surroundings. As the water evaporated,andwasn’tbeingre-fedfromanothersource,thefishwerepushedtothebrinkofextinction.Theironlymeansofsur-vival was to evolve to life on land, which they did, growing legs and lungs and stepping foot onto dry land. And once they began this transition,ithappenedratherrapidly.

Back to the Applecart… What does this have to do with the applecart? Well, hu-

mansarenodifferent.

We wait until we are pushed to the brink of extinction before we are willing to change, to

evolve, to look within for answers.

On a broad scale, many believe humans are pushing our limits and that without rapid, wide-spread change, both internally and in how we interact with our world, we will no longer be able to sustain our current form of existence. On an individual scale (partiallyinresponsetothisbroaderchangethat’soccurring)weareeachbeingpushedtowardourpersonalevolutionpoints.

As the economy has tumbled in the last decade, more and more of us are losing our jobs, our houses, our possessions, as well as the mind-made selves and identities that we havewrapped up in such things. Even those of us who haven’t been affecteddirectlyarefeelingthefearthatwemightbenextortheunease knowing that our world may never be the same. To put it plainly, our applecarts are being upset.

Tipped on its side, our apples spill out, destroying their precise arrangement, uncovering the rotten apples that were meticulously tucked out of site—now

obvious and exposed, rotting in the sun. How embarrassing. Or not!

Somanypeoplearebreathingasighofrelief,oftentotheir own surprise. No longer do they have to spend countless hours obsessing over their apples. No longer do they have to wor-ry that someone might suspect, or even get a glimpse of, their rot-ten apples. No longer do they feel obligated to pass by apples that don’tneatlyfitintheircart.It’salreadyupset,already“ruined.”So,now there’s nothing to lose.

With nothing left to cling to, we finally let go.

Oncetheapplecarthastipped,peoplebegintotrulylookat what they have been storing. They examine the decay and toss outtheonesthatnolongerservethem–therelationships,thejobs, the locations, thestuff.And just likethefish,oncepeoplehave reached this point, evolution takes over and kicks it up anotch. Once you start the process of change and begin to look for adeepermeaningin life—beyondtheidentitiesandthestuff—more and more change keeps happening. Before you know it you have completely transformed.

And so has life. If you, too, have found yourself stand-ing inaweoftheremnantsofyourold life,yourold identity,andfinallyinintegritywithyourTrueSelfandonapathofex-ploration, jointheclub.Youarenotalone!So,knowingallofthis,insteadofresistingthesechanges,embracethem;gowiththeflow,allowthemtotransformyou.Usetheconfusion,thepain,thenewness,andthesynchronicitiesandinspirationstoawakenyoutonewpossibilitiesandthedeeperpartsofyourtrue self. Enjoy the journey!

Natalie Amsden Rivera, Publisher of Transformation Magazine, is a visionary speaker and entrepreneur. She is passionate about em-powering others to GET REAL and live authentically. After a decade of living a life that wasn’t hers and developing Chronic Fatigue Syn-drome, Natalie let go of everything and completely transformed. Through her journey to healing she rediscovered her true self and greater purpose—to inspire others to transform their lives. Natalie “retired” from the rat race at 24, put herself through school as a freelance designer, created a non-profit teen center, and later cre-ated Transformation Services, Inc., which offers motivational speak-ing, curriculum development, life coaching, event management, and publishing. Visit www.joeelandnatalie.com.

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making our choices, we can free our-selves from the world of illusion and begin to make the choices that will give us the freedom to live happier andmoreproductivelives.

The Fool in the Tarot Deck(Major Arcana Key 0) talks to us ofchoices.His number is 0 and “zero”can contain all things or nothing. We all enteranew incarnationwith theability to attain Cosmic Conscious-ness,tofillourliveswithallthingsornothing. This is why our choices are so important. As you think, so you are.

As humans, it is common for us to allow other people to make our choices. From the day of ourbirthwe go through a conditioningprocess that consists of other peo-ple’s rules, regulations, and choicesthat are made for us. It is easy to justdriftalongandletothersdothethinkingandselectingforus.Wearethen rewarded by the parents, the teachers, the religious leaders, the government authorities, etc., whotell us what good and well-behaved children/followers we are. Many ofus are brought up to believe that it is wrong to enjoy life too much. In gen-eral, religions and governments have a tendency to control their followers.

While the purpose of re-ligious teachings may be to get “all the cows in the barn,” the purpose of metaphysical teachings it to get “all the cows out in the pasture.” Thebarnisnotacreativeplaceandtheentire ideaofmetaphysics is toencouragecreativityandself-expres-sion.Insteadofstartingoutwiththeidea that we are all sinners, begin with knowing that we are glorious, wonderful, excellent, and intelligent beings. Onemust realize the great-ness of Self before that greatness can be expressed. In reality, we can be emancipated. We can choose to ana-lyzeandovercomethisconditioningand learn to think for ourselves. However, we must choose to make that decision. Yet another choice.

Metaphysical study states that people are able to

create their own realities.

By Marcia Bender

Thechoiceswemaketodaycanlimit,orfree,ourtomorrow.Ourlivesarefilledwithchoices.Fromourfirstbreathtoourlast,wearemakingdecisionsthatwillprofoundlyaffectus.

A young child begins the choice process by deciding which toy to select for play-timeorwhichflavorofjuiceheorshewouldpreferforasnack.Asthechildadvances,thechoices may include which shirt to wear to school or which movie to select from the choices offeredbytheparent.Theseseemlikeveryelementarydecisionstoanadult,buttothechild they are just as important as many of the future life decisions to be made. As the child matures, the decisions become more complicated: Who to invite to the birthday party, who toinviteforasleepover,whichhomeworkassignmenttobeginfirst,etc.Thechildhooddeci-sions are not what we would consider life-changing, but as children progress into the teen yearsandbeyond,thedecisionsreallydoaffecttheirfuturesinprofoundways.

The majority of people do not really think beyond the moment of choice to the future consequences of their decisions.

This is normal, but a mistake. It is possible to train ourselves to look beyond the choice of the moment, to envision how the current choice may directly impact our future and the future of those whose lives are connected to our own.

TheBuddhasaid,“It’sbettertotakeonestepintherightdirectionthan10,000in thewrongdirection.”TheBuddhistmasters tellus, “Becareful.Whatyou think is so,and what seems to be so, may not be so.” If we can consider those two statements before

Spirituality

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We are taught that we enter a new incarnation withmany lessonsthatmustbe learned—lessonsthatwemayhavefailedtolearninpastlifetimesandhavechosentoworkwithinthe current one. This is called “karma.”

Mystudentsoftenaskmehowtheycanhavefreechoicewhenkarmaanddestinyareaffectinganentirelifetime.Therearemanysituationsinlifewhenwefindourselvesataforkintheroadwheretherearetwoormoredirectionswecanchoosetotakeandstillfulfillourkarmiclessons.Whenwefindourselvesfacingthese decisions we must try to select the path that will lead us to the best possible outcome.

Our destiny may lie before us, but we have the free will to make our own decisions.

Wemust learn to thinkofwhateffectouractionswillhave on others, before we act, knowing that we do have responsi-bilitiestoothersinourlives,aswellasourselves.Wealsomusttryto understand “what comes around goes around,” and our choic-eswillcomebacktousinthislifetimeorinalifetimetocome.

The Bible says, “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.” An example ofhowwecanchoosetofulfillakarmiclessonwouldbethefol-lowing. A woman meets a man, in business or socially, and feels animmediateattractiontothisperson.Asstudentofmetaphysicswould know that this feeling of “knowing” a perfect stranger is a result of having known and interacted with this individual in one ormorepastincarnations.Thefriendshipcontinuestogrowandthe need to interact becomes stronger and stronger. This would beanidealsituationexceptforonething—themanismarried!Thewomannowhasachoicesincludingtoattempttobreakupthe marriage, to become a close friend, or to take it as a lesson andendthefriendship.Anychoicewouldfulfillthekarmainthisrelationship.Destinyhasbrought the two togetheronce again,

buttheyhavethefreewilltodecidehowtofulfillthekarma.One of our major goals in life is to discover as much as

we can about ourselves. When we begin to know ourselves, we can improve the quality of our lives. The more we know about ourselves, the better we can deal with any life situation thatcomesalong.Aswegettoknowourselvesbetter,wecanbegintoacceptresponsibilityforthedecisionsandchoices,positiveornegative,thatwehavemadeuptothispointinourlivesandfreeourselves from the past.

The universe is vast and strange, and no one individual can control what happens in it. We can take responsibility for our ownactionsanddecisionandrealizethat,likeitornot,whateverwe do, whatever we experience, whatever we choose, contrib-utes to our development. Life demands that we respond to many things, but the way we respond is our choice.

The choices youmakewill directly affect your future.Choose wisely.

And remember, Knowledge is the Greatest Power, so Walk in the Light.

Marcia began her career as a school teacher, working with preschool through inner city high school students. She has worked with all as-pects of Metaphysics for over 40 years and specializes in Tarot and Numerology. Marcia’s clients and students are in every state and throughout Europe. Marcia has taught over 400 students to “read” the Tarot for the purpose of self-guidance and to use the power-ful symbolism of the Tarot to reach higher levels of spirituality. Her column, Spiritually Speaking, originally ran for 8 years in Attitudes Magazine. Email marlou2000@aol.com

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of release. Tears of thankfulness. Tears of joy!Icalledmyfriendbackwiththeexcitingnews–

ITWORKED! It was at this point that she recommended I reread a book she had lent me months before.

ThistimeitwasasifIwasreadingacompletelydifferentbook,anditgotmethinkingaboutLifeItselfandhow it works. It was refreshing to have something to think about besides my weekend plans.

Afterthat,my“weekendplans”includedtripstothe public library, and staying home on a Saturday night meant I could read to my heart’s content. • What happens when we die? • HowdoIdevelopESP?Automaticwriting?• Istherereallysuchathingasreincarnation?• Your thoughts create your world?…WHAAAAT?

That could explain everything! With that discov-ery, I found what I was really looking for. Strangely, I was aware that I already knew.

“Your thoughtscreateyourworld.”Thatmysti-fiedme—mademequestioneverythingIknewuptothispoint. As I explored my spirituality, I drove myself to go further and deeper.

I questioned my choices, my priorities, my job and my relationships. My old life didn’t satisfy me anymore. I wanted change—radical change. I got achance to join a group of spiritual explorers in a New Mexico ghost town.

I quit my job. I sold everything I owned. I became the Assistant Director of The Next Step, a psychic and hu-manisticgrowthcenter.The leaderofthisamazingven-ture would become a life-long friend and partner-of-sorts.

When The Next Step closed, I was virtually homeless—andabsolutelyfree.Myhomebecamewher-ever I was, and there was a world to see. We traveled. We explored. We chased rainbows. We grew. We did it all without an ounce of fear.

That was many years ago, and I have a “Rev.” in frontofmynamenow,butIstillfollowmypathandIcan’twait to see what’s around the next bend.

Your spiritual path can lead you into exciting adventures and areas of self-

discovery, but it will always lead you home.

Rev. Marla Sanderson has been a student of spiritual prac-tice for more than 35 years. She began as Assistant Direc-tor of The Next Step, a psychic and spiritual community in a New Mexico ghost town. She’s been a workshop leader, teacher, practitioner, and min- ister of Living Love, and the Science of Mind. She recently founded the New Thought Global Network, a virtual “church” that offers inspiration anytime, from anywhere. The site showcases many power-ful Science of Mind and New Thought speakers and writers, and intends to expand these teachings to the world. Check it out at www.newthoughtglobal.org.

By Rev. Marla Sanderson

Should you get invited to tread a Spiritual path, be sure to RSVP. It’s Your New Life calling.

Yourinvitationmaycomeinmanyforms,andsometimeswhenyou least expect it.

How was I to know that my own personal horror movie would point me to a brand new way to experience my life?

“AmIgoingcrazy?”Iaskedmyself,asIstruggledtomaintainmyusual cheerful demeanor around friends and coworkers. As long as there werepeoplearoundme,IfeltOK,buteverytimeIwasalone,anominous,deepvoiceinmyheadterrorizedme.

I couldn’t tell what it was saying, but I had never been so ter-rified.IwonderedifIshouldseekoutanexorcist,butIdidn’tbelieveinthatstuff.

One evening, while home alone and looking for company, I called a friend. I confessed to what was happening to me and she suggested I simply get down on my knees and ask God to take it away.

Atthispoint,it’simportanttoknowthatIhadleftthechurchofmyupbringingyearsearlierinutterfrustrationbecauseithadnoanswersforme.AsfarasIknew,GodandIwerenotonparticularlygoodterms.

IfeltprettysillyasIgotreadytodothisritualisticthingbutIwasdesperate. Self-consciously, I looked around my room to be sure nobody waswatching. Iwasafraidtoclosemyeyes.Afterall, Iwasconfrontingsome resident creature from Hell AND my lack of faith all at once. Remem-ber, I was desperate.

Igotupmynerveandgotintoposition.Witheyesclosed,Iwhis-pered my request, “God, please take this away from me.”

Instantly (nota secondhadpassed) itwasgone.GONE!Com-pletely gone, and I knew it would never come back. I cried and cried. Tears

Spirituality

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By Sylvia Edmonds

And now, for your comic relief, an irresistible touch of woo-woo. This is a true story…

Onabrilliant,sun-filledafternoon10orsoyearsago,afriendandI entered the17thSt. PawPark in Sarasota, FL,withher young,bouncingAussieandmysedate,elderlyGermanShepherd.TheywereBFFswhohadlovingly adopted each other.

LittledidwerealizewewerealsoenteringtheTwilightZone!Asourgirldogswentofftosocialize,weambledaroundthelengthoftheparkandsharedour issues.Today’s topicdu jourwas thestateofourfinancesandwhat we could do to improve it.

Inan inspiredflashofenthusiasm, Iblurtedout,“Hey, let’sdoanaffirmation!”

Maybe it was the sparkling, open space all around us or some innate sense of adventure that sprang from our depths, but she grinned and agreed. We headed for a covered picnic table, parked ourselves on top, put up our feetonthebenchandwatchedourtwobeautiessettleintothecool,shadyearth. No one else was around.

And so we began, “I’m a money magnet.” “You’re a money magnet.” “We are money magnets.”

We grew loud and rambunctious as the chanting took over ourminds,erasingthehauntingfearsthatechoedthoughourbodies.Ohyeah,

we became true believers with the sheer volume ofourvoices!Timelesstimepassed;our rhapsodyceasedspontaneously.Andinthatstillness,themir-acle appeared.

“Look who’s here!” My friend broke the silence to welcome a generic, medium brown dog who magically appeared at our table. The handsome boy-dog happily nosed our two gracious girl-dogs and wagged his tail respectfully to us. We pettedhim, making him welcome.

“How ya doin’, boy?” I noticed his jadegreen eyes.

A young couple came into view, clearly the people of this beautiful dog. There were smiles all’round, for we dog people were as friendly as our dogs.

And there it was, the Twilight Zone. The young woman called out, “Here, Money. Come on, Money.”

I kid you not! The obedient dog cheerfully trottedovertoher,assheofferedhimadoggietreat.

My friend and I stared at each other, wide-eyed and speechless.

“MONEY! That dog’s name is MONEY!” We howled

uncontrollably until the tears came. “We are money magnets!”

I’m thinking, here we are in a dog park and the magnet magic worked! What if we had done our chantinginabank!?

My friend amazingly had thepresenceofmind to ask, “How did Money get his name?”

The young man replied, “It’s his eyes. They look like money. Plus, he is such a blessing in our lives. We are rich to have him.” And away they all went.

We had never seen him before, and we never saw him again. Personally, I think he was an animal angel who showed up to remind us who we are.Forsure,theMoneythatImagnetizedthatdayremindedmetovaluemyrelationshipsandtostayopen to Life’s great mysteries. And maybe most im-portantly of all…to lighten up and laugh!

Sylvia Edmond is the founder of Touch For Animals, a practice focused on service to dogs and their people. Her work and personal experiences include many years as a psychotherapist, Licensed Massage Thera-pist for two-leggeds, grief counselor, petsitter and pet companion. Sylvia also offers grief counseling for end-of-life issues. As a former hospice bereavement counselor, she brings an especially tender touch and understanding to families that are anticipating or who have already experienced the loss of a pet. For more information visit: touchforanimals.com.

Inspiration

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12

Too often, we lose sight of the fact that if it were not for the sacred union that exists

between ourselves and the plants that surround us, we could not even take a breath.

Look up at the sun and feel its warmth. It sustains all lifeonthisearth.Itpowersphotosynthesis,allfeedingrelation-ships,windpatternsandthewatercycle.Shallwejustlookatit as merely a hot ball of Hydrogen and Helium gas? Look at a drop of water. It is an odorless, colorless liquid made up hydro-gen and oxygen, but it is also the liquid of life. It sustains our existence, while bringing healing and vitality to our lives, and the lives of all members of the plant and animal kingdoms. Its gentle sounds lower our stress levels, and it holds the power to reshape the contours of earth’s landscapes. What’s more, af-ter the astonishing results from Dr. Masaru Emoto’s water ex-periments, we have discovered that water even has the innate abilitytoreflectinformtheimageofourthoughtsandwords.Itistheultimateevidenceofthecosmictruththat“allisone.”

Without water and sunlight, all life would perish from the earth. It is important to understand the chemistry of the Universe,butwiththatmustcomeadeeprespect.ForitisthelanguagetheCreatorusestoconstructmagnificence.

I believe there is a new dawn upon us now, one that willuniteboththeheartandthemind,both intuitiveknow-ingand scientificevidence.Weareembarkinguponagreathuman journey, where science will now prove what the an-cient cultures had known all along. A global reunion is taking formbetweentheEarthandhercreatures.Wearestartingtoawaken to a deeper understanding of the natural world, and the Divine language that is spoken within every molecule of our existence.

The language of Divine Intelligence pulsates through every star, every leaf, every molecule, and every atom. It is around us and within us. We are the life force of Divine cre-ation,anditisourcosmicresponsibilitytorebirthareverencefor our world and in so doing, a reverence for our Creator. It is up to us. We can bring the awareness of nature’s mystery and spiritualitytotheconsciousmindsofthenewgenerations.Wecan reacquaint ourselves with the mysteries and marvels of the natural world. We can ignite a passion for all living beings, a love for this planet, and a harmonious existence between sci-ence and spirituality. We must shape our consciousness, for it is only through compassion and unity that our planet can heal.

Elizabeth Egan is a 6th grade science teacher, Reiki Master, and spiritual singer-song writer with a passion for learning and teaching about the infinite nature and wisdom of the soul. She has spent her life singing in spiritual settings, and last spring released her first album, INSPIRED, in which most of the songs were self-composed. You are welcome to visit Elizabeth’s blog for inspiration, thoughts, prayers and meditations any time at www.spiritlightandlife.wordpress.com.

the Divine&Nature

A Call for ReverenceByElizabethEgan

“When I admire the wonders of a sunset, or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the

worship of the creator.”—Gandhi

NatureandtheDivine…howcanthetwobesevered?Forthroughmyeyes,theyarethereflectionofoneanother.WheneverIfindmyselfwrappedinthemysteriousblanketofNature,inallitswonder,sounds,andintricatedetail,IsenseImustbegazingstraightinto the mind of the Creator.

It seems the ancient ancestors and cultures of Earth knew thisunionwell,andhonoredthevibrationsandtransitionsofGaia with reverence. The cycles of the sun, the moon, the waves, the sea-sons,allheldasecretsignificancetothosewhocouldhearandin-terpret its whisper. Humanity seemed interwoven with the ebbs and flowsofthenaturalworld,andknewitsplacewithinsuchamiracu-lous tapestry.

Nevertheless, with the dawn of reason, humanity seemed to begin its journey toward empowerment, leaving behind the mastery ofintuitionandemotion,fortheperceivedgreatnessofthemind.Assciencedeveloped,andattemptedtoexplaintheworldinwhichwefound ourselves, sleepiness came to linger over our consciousness, and soon the mysterious had been explained out of life, leaving am-nesiatosettleoverourinnate,inheritedabilities.Wetradedintuitionforscientificknowing,andancientnaturalremediesforprescriptiondrugs.Theexploitationofourplanetand its resourceshasbeenadirect result of the loss of reverence we once held for the world that sustains our lives. It seems that, as a species, in our quest for power and wealth, we have become more of a force of nature than a com-ponent of its spiritual fabric.

Spirituality

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13

byOwenKWaters

The legendary Fifth Element holds the key to the answer to one of today’s top mysteries in the worlds of physics and cos-mology.Scientistsestimatethat84percentofthematterintheuniverse is composed of invisible dark matter, but they have no idea what it is. With a short venture into the world of metaphys-ics,youareabouttofindouttheanswer!

In ancient Greece, all material things were said to be com-posed of a mixture of the four elements of earth, fire, water and air.Therewasalsosaidtobeamoresubtle,fifthelement.Thiswascalled the quintessence(literally,“fifthelement”),implyingitsverydelicateorrefinedstateofexistence.

Formanycenturies,philosophersconsideredthatallmat-terconsistedofcombinationsofthebasicelementsintheGreektradition.Intheearly1500s,PhilipvonHohenheimboldlyrenamedhimself Paracelsus, meaning “beyond the medical pioneer Celsus” and came out with a counter-proposal. He declared that, instead of the old elements, all things consist of the subtle essences of ele-ments that he called salt, sulfur and mercury. However, this only servedtoconfusethesituationfurtherasboththeoriesdidlittletoidentifythebasicchemicalsthatcombinetoformtheenormousvariety of compounds that are found in nature.

Next, fast-forward to the Age of Enlightenment. In the late1600s,theearlyscientistRobertBoylepublishedThe Skep-tical Chemist, rejectingbothschoolsof thought in favorof thethen-novel idea that materials are composed of a variety of basic chemicals which, unlike compounds, cannot be further reduced bychemicaloperations.Thisdemystifiedchemistry,laidthebasisfor its development as a science, and made possible the develop-ment of the table of elements that we use in chemistry today.

As the science of chemistry developed and accumulated physicalknowledge,however,itbecamefocusedentirelyonphys-ical materials and ignored the old idea of anything more subtle.

Thefifthelementhasbeengivenvariousnamesintra-ditionalEastern thoughtandpractices– suchasprana, chi,qi,andmana—butitcanbebetterunderstoodbycallingitvital life energy or etheric energy.Fromaphysicsperspective,themostconcise term is etheric energy, which implies a more subtle en-ergy than electric energy.

Whenelectricandmagneticenergiescombineincomple-mentarymotion,theyproducephysicallightaswellasthebuildingblocksofphysicalmatter.Yourbodyiscomposedofelectromagnet-ic energy. Etheric energy is actually more common in the universe thanelectricenergy.Itsmanifestation,ethericmatter,formsmostofthematterintheuniverse.Cosmologistsknowthatitexists,eventhoughtheycan’tseeit(hencetheterm,dark matter),becauseofitsgravitationaleffectsonphysicalmatterinthecosmos.

“Dark”energyand“dark”matterareroughlyfivetimesmoreprolificthantheirphysicalcounterparts,sotheirinfluenceinthecosmosisquitemarked.Thegravitationaleffectisaresultofthefactthatbothenergies—physicalelectricenergyandthemoresubtleethericenergy—shareacommoninteractionwithmagneticenergy.Themagneticenergycomponentisprovidedbythe ever-present fabric of space, which I term the God Field.

By using the term the God field, we can reduce a com-monformofconfusionthatexiststoday.TheGodfieldwastra-ditionallycalledtheaether and, although that sounds a lot like ethericenergy,thetwoarequitedifferent.

The God field is the fabric of space. It is a subtle, fluid, mag-netic energy which fills all space. It is intensified within and around matter, where its attractive nature produces the force of gravity.

Etheric energy, or vital life energy, is the primary energy of the universe. Electric energy is, by comparison, a secondary, more physical energy. Electricenergyinteractswiththemagneticfabricofspacetoformphysicallightandphysicalmatter.Etheric energyinteractswiththemagneticfabricofspacetoformethericlightandethericmatter.

Etheric energy is a subtle, primary life energy, while electric energy is a physical, secondary energy. Both energies interact with the magnetic fabric of space, producing etheric matter and physical matter.

The great advantage with knowing about etheric energy is that this vital life-giving energy holds the key to vibrant wellness. Vital life energy or etheric energyispresentinalleffectivehealingsystems. In acupuncture, it is the “qi” energy that is enhanced or balancedinitsflowalongacupuncturemeridians.Itisthehealingenergytransmittedindistanthealing.Itisthesamehealingenergythat is passed to the recipient in Reiki or Polarity Therapy.

Vital life energy is the essence within sacred healing oils. ItistheenergythatflowsintoapersonastheypracticeQigong.It is the life energy in organic foods, in water exposed to sunlight, and in the oxygen that we breathe.

Without vital life energy, we would not physically exist. With additional vital life energy, miraculous healings can occur.

Owen K Waters is a cofounder of the Spiritual Dynamics Acad-emy, where a where a free spiritual growth newsletter awaits you at: www.SpiritualDynamics.net. He is an internation-al spiritual teacher who has helped hundreds of thousands of spiritual seekers to understand better the nature of their spiritual potential. Owen’s life has been focused upon gaining spiritual insights through extensive research and the develop-ment of his inner vision. For the past 12 years, he has written a spiritual metaphysics newsletter which empowers people to discover their own new vistas of inspiration, love and creativ-ity. Spiritual seekers enjoy his writings for their insight and clarity.

Spirituality

U

5thth

ElementElement

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14

When

Happens

Relationshipsremembering why they wanted a partner to begin with.

It is interesting because relation-ships can give us happiness, passion, and azestforlifethatwecannotreceiveinanyotherway;itisimprintedinourDNAtowantthistypeofconnection.However,thesameway that a relationship lets us experiencedeepemotionsofhappiness,itcanalsogiveus deep feelings of disappointment, sadness, fear, and pain if our “needs” are not met. This can be especially true if we do not take the time to truly understand our patternsin relationships. That’s because, when wedon’t understand those patterns, we tendto experience them even more intensely in each new relationship going forward. Theexperiences become a strong part of our belief system regarding what we think a re-lationshipshouldbe,evenifweconsciouslywantsomethingdifferent.

The most transformational part of my life was when I made a

conscious decision that I would no longer continue to exhibit

the same repeating patterns in my relationships—even though

I was in a relationship at the time.

I was not just thinking that I wanted a change, I was drawing a line in the sand thatstatedmynon-negotiablesandmytrueintentions formy life. Iwrote it down andeven recorded it on my phone so that I could listentoitandremindmyselfofthepatternsand why I wanted to change them. As a re-sultofthisprocess,Iendedtherelationshipthat I was in and forever changed my pat-ternsinrelationshipsandinlife.

Ididnotwantarelationshipbasedon needs. Iwantedarelationshipbasedonlove. Iwantedtofindsomeone Icouldcallmy best friend. I found that person, not just consciously but at a deep subconscious and spiritual level, and that person was myself.

At that point, I did not want another relationshipbecause Ididnotwant to feellike I had to give up this friendship with my newbestfriend(myself).

Another pattern I have observedis that when people stop looking for a re-lationship—when they truly become theirown best friend and are able to change their

By Joeel A. Rivera

Sinceayoungage, I’vebeen intriguedbyobservingpatterns inpeople. In fact, I recalltimes inelementaryschoolwhen Iwouldnoticepatterns inmy friends, familymembers,andeven teachers.Oneof thereasonsIlookedatpeople’spatternsduringmyearlyyearsisbecausemyfamilymovedoften,whichregularlyexposedmetomanypeopleandre-quiredmetoquicklyunderstandtheirpersonalities.Often,Ididnothavethetimeandhistoryinanewschooltobepartofthe“in-crowd”orhaverelationshipsthatwherebasedonyearsofsharedexperiences.

I realized that regardlessofwhere Imoved,peoplehad similarpatterns and needs. I also developed an understanding of subtle bodylanguage and what these gestures revealed about a person’s character, trustworthiness,andintentions—andiftheywerethetypeofpersonthatIwantedasafriend.AsIwentontostudypsychology,Irecognizedthatthemajorityofcommunicationisnonverbal,andIdevelopedatalentofbeinghyperawareofthisnonverbal language. Ialsoconfirmedanddevelopeda deeper understanding of what I believe are some of the core key needs that we have as people.

One of these core needs is to love and be loved. While searching tomeetthisneed,manypeopledisplaycommonpatternsinrelationshipsthatseemtorepeat.Forexample,manysinglepeopleseemtospendagreatdealoftimelookingfor,intending,andlongingtobeinarelation-shipandtoexperience thatconnectionwithsomeone.However,at theotherendofthespectrum,manypeopleendup inrelationshipswheretheyarenotfulfilled.Whentheydiscusstheirrelationships,itseemsthatthey long to be out of them. They see more bad than good, and they are consumedinthenegative,insignificantpartsoftherelationshipinsteadof

15

with Joeel A. Rivera, M.Ed.Relationships

patterns andmeet their own needs,without feeling thatsomeone else must meetthoseneeds—somethingmagicalhappens.

Love happens!!!When I met my wife, Natalie, we were both in the

sameplace.Wewerebothcommittedtomeetingourown needs and loving ourselvesfirst.Infact,asourrelationshipdeveloped,webothrealizedthatweeachhadanon-nego-tiablelistandthatwebothmettheother’snon-negotiablecriteria. More importantly, we didn’t push our baggage on eachother.Instead,wetookthetimetoworkonourselves.Wealsoacceptedeachotherunconditionally,whichfreedusfromwastingourenergyontryingtochangeeachother.Instead,wespentthattimeloving each other.

Without the need to have someone else meet our needs, we can focus our time on enjoying each other’s presence—because we want to.

Webothwanttocontinuetogrow,individuallyandtogether.Weholdeachotheraccountableforcontinuingtogrow and improve as individuals, not from a place of fear butoutofrespect,trust,appreciation,andadmirationforeach other.

AfterfiveyearsIcansaythatthe“inlove”feelingthatoneexperienceswhenfirstmeetingsomeonedoesnot have to dissipate. In fact, it can grow stronger and deeper if therelationship isbasedon loveandwant, rather thanneed. Italsodependsonwhetherornotbothpartiesarefullycommittedtoworkingontheirown baggage instead of dumpingitontherelationship.

I feel like the luckiest soul in the universe, and I am grateful beyond words to be able to experience life with my bestfriend(well,bothofthem—Natalieandmyself).

I have come to realize what “soul mate” trulymeans, and I feel like life has been preparing me to be fully open to true love and the opportunity to express the love that my partner deserves. If I could make one wish, it would betoforeveryonetoexperiencethegiftoflove.Iwishyoumany blessings!

Joeel A Rivera, M.Ed., is a visionary, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker. From an early age, Joeel faced adversity, including immigrat-ing to the United States, failing his freshman year of college, losing his brother, and being in a nearly fatal car accident. These experiences inspired him to return to college, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Education and is currently completing his dissertation for his Ph.D. in Psychology, with an emphasis on happiness. Joeel opened a non-profit teen center in honor of his brother and developed curriculums for the Juvenile Justice System. In almost a decade, Joeel has reached over ten thousand people as an educator, entrepreneur, speaker, and consultant. Visit www.joeelandnatalie.com.

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16

As I went on my way I thought about the fact that she was a security guard. We generally think of security as protectingour body and possessions from people who might violate them. Yet when we live in fear or a constant need to protect ourselves, weviolateourspirit—afargreater injury than any that might occur to our posses-sions. Real security oper-ates at a much deeper level than people who stand at the doors of banks and air-ports.

Oddly enough, when I returned from Japan Ihadanothersynchronisticencounter with a security guard walking through the airport parking lot. Our caretaker had come to pick us up, our family of dogs waitingeagerlyinthebackof our SUV. As the guard passed, he saw the dogs and told us that he missed his beloved companion dog he had to put down over a year ago. “I’m still griev-ing,” he confessed, the burly morphing to a littleboy as he spoke. My part-ner Dee, sensitive to theman’s open heart, asked him if he would like to hold our Maltese, Nani. He took thelittledogandbegantopet her affectionately. Ashe did, we could see the fellow melt, on the verge of tears. He lingered in snug-glingfora longtime,obvi-ouslynotwantingtoletgoofthelittlecutie.Finallyhedid,andtoldus,“It’stime.I need another dog. I will get one.” We wished him well as he went on his way. A Course in Miracles talks about “holy encounters.” That was one.

By Alan Cohen

While passing through the Honolulu airport I stopped for a moment to look at some items in a shop window. A female security guard approached me and struck up a casualconversation.SheaskedmewhereIwasheaded,andItoldherIwasonmywaytoJapan to teach some classes. “What do you teach?” she asked.

“I help people get in touch with their passion and purpose and live authentically,” I told her.

Shelitup.“Thengivemesometips,wouldyou?”I asked her what was going on in her life.“I’mthesinglemotherofninechildren,”shetoldme.“Mostofmytimegoesto

my kids.”I placed my hand gently on her shoulder. “Is there anything you would like to do

for yourself?” I asked her. “What could you do to nurture your own spirit?”Tears came to her eyes as she showed me her hand. “I’d just like to get my nails

done.Thatwouldmakemefeelpretty.”I smiled and told her, “Then please do get your nails done. You’re worth it. You

give so much to your kids. You deserve what makes you happy.”The woman smiled and told me, “I guess you’re right.”

Tools & TipsInspiration

17

Real security is an inside job. You can take elabo-rate means to lock down your home, store, or computer programs, but if you are afraid, you are insecure. On the other hand, you can take few or no measures to protect yourstuff,butifyoufeelsafeintheuniverse,youareex-tremely secure.

After dealing with a health challenge, my friendBette decided to turn her life into a trust walk. She didthings no one else would do, like leave her keys in her car ignitionwhilethecarwasparkedataNewJerseymall.OnedayBettepickedupayounghitchhikerwhotoldherthathehadlefthiswifeafterafight,butnowhewasgoinghometoreconcile.Betteofferedhimtheuseofhernewcartogethome to see his wife. He promised to return the car early thatevening.Whenhedidn’tshowup,Bettewonderedifshehadmadeamistake.Finallyhearrivedwithhiswife,and both of them thanked her profusely for helping them get back together.

I am not suggesting that you leave your car with the keys in it or lend it to someone you don’t know. I am suggesting that safety and

security are states of consciousness we choose.

We are protected not simply by locks and gates, butbyHigherPower.MyfriendCliffKlein,anavidCourse in Miracles student, heard someone in his Brooklyn apart-mentbedroom.Heinvestigatedtofindthataburglarhadenteredthroughthefireescape.Themanbegantoflee,butClifftoldhimtowait.Heaskedtheguywhatwasgoingoninhislifethathadcausedhimtobreakin.TheyhadaheartfultalkandCliffgavethemansomemoneytogetsomedinner.Cliff’s faith transformeda potentially dangerous situationinto an altar of healing.

BetteandCliffwereordinarypeoplewithextraor-dinary faith. My encounters with those security guards were ordinary moments that led to extraordinary results. You and Ihavethepowertotransformanysituation,especiallyonesinwhichwefeelinsecure,intoademonstrationthatwehaveasecurityteamfunctioningatafarmoreprofoundlevelthaneyes can see. We are always secure if we remember the Source of our well-being. As the proverb declares,

“Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there.”

Alan Cohen is the author of I Had it All the Time: When Self-Im-provement Gives Way to Ecstasy. Join Alan and other renowned teachers in Maui this December 7-12 for an extraordinary Course in Miracles Retreat: Coming Home to Love. For information about this program, Alan’s books, free daily inspirational quotes, and his weekly radio show, visit www.alancohen.com.

I praythat I am brought togetherwith the perfect collaboration partner(s)each union created in divine designas the universe declares it so.

In this momentI promise to serve in perfect unison as co-creator,accept divine guidance,and let this magnificent universedo what it does so well.

I am a YES to everything and everyone thatGod brings in my pathbecause I know thatit is by divine appointmentthat my life unfoldsin this and every other areaof this amazing life I get to live.

I release this prayer to the universe andto God in all his Gloryin thanks and gratitudethat it is already done and already soas we are all one and one in God.

And so it is.Amen

By Angelica Love Valentinewww.angelicalovevalentine.com

Tools & TipsInspiration

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DIVINEpartnership

18

theyoffertotaldevotionandunconditionallove.“So,” I asked, “how can we be more like dogs?” Paula

replied, “Be in the moment. What would it mean if we could do that for one another? It would mean a lot of forgiveness, not carrying grudges from one moment to the next.”

Paula reminisced about her dog Buckwheat, who had passed many years earlier: “She was so old and her breath smelledsobadly—andIdidn’tcare.Wherewasthatlovecom-ing from…because I LOVED her so much!”

I could relate. I’ve always been a dog lover, but never so much as in my single adult years when my dog was a huge partofmylife.Itwasanunconditionalloverelationship,atotalacceptance that I rarely found with humans.

My German shepherd, who hadMS, arthritis, andneeded three shots and eye drops daily, was my “love” for eightyears.Somehowthe ritualofputting ineyedropsandgivinghimshotsbecameatendertimeforbothofus.Ilovedhim so much I would do anything to maintain his health for as longasIwasable.Heoutlastedmanyarelationshipandwasdedicated right to the very end of his life. How is it that we can inspire and experience that kind of love?

Terry, my mom, LOVES dogs and believes, “Dogs give more than they require. They make us feel needed and loved. Mostofthetimedogsarebettercompanionsthanhumans.Thehumaniscomplexwithmoodswings…sometimesyougetalongandsometimesyoudon’t.”Shecontinued,“It’seasiertolivewithadogthanwithyourhusband.Getadog!Findyourbest friend.” My mom has kept her husband AND she has cho-senadog—anincorrigibletwo-year-oldterror(Imeanterrier).It’ssosweettoseethemactinglikeanewfamily.

She sums it up by saying, “My dog loves me and I love him. It gives me a purpose, he entertains me and gives me at-tentionandlove…Itfulfillsmyneeds.He’swellworthit!”

How can we learn from our canine companions more aboutwhatitmeanstobeinalovingrelationship?Howcanwe love others the way our dogs love us? I would like to be the kind of person that my dog has always believed me to be AND I would love to be in a partnership with a human where we’dsharethesamequalitiesof loyalty,playfulness, respectandunconditionalacceptance,love,andfriendship.Well,I’mwilling to learn. Woof! Woof!

Linda Commito, author, speaker, entrepreneur, consultant and teacher, is passionate about her vision to leave this world a kinder, more loving, and interconnected place. Her award-winning book of inspirational stories, Love is the New Currency, demonstrates how we can each make an extraordinary difference in the lives of others through simple acts of love and kindness. Linda believes that in order to inspire a kinder world the place to start is with chil-dren. She recently volunteered at a Title One elementary school, working with over 500 students, to create and facilitate “Kindness Starts With Me,” the results of which include a website (www.kindnessstartswithme.com) and a book for children. Also visit www.loveisthenewcurrency.com for more information and/or to sign up for an uplifting monthly newsletter.

By Linda Commito

My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am.—Anonymous

Doyoulongtoexperienceanunconditionalloverelationship?Despite our disillusionment over the years, perhaps deep

downmanyofusarestillholdingouthopefor“The One”—theidealperson who will make us feel special, listen to us, comfort us when we feel sad and lonely, take care of us when we’re sick, greet us when we come home, be our best friend, and always believe the best about us.

We may have thought we’d found that partner, some of us may have even married him or her. And we thought it would last for-ever—butforeverisalongtimeandpeoplechange.Perhapswe’vebecomedisenchanted;desirous,butlesshopeful,offindingsome-one to share our lives with.

Where canwe find that unconditional love, that consis-tency in our lives? Those who have deeply loved their canine com-panionscantalktoyouaboutunconditionallove.Dogshavebeendevotedtohumansforcenturies.Theyweredomesticatedtobeourbestfriend,ally….andovertimethatrelationshiphasevolved.Dogssometimesbecomesurrogatechildren,friends,family,andpartners.They listenwith totalattention,giveaffection liberally, loveusnomatterwhatwedoordon’tdo,andevencomfortuswhenweexpe-rience sadness or loss. And they inspire us to great love.

My friend Paula Montana, an advocate for dogs of all shapes and conditions—she adopted a three legged dog, Opie,who became the “love of her life,” and fostered a one-eyed, single toothedChihuahua (beautifulonly inhereyes)—askedme,“Whycan’t I love human beings like I do my dog?” Paula laughingly an-sweredherownquestion, “Oh, it’sbecause theydon’t talk.Theydon’t argue with us.” We couldn’t argue with that one! And we came upwithotherqualitiesthatwebothhavediscoveredinourdogs:

Relationships

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19

Inspiration

By Sam Selig

Everyonehasadeepdesiretofindinnerpeace,reachenlightenment,un-derstandaHigherPower;tomakeaconnectiontosomethingsovast,soomnipo-tent, that it can never be something we fully comprehend. To me, this is where Spirituality meets Astronomy, and for this reason everyone actually loves astronomy.

If I set up a telescope on a sidewalk somewhere, anywhere, people will gatherwithoutknowingwhy.Asmallcrowdwillform,fullofquestions.Alittlecon-gregationofpent-upcuriositythathasfinallyfoundanoutlet.

Most of us have an innate curiosity about the planet we live on and the universe surrounding us.

It never fails that someone will walk up, peer through the eyepiece, ask me aquestionthat’sbeenontheirmindforyears,andbreatheagreatsighofrelief:“Wow,that’samazing”or“See,Iknewit!”.Thethingis,mostpeoplethinkaboutthesethings,buttheydon’talwaysgetachancetoactuallyfindouttheanswers.Lifeseems to always get in the way.

Itismyfirmbeliefthatasmallportionoftimetakenoutofyourlifetoex-plore the universe is an investment that brings back enormous returns. What kind ofreturn?Areturnthathelpsdefinethedifferencebetweenmere‘existence’anda life well lived.

Looking at the people that gather around my telescopes, feeling their ap-preciationforthesimpleactoflettingthemlookthroughtheeyepieceandformywillingness toanswer theirquestions, reaffirmstomethatpeoplearehungry tolearn about astronomy, about the universe and about our place in it.

Lookingintothenightskyandappreciatingitsbeautycomesnaturally,weallhave a hard-wired curiosity that compels us, whenever we get the chance, to get more informationaboutwhat’supthere.Weareinnatelyinterestedin,andmorethana

littleuncomfortableaboutthesheersizeofthecosmos.

Astronomy and spirituality offer two

complimentary ways of seeing and experiencing

the Universe.

The science of astronomy providestheobservationalandtheo-retical basis for our physical under-standing of the external Universe, while spirituality involves our indi-vidual experience and understanding of the inner Universe. Our lives are greatly enhanced by a blending of both the scientific and the spiritualrather than solely relying on one as ameansofinterpretingtheUniverse.

Whether it is a sunset, a meteor shower, a full Moon, a sun-rise, an eclipse, or the beautifulstarry sky, an astronomical under-standing of what we see leads us to feel more deeply connected to the world around us, and this love of what we see brings us joy, awe, in-spirationandtransformation.

I find it a great help, spiri-tually, to have something which groundsme,andintimesofdifficul-ty, can give me hope. I’ve had some wonderfultimes inmy life,but I’vealso had some severe and difficulttimes. Inthosehardtimes, Iwouldgo out and look at the sky and per-haps see Orion, my favorite constel-lation,lookingverystrongandbrave.Alwaysaresolutefriend—onethatIcould come back to when in need. Lookingup,Irememberhowamaz-ing things truly are. I gain a sense of bravery from the stars, a feeling that I am part of something more, something eternal. That I would get throughthetoughtimesandwouldfindabetterplace.AplacewhereIcould walk with that of God.

Sam Selig is an Amateur Astronome and owner/operator of Star Party Productions. Visit www.starpartyproductions.com.

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20

Inspiration

By Gregg Sanderson

“The Truth doesn’t care how it’s packaged.— Kuthumi

“All paths lead to enlightenment,” says the sage. They also lead fromenlightenment.InaninfiniteeternalUniverse,allpathsleadevery-where. Some have more bumps than others.

Eternity takes a while, so we’ll have a chance to try everything on one plane or another. One of those things is bound to be enlightenment. You’llprobablycatchalittle“endarkenment”alongthewayaswell.

Enlightenment is more fun, so we’ll presume that we want to get there(assumingofcourse,there’sa“There”there).Withalltheoptionsavail-able,howdowetellthedifferencebetweenthedirtroadandthesuperhigh-way?

First, youneed to recognize thedirt. Thebiggestbumps in theroad are righteousness and approval. Righteousness claims to be the only way, and judgment is its tool. Approval requires obedience and conformity, enforced by ridicule and ostracism.

Choose CarefullyNoSpiritualpathiscompletelyfreeoftheseattitudes,butsome

minimizethem,someadvertisethem.Nomatterwhatformtheparticularbeliefsystemtakes,therearethreecharacteristicstoexaminewhenyoumake your choice: Love, Power, and Support.

LoveI define Loveas theunconditional acceptanceofwhat is. The

unpleasantemotionsyoufeelwhenyourejectwhat lifepresents, frommildirritationthroughanger,guilt,anddespairareallfacetsoffear.Loveand fear are mutually exclusive.

Love feels good and fear feels bad. Many speak words of love, but if you spend few moments in their company, you’ll see if they really mean it. Do they put you down or build you up? Does their energy “feel” good?Ifyouweren’tsopolite,wouldyoujustwanttohugthestuffingoutof them?

Loverelishesdifferences.Notonlyartificialsurfacediversity,butdifferentwaysofbeingandvariedpointsofview.WithLove,superficialsare irrelevant. It’s down deep that counts. Love laughs a lot.

Recommendation: Follow the love. It’s more fun.

PowerMost paths acknowledge a power beyond

earthlycognition.ItcanbeanythingfromthegodsonMt.OlympustotheForceinStar Wars. It’s always something. What will appeal to you?

Some teach duality, with forces of “good” and “evil”constantlyinbattle.Theyrelyonjudgmentandcon-demnation,allforrighteousness’sake...“Andwe’lltellyouwhat’s right, thank you.”

Others speak of an anthropomorphic heavenly Deitydemandingsacrificeandobedienceaspaymentforfavors, or to escape punishment. They claim theirs is THE way, not A way.

Then there are belief systems that teach of an infinitecreativeForcethatiseverywhereandeverything,including you and me. It is a power you direct with your thoughts to create your life day to day.

Recommendation: Think your own thoughts. It’s more fun.

SupportHow are you supported along the way? Is there

an earthly hierarchy or a supernatural power to obey? Perhaps a guru to bless you? Is there more emphasis on the teacher than on the teaching?

Dotheyproclaimyourlimitations,thensellrelieffor the price of your independence...or your soul?

Ordotheyteachofyourownconnectionwiththe Infinite. Do they respect your individuality and en-courageyourcreativepower?Dotheyhonoryouasanunlimited being?

Recommendation: Seek out the latter. It’s more fun.

Have you noticed that I always lean in the di-rectionof“morefun?”That’smy chosen Belief System, whichseeseachofusasanexpressionoftheInfiniteOne.It entertains Itself through us as we experience our adven-turesintheworldofspace/time.

AsInfiniteLove,ofcourseItprefersfunoversuf-fering—thesuperhighwayoverthedirtroad,butasItliveslifethrougheveryindividual,nomatterwhattheexperi-ence, it’s all entertainment.

Of course, all this is just the “elevator speech.” I couldwriteabooktofillinthedetails.

Oh wait...

Gregg Sanderson is author of Spirit With A Smile, The World According To BOB. He is a licensed practitioner in the Centers for Spiritual Living, and a Certified Trainer for Infinite Possibilities. His earlier books were, What Ever Hap-pened To Happily Ever After? and Split Happens - Easing The Pain Of Divorce. His latest project is the New Thought Global Network, where subscribers can enjoy the best in New Thought presentations from anywhere at any time. Launch is planned for mid-July, and it can be reached then at www.newthoughtglobal.org.

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By Elasa Tina Tiernan Sherbs

Whenwespendtimeinnature,weexperienceremembranceofourperfectionandthedivineharmonyofallcreaturesandcreations.Whileimmersedinnature,wecansenseand experience its knowingness of balance. And just like nature, our bodies intrinsically un-derstand how to come back to balance.

Whenweseekpracticestomovethebodyorstill themind intoalignment,suchasmeditationandyoga,theripplesofselfcorrectionarereceivedgracefullyintoourbeing.Fromthispoint,wecanseekanevenhigherlevelofevolutioninbalancebyweavingtogetherthebrillianceofplantconsciousness intoourdailyyogaandmeditationpracticesbyusingessentialoils!

In this marriage, we allow the codes and understandings from nature herself to help us enterintoareceptiveinnerstate,alignwithwell-being,andactualizeourintentionswiththeas-sistanceofallcreation.Usethefollowingdailypracticetomeldthebeautifulnatureofessentialoilswithayogaandmeditationforbalancingbody,mindandsoul.

Into PracticeDuringthispractice,youcanuseessentialoilcompoundsinthreeways:aromatic,

topical,andinternal(providedtheoilsarefood-gradeandsafeforconsumption).Theadap-togennatureofhigh-quality,unadulteratedessentialoilsallowsthebodytotakeinwhatitneeds and then use these substances to bring the body back to balance. But before you start, pleaseremembertodiluteessentialoilswithacarrieroilifyouhavesensitiveskinoriftheoilhas a tendency to be hot on the skin.• Beginningofpractice:DiffuseorbreatheinCypresstoallowthelungstobegincleansing

anystagnantenergies,bacteria,and/orfear.• Settheintentionforyourpractice:Droptwodropsoffood-gradeGrapefruitintoaglass

waterbottleanddrinktoinvitethekidneys,lymphaticsystem,andvascularsystemtoletgoofthatwhichseeksreleaseandflow.

• Breathe work: Place one drop of Juniper Berry on your third eye brow point to come into thelighterandelevatedspaceofpeaceinyourmind,lettinggoofanythingthatisnotneededinyourpracticeandtogroundyourpresenceinthe“now.”

• SunSalutation(onetofiverepetitions):PlacetwodropsofBasildilutedinonetable-spoonofcoconutoilandapplytoalljointsbeforesunsalutationmovements.There

aremanyvariationsofthissequence. Use your favorite orcheckoutoptionsonlineatresources such as Yoga Journal (http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/1040).

• TreePose(balancepose):Priorto taking this posture, place one drop of Rosemary on your heart and one drop on your navel for knowledge of your higher connectionanddivineguidancetoattainperfection,releasingany confusion around how to maintainbalance.(VisitYoga Journalforinstructionsontreeposehttp://www.yogajournal.com/poses/496.)

• Savasana(restpose):Place1drop of Roman Chamomile in hands and rub briskly to awak-en the compounds of “pur-pose,” cup your hands around your nose and breathe in deeplyfortwotofiveminuteswhile laying down in savasana. (VisitYoga Journal for instruc-tionsonsavasanaorcorpseposehttp://www.yogajournal.com/poses/482.)

• Meditation:PlaceonedropofSandalwood on the top of the head at the crown. Hold hands in a mudra of thumb and index fingertouching,whilerestingthe hands palm up on the thighs. Allowing the brilliance and pure potentialofallthatsurroundsus on this great earth to assist withtheflowofenergiesforwardthroughtheentireuniverse,come to accept, understand, and live a life of true balance.

• Affirmation:Say“Iaminallow-ance of balance in my life.”

Namaste!

Elasa Tina Tiernan Sherbs is the co-creator of Sol Terra Lifestyle Center and Bliss Empowerment Center. An author and creatix with Soul Star Pro-ductions, she offers Essential Oil Yoga Workshops (CEU); Sol Sessions and Education; Sol Art; Terra Gardens; and Lifestyle Yoga for Children Programs. Visit www.everythingessential.me and www.SoulStarSource.com.

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What can individuals do to connect more consciously to their Divine Mate and help hasten a meeting?

“Connecting energetically to this light, soul, and presence.”“Engaging with the flow of this pow-erful love.”

(There are meditations and en-ergetic exerciseswe cando to connectto our Divine Mate. These are further explored in my events and in my record-ings.)

“This allows the self to align to the hidden knowledge that is inherent and available; hidden to most conscious minds due to the fallacies that have been taken from the collective’s whole idea of the self and lov-ing relationships.”

(As individuals consciously en-gage with the inherent truths of the soul and Divine love, we can more powerfully break free from the negat-ing patterns and/or beliefs that havebeen acquired from our human expe-rience.)

“Open all your keys to loving... Each individual has a role to play that you feel drawn and connected to.”

(After hearing these words, Iwas shown a vision of the angels and the Holy Spirit tweaking our inner codes and inner keys, making indi-viduals more available to their Divine Mate. In other words, helping to ac-celerate the process of availability and assist in the physical manifestationof this sacred love. These are energy centers within our bodies. When con-necting with others, these energycentersrespondandactivatethroughthe exchange. Certain individuals turn certain keys, but maybe not all the keys that are required to create an honoring alignment. It’s important to understand that, at times, certainkeysrequireturningandactivatingbyspecificindividualstohelpusbecomemore available to our Divine Mate. Thatmeanseveryconnectionyouaredrawn to experience has a Divine pur-pose,evenifthatrelationshipitisnotwithyourDivineMate.)

Relationships

By Emily Rivera Andrews

InearlyJune,Iwasblessedtowitnessandofficiatetheunionandmarriageoftwobeautifulsouls.Therearemomentsinone’slifethatrevealsoeloquentlytheDivine’ssigna-tureoflove,andformethisceremonywasoneofthem.Theirsoulsreflectaperfecteight,aninfinitysign,withintheirblendingoflights.Iseethissymbolwhentwinflames,idealsoulmates,orbasherts,connect.ItisarelationshipwithinfinitepossibilitiesintheareasofLove,Joy,Creation,andExpression—uniqueandcompleteindividualscomingtogethertocreateinacombinedform.Theyaresoulsthatthriveandawakeneachother’spotentialandencour-agethroughpatience,kindness,andpeace.AkindofLovethatremindsuswhyweeachfeela desire to connect to our own Divine Mate because, when aligned to that partner, beauty, expansion,joy,andinspirationarerevealed.

Through synchronicity, during this month I was able to share with many individuals advice on how to connect to their Divine Mate, a wisdom and guidance that I would like to ex-tend to my readers today. The notes provided herein are the words and visions given during my meditationinresponsetoquestionsaboutsoulmatesandDivineMates.Ihavenarratedamoredetailedexplanationwithintheparenthesis.Ifguided,youcanaccesstheevent’srecordingbyvisitingmywebsitetheangelcoach.com.

Mayyourheartsbefilledwith love,yourmindswithclarity,your lightswithhar-mony,andyourliveswithflow.

How can individuals align to their Divine Mate?“Is about aligning to that, rather than the lack of it.It’s about aligning to the truth that the exchange and conception is already at play, in a state of continual engagement.”

(AligningtothetruththatyouandyourDivineMatearealreadyalignedandcon-nected.Exchanging lightsand love inmanyforms.Energeticallyengaging inwaysthaten-hanceandenabletheunitingofphysicalforms.Whentheysaidconception,Isawavisionofa soul in the womb communing with the soul of its Divine Mate. With an exchange of love, the two souls connected and, within that state of awareness, each conscious presence witnessed thedifferentpotentialsregardinghowtheywouldmeeteachotherthroughtheirlifejourney.

Eachofoursoulshashadthisexchange.Itisarevelationthatweeachhavewithinourownawarenessandsubconscious;itistheknowledgeofourreunioninthephysicalformwith our Divine Mate. It is the reason that, when Divine Mates meet, they can consciously experience a remembrance that is not only part of the soul’s awareness, but of the mind’s as well. That being stated, we each have free will, and within that free will we have countless possibilities.Ourfreewillcandelayand/oralignustodifferentsoulmatesand/orthatDivineMateindifferentwayswithindifferenttimeframes.Whetherwemeetornot,wearecon-tinuallyandactivelyengagingwitheachother’ssoul.AllinitsownperfectDivineharmony.)

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What is the purpose of relationships?“To perfect one’s loving. There are individuals who connect to soul mates that have a pull from a different source.”

(Thepurposeofour journey is to learn tobetter loveand be loved. Some individuals feel drawn to each other due to aconnection that isguidedby inner fears,doubts, insecurities,negating patterns, or false beliefs.When this occurs, it createsafalseillusionofDivineMatesconnecting,andthecouplethenfindsthemselvesinstruggleanddishonoringcircumstances.)

“The energies in conflict create a whirlpool of change as they try to reengage into an alignment between the both.”

(Whendrawnfromadifferentsource.)

What are soul mates?“Rays of light that have agreed to come together, unite in writing their story.”

How can people speed up the process for the arrival ?

“How can one play with Divine timing?”“Energetic aligning is a plus, but understand the true gift within the encounter.”

(Divinetiming.)

What can individuals do to connect to their soul mates sooner rather than later?

“Reconverge.”(Convergemeanstomeetatapoint,tocometogether,

as if to incline towards another. As we choose to consciously re-converge, we are choosing to remember we are already commun-ingwithourmateinamultidimensionalway.Aswereconverge,we are aligning to the remembrance and the experiences that willenableustobetterandmorequicklyconnectwithourDivineMateinthephysicalform.)

In moving forward, what is to be understood?“A hidden fear for most that one will be alone.”“Unsustained by another physical partner.”“A fear of un-fulfillment with an intimate friend.”

(Releasethesefears.)“Understanding there’s no paralysis.”“Offering highest and best.”

(Thereisnolackofmovement;weareinastateofmov-ingforward.Andwiththat,weneedtoofferthebestofourselvesineveryrelationshipandcircumstance.)

“Complete and whole individuals.” (Weareeachcompleteandwhole,andthisprocess is

aboutembracingthattruthandmakingitpartofourreality.)“When these individuals are harmony in vibration, the two energies become one.”

BlessingsonthejourneytofindyourDivineMate.

Emily Rivera Andrews is a certified Angel Healing Practitioner, Reiki Practitioner, and an Angel Manifesting Master Practitioner. Emily shares techniques that have helped her become a Gifted Intuitive, Intuitive Channeler, Healer, Manifester, and Angel Communicator. To ask your Angels a question, visit www.theangelcoach.com.

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with Emily Rivera

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Tools & Tips

ByTerezHartmann

Spirituality and PhysicalityDid you know that YOU already have the compass AND the

maptoTHEUltimateSpiritualpath?Didyouknowthatnomatterwhereyouarephysicallyor

emotionally,youareactuallyONthatpathrightnow?Contrarytopopularbelief,thepathtospiritualconnection

actually lies in being PHYSICAL and experiencing your flesh-and-blood,3Dlife.ForitisonlythroughthisvantagepointthatyouCANeven begin to detect the path!

Considerthis:Ifyouwerefloatingaroundin“oneness”andsingularity,andtherewasnothingtodistinguishyoufromthe“ALL,”therewouldbenowaytoexperiencespiritualconnection—orany-thingelse.Being ina stateof zeroemotion (withno contrast) is

much like observing the proverbial white mouse in theflourbarrelorbeingdepositedintotheoceaninthe total darkness of 10,000 feet: There is no point of reference,nadda,zip.OurphysicalformanduniqueperspectiveisTHEwaythatthedeliciousnessandde-light of joy/alignment/enlightenment/communion/success can be experienced. So why not embrace, celebrateandenjoythisfantasticbody,heart,mindand planet that gives us the ability to HAVE spiritual experiences?!Infinite Paths, One Destination

Thoughyouwillhearaboutmanydifferentpaths, teachings, philosophies, and ideologies in this month’sissue,I’dliketoofferonewordofadvice:

Remember that ALL teachings and ideas areaalwaysfilteredthroughtheeyesofthebehold-er/believer(presentcompanyincluded!),andthatallanyofuscanofferisouruniqueperspectivebasedonwhatworksforeachoneofus—nomore,noless.

Nomatterwhoyoutalkto,whenanyindi-vidualfindssomethingthatreallymakessenseandreally,reallyworksforher/him, it’sdifficulttofath-om that ANY other path could deliver the goods. Take me, for example: I very much believe that the pathtospiritualconnectionandtruesuccessinlifeis through feeling clear, focused and alive. My own personal experience has shown me that when I pri-oritize joy and clarity, everything flows beautifully;Ihavemeaningfulandproductive interactionswithothers, great ideas come, I always have what I need, I findsolutionsfaster,mybodythrives,andItrulyCANbe of service to others.

The “right” spiritual path is—and always has been—in the heart, mind

and spirit of the beholder, AKA YOU!

Andonethingiscertain,nomattertherea-son for your quest, EVERY spiritual road or desire for understanding or enlightenment is linked to the samecore“destination:” to—inonewayoranoth-er—feelgoodorbetteraboutyourexperienceofbe-ing human.Play the “Sustain Game™” (I Dare You!)

Your mission: Do whatever it takes to allow yourself to be in a state of happiness and clarity, and then do whatever it takes to keep the good mojo flowingforaslongasyoupossiblycan!

Why play the game? You “win” every single second you allow yourself to feel good, alive and clear,andeveryadditionalsecond,minute,hour,day,week,thereafter,the“prizes”getbiggerandbigger!

The“down”side:Youhavetogiveuptimesofstress,misery,guilt,self-doubt,painandsuffering.Bummer, dude.

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What about paying bills, taking care of the kids, etc.? Let’s be real: Most likely, you just won’t allow yourself to feel very good if you tell your 4-year-old to just get a job, ornoticethattheelectricityisshutofffromnonpayment.There are things that we each feel is right and good to do, so you might as well just DO them, since living in integrity re-ally makes it easier to feel good across the board. But rather thanresentyourday-to-day“non-negotiables,”makeityourmissiontofindasmuchfunandappreciationinthesethingsaspossible.Youwillfindthatifyoucankeeptheplayingthe“Sustain Game,” great ideas come to you, everything you touchor create isfilledwithexcellenceandquality,nicerand nicer people show up in your life, you NATURALLY want to do things for others and life starts to cooperate with you in ways that once seemed improbable and even impossible! How’s THAT for a spiritual experience?!

(BTW…Want to know how to REALLY play “The Sus-tain Game™?” Join us in Asheville, NC, for our next “Savor-Vacation™” this November! Find out more and visit www.AllowingAdventures.com.)

The Bottom Line on Allowing YOUR Success with the ULTIMATE Spiritual Path

Every spiritual teacher andmaster had (and has)the samegoal: Tohelpothers livehappier,more fulfillinglives and to interact with each other in ways that are har-moniousandbeneficial.All teachings/religions/pathshavetheirstrengthsandeacharecriticized,butYOUarestilltheonly one who can know what gives YOU a sense of peace, understanding and purpose. And in my humble opinion, a life well-lived is THE ultimate expression of true spiritualconnection.

Choose your path, whatever that may be at any given moment, and as a certain Vulcan would say, “Live long and prosper.”

“And this life of mine is mine to createAnd I experience whatever path I choose to takeOnly I can open the door to living my dreams

And I see when I believe.”—From “Remembering” TTRH ©2012-2014

Terez Hartmann is the President/CEO of ALLOWING Your Success & BEYOND!, LLC, author of the book ALLOWING Your Success!, a pro-fessional Keynote Speaker, Retreat and Workshop Facilitator, Coach, Recording Artist, Show Host and Singer-Songwriter. For more about Terez, access to FREE Allowing resources and “Words, Music, Adven-tures & BEYOND for LETTING Good Happen and ENJOYING the Jour-ney!” visit www.AllowingYourSuccess.com To order her book, ALLOW-ING Your Success! visit www.Transformation-Publishing.com

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By Amanda Jewel DeJong

“Live in the moment.”

We have all heard this worn-out line re-peatedly,butwhenwasthelasttimeweactuallydid it? I mean truly practicedit,withoutreserva-tion?Thispieceofadvice,ifembraced,hasthepotential to improve our physical, mental andall-around well-being, yet it remains consistently overlooked. To be inspired to understand this concept to its fullest extent, all one has to do is findthenearestchildandobserve!

Case in point, a few days ago I was de-lightedly inspired to make Snickerdoodle cookies for my two-year old. I told her I wanted to show her my favorite way to eat them, so I poured two glassesofice-coldmilkandmeticulouslypickedout four plump cookies to split, then set them on our table as we both eagerly sat to enjoy them. I will admit that I had envisioned her immediately reachingforthemandattemptingtoeatbeforemyinstructionswerecomplete.Yet,tomygreatamazement, she instead sat completely still,hands placed delicately in her lap as her dark brown eyes watched my every move in eager an-ticipation.Itwasas

Tools & Tips

if she was beholding one of the most important moments of her life and hung on every second.

Icouldn’thelpbutsmileasIbrokeoffachunkofcookieanddippeditintothemilk.Igobbledupthemorselwhileattemptingtoexplain therulesof thistime-honoredtradition.Then I informedmypatientchilditwasnowherturntotry.Iwatchedashereyesbecamefixeduponthefeastlaidoutbeforeher.Withthegraceandagilityofadignifiedlittlelady,mytoddlerpickedoneupandexaminedthesu-garcoatedbeige circle. Turning it over inhertinyfingers, she slowlybroughtittohernoseandover-dramaticallyproceededtotakeinitsaroma. “Mmm, it smells good!” she informed me as she set it down gentlyjustbeforebreakingoffasmallpiece.Shesmoothlytransitioneditintotheliquid,broughtthesectiontohermouthandmethodicallybeganchewingwithpatiencerarelyfound.“Mmm,this isdelicious!”she proclaimed, slightly fumbling over the last word as sheer enjoy-ment radiated from her core.

As I watched in admiration, I was embarrassed to notice both of my own cookies had been devoured before

her second bite had even been taken.

IwassoeagertoeatthemthatIendeduppracticallyinhalingtheminsteadandcanhonestlysaythatalthoughInoticedtheirdeli-ciousflavor,Iwastoobusygettingthenextbitetomymouthtofullyenjoythem.Icontinuedtositdumbfounded,realizingIhadthoughtIwas teaching something to my daughter, yet somewhere along the way, I ended up the student. It dawned on me that all the while I had missed therealpointtothistimelessritualpasseddownfromparenttochild.

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What she taught me was what it means to be mindful. I was reminded again on the day of my son’s

birth. Here I was in a room full of people admiring my littlebundleof joy.Everyonewas snappingpictures leftandright,textingfamilyandfriendsandjoyouslyspread-ing the news. They would tell me to smile or hold him this way or that as I did my best to comply with all of their re-quests. At one point, my father-in-law looked around the room and let out a hearty laugh. He said that just a de-cade before this would never have happened. He remind-ed us of how technology has changed us all so much that insteadofenjoyingwhereweareatanygiventime,weare instead trying desperately to “capture the moment.”

To this, we looked around the room, almost ashamed to have our cell phones in hand as the words “I’m sorry” and “I’ll put it away” erupted from my guests. I sat dumbfounded for a moment, as it dawned on me that I too had been wrapped up in the chaos. Born almost an hour earlier, I had yet to truly admire the boy that lay sleeping in my arms. To take a private moment to feel his skin, breathe inhisscentandmemorizethecurvatureofhisface.Itwastimetogetbacktobasics,turnoffthetechnologyandbemindful with my son. Living in the Moment

So, what does it truly mean to be mindful? It is sim-ple really. All it entails is for us to be completely aware of what is happening to and around us. It is literally being pres-entinthecurrenttimeandspaceormorecommonlycalled“living in the moment.” The concept seems to be a rare oc-currence for all of us in our current society, but it holds the key to heath and happiness. It means paying complete at-tentiontothetaskathandandnolongerbeingdistractedin any way.

This act of being present is such a simplistic concept, yet sadly most of us miss it

completely on a daily basis.

Wehavebeenconditionedtomultitask.Toimmedi-atelydrawconclusionsandanticipateaperceivedoutcomeatalltimes.Ifwearedoinganythingthatmaybeconsideredmundane in the slightest we immediately disconnect from the experience and focus on something “more important.” If what we are going through is sad or painful in any way, we immediatelypushitawayinattempttocope.Whenintruth,we are supposed to go through all emotions. Our minds, bodies and souls are designed to do just that!

So I ask,whenwas the lasttimeyouplayedwithyour children totally unabashedly? Not thinking about what other people may say, chores that needed to be done, what to add to your shopping list and or what you should be do-inginstead.Whenwasthelasttimeyouhavebittenintoapieceoffruitandsavoredtheflavor,textureandenjoyedtheexperiencetoitsfullestextent?Ifwewereabletoattainthisstate of being, all of life would be more enjoyable. Imagine the way we would then eat, bathe, play, and make love. No longerwoulditbeinmanicanticipationtohave had the ex-perience but rather in phenomenal ecstasy as it is currently unfolding.Thiswouldbetheverydefinitionofthewordsen-sational. Imagine how much richer the coveted experience of life would be to those of us with the ability to embrace it.

The truth and irony of it all is that we are doing what we should. In any given moment, we are exactly where we shouldbe.Thereforeitisimperativethatwenotgetcaughtup in thinking about something else. Chores will always be there.Workisneverdoneandtherewillcontinuetobeonemore thing on a “To Do” list to accomplish. The secret is in this knowledge, and in learning how to accept these facts and instead focus on the present and “live in the moment.”

Amanda Jewel DeJong holds a degree in Holistic Healthcare with emphasis in Mind/Body Psychology from the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts where she majored in Clinical Hypnotherapy as well as Spiritual Studies. She has been a Licensed Massage Therapist and Body Worker since 2005, is a nondenominational Minister, Reiki Master/Teacher and Transpersonal Life Coach. She is the owner/operator of the Utah based Transformational Therapies where she helps clients to achieve personal goals and all around wellness. Email Amanda at ajewel65@gmail.com.

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It seems to always be “the goal.” For surely, if we achieve en-lightenment it will change every-thing about ourselves and about the world we live in. Once we start walk-ing thepathof a spirituallyattunedlife,weattendclassesandseminarsthatsatisfyourneedtobecome“en-lightened.” We read books devoted to mysticism, we learn about thevalueofmeditation,andwepracticediligently. The esoteric teachings sup-port us by saying that if we do those things and apply ourselves to the noble path, we too can become a Bodhisattva—oratthevery leastanArhat. Teachers say it could happen instantly (rare) or it could happenafter several thousand incarnations(muchmorelikely.)

AsIexploredthequestionsposed in the study I focused on my personal journey. I’d followed a spiri-tual path for more than 40 years. In that time I studied with somevery well-known and some not so well-known mystical teachers. Thenot so well-known teachers had as much influence (sometimes moreso) in my development as some ofthe very well-known ones. A not so well-known teacher told me what I’d be doing with my life at ages 40, 50, 60and70.Shewasrightforthefirstthreedecades.(Ihaven’treachedthelastoneyet.)So,Iwondered,wassheenlightened? Or, did she plant a seed that caused me to do what she said in the timeframe she’d indicated.ThismuchIknow:Shekindledablazealongtimeagothatallowedmeseekthe answers that I was now trying to decipher about enlightened beings.

Some self-realized masterssaid they were enlightened. There’s probably little disagreement thatBuddha, Paramahansa Yogananda, and Jesus were enlightened beings. But what if I toss in a few others that might alter your belief systems. Does Genghis Khan,Alexander theGreat,Einstein, Darwin, Saladin, DaVinci, Gandhi, Akbar the Great, Nikola Tes-la,Mao Zedong, andKingDarius ofPersia, to name a few, qualify? They were warriors and conquerors, sci-

By Jo Mooy

Recently,Iwasaskedtoparticipateinastudycalled“What Is An Enlightened Being?” AsIreviewedthequestionsinthestudyIrealizedhowmuchmyopinionsonthetopichavechanged.Thirtyyearsago,withouthesitation,Iwouldhaveansweredthatanenlightenedbe-ingisaBodhisattva,onewhohasreachedtheultimatestateofpurityyetdelaysthatpassageinordertoalleviatethesufferingofhumanity.Butnow,manyyearslaterandmanymoremilesonthejourney,Iansweredthequestionsquitedifferently.

Everyone on the spiritual journey aspires to become “enlightened” some day.

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entistsandpeacemakers,butshouldtheybeconsideredenlight-ened beings? I now think so because they had purpose, convic-tion,andafocusontheirlife’sgoal.And,theyhadaglobalimpacton their fellow humans.

But what about normal people who don’t have a glob-al impact? I realizedmycurrentbeliefshadchangedandthosechanges caused thesequestions to rise to the top. Is anyone Iknow enlightened? Or, is everyone I know enlightened? I shelved thefirstoneafterafewhoursofreview.Butthesecondquestionstayed,creatingevenmorequestions.Whywouldn’teveryonebeenlightened?Afterall,eachpersonisasparkofthepure“ultimatereality”werefertoas“God.”If“It”istheultimateinenlighten-ment then each of us must also be enlightened. Except in the vast-nessofconsciousness,eachofusisindifferingstatesofrealizingit. Therefore, I concluded, everyone is enlightened to varying de-grees.Andthatenlightenmentaffectsthewhole.

So, “What is an enlightened being?” When I got to the summaryquestiononthesurveyIanswereditthisway.Today,Ibelieve an “enlightened being” is one who lives a conscious life daily. These individuals have great awareness of their fellow hu-mans. They are conscious of theirwords and actions and howtheyaffectthosefellowhumans.Theyareconsciousofthefoodtheyeatandhowitaffectstheirspiritandtheirbodies.Theyareconscious of the individuals they associate with and wisely choose tobeamongthosewhouplifttheirspirits.Theymakedailytimeformeditationandreflection.Theyaremoreintunewithsilenceand nature. And they choose to walk their path with ethical dig-nity and perseverance.

These individuals, no matter how great or small their circle of influence, travel their

chosen path with focused consciousness and full awareness.

They are “beings of enlightenment” who live a con-scious, purpose-driven life. They hold a brilliant beacon of light that illumines the way for all of us who also must walk up to the top of mountain. To them we are indebted.

Jo Mooy has studied with many spiritual traditions over the past 40 years. The wide diversity of this training allows her to develop spiri-tual seminars and retreats that explore inspirational concepts, give purpose and guidance to students, and present esoteric teachings in an understandable manner. Along with Patricia Cockerill, she has guided the Women’s Meditation Circle since January 2006 where it has been honored for five years in a row as the “Favorite Meditation” group in Sarasota, FL, by Natural Awakenings Magazine. Teaching and using Sound as a retreat healing practice, Jo was certified as a Sound Healer through Jonathan Goldman’s Sound Healing Associa-tion. She writes and publishes a monthly internationally distributed e-newsletter called Spiritual Connections and is a staff writer for Spirit of Maat magazine in Sedona. For more information go to www.star-soundings.com or email jo@starsoundings.com.

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Inspiration

ByTraceyAshcraft

“It’s never too late to restart your day!”

Nottoolongago,Isawthissloganonadecorativesigninahomegoodsstore.Atfirstitan-noyedme;itsoundedlikeanotherpieceoffluffy,impossible-to-followadvicedishedoutbyamarket-ingcompanytomakeabuck.ThenIgaveitasecondthought.IhavehaddayswhenaninteractionwithsomeonegoessourorIgetdisappointingnews,andthenitinstantlyseemslikethewholeday—andeventherestofmylife—isgoingtoberuined.AsIstoodintheaisleponderingthesign,IrealizedthatwhenIendupinsituationslikethissomehowIalwaysseemtonoticeabeautifulbirdsingingina tree or a kid giggling uncontrollably in a nearby yard. It immediately changes my mood, and I know in my heart that my life doesn’t have to plummet into the “abyss” just because the previous moments wereemotionallyupsettingandunpleasant.Icanreboot!

Ournegativethoughtsoftenspiraloutofcontrolacrosstheboardwhenwehaveadisagree-able encounter with someone or something.Forexample,abigfightwithaspouseoranaircon-ditionerthatgoesoutonthehottestdayinAugustresultsinanoverallstateofmindthattellsus:“Everyoneandeverythingis‘outtogetme’andruinmylife.”Icallthis“kitchensink”brooding.Whenone thing goes wrong, we throw it into a proverbial pot with all the other things we can think of that weareunhappyabout—includingthekitchensink.Beforeweknowit,weareindespair,avictimoflifeandallofitsinjustices.

When we find ourselves in situations like this, the best advice is to focus on the here and now.

Then imagine you are like a computer that can shutdown and reboot by sim-ply clicking the “restart” but-ton. Next, follow the tips be-lowforabetterday:

1. When something upsets you, feel it. Things will up-set you. You will get hurt, angry and disappointed. Recognize when it is hap-pening and have patiencewith yourself and others. Buddhist teachings tell us that anger is one of the pri-mary causes of “suffering”in our lives, and “patienceistheantidotetoallanger.”

2. Notice your thoughts about an upsetting event. Tuneyourattentiontowhatyou are thinking and ask yourself, “Are you kitchen sinkbrooding?”Recognizingthat your thoughts are spi-raling out of control is the first step toward stoppingthem in their tracks.

3. Take no action when angry or upset. Do not act on the negative thoughtsyou are having. Just noticethem like you are watching a scene from train window as you travel fromdestina-tiontodestination.Yourec-ognizeandseethenegativethoughts, and then they pass by like trees or build-ings alongside the tracks.

4. Notice what you are feel-ing. Allow time to processand express the disappoint-ment in a safe environment. Giveyourselffiveto10min-utes to feel and express your reaction to the upsettingevent and your thoughts abouttheevent.It’sfinetoverbalize your emotions toyourself. You might want to cryortalkout loud. Ioftenfind a releasing a “primal

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scream”inthecartobeverytherapeutic.

5. Decide to have a “good” rest of the day. Making this deci-sion may seem hard in the moment, but do it anyway. You can choose to be in despair or you can choose to have a good day.It’sallamatterofperspectiveinyourmind.

6. Notice the moment. Observe your surroundings. What do you hear? What do you see? In the moment are you safe, do you have caring friends or family, do you have a place to live and food to eat, do you have a pet that loves you uncondi-tionally?Makeamentalorevenwritten“gratitudelist”forwhatyouhaverightnowinyourlifethatispositive,eventhesmallthings.Sometimes,wehavetoremindourselvesofourblessingstoputlifeintoapositivementalframework.

7. Reboot your thinking. Afteryouhavespenttimecontem-platingyournegativethoughts,youcanconsciouslychoose tothinkmorepositivethoughts.Canyoulaughatyourself?Isthere something near you that you can smile about? Maybe it’s a pet, or a friend, or a funny joke you heard recently. When you smile and laugh, even if it’s faked, you will start releasing chemicals in your body that actually will induce happiness.

8. Choose to be happy. Onceyourebootyourday,continuetofocusonthepositiveandstay inthe“NOW.”Theupset-tingeventishistoryandyouhavethechoicetoregarditas

a learning lesson.Thisattitudewillkeepyououtof“victimmode”andempoweryoutotakechargeofyouremotionsand life. Remember, happiness is an inside job!

The way we feel in any given moment is up to us. Blam-ingabadmoodonsomeoneelseonasituationisawasteoftime.Iknow;Ihavetriedanditdoesn’twork.Whatmakesusfeelbet-ter is bringing our thoughts into the present moment and under-standing that our happiness is not dependent on external factors. Rather,itisdependentonourstateofmind—and that is in our control. Try it. What’s the worst that can happen? You might just haveabetterday!

Tracey Ashcraft, M.A., L.P.C., is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Coach. She specializes in helping adults and college students cope with emotionally intense people. With a Master’s Degree in Counseling, Tracey has been helping people heal from toxic relation-ships for more than 10 years. She brings her sense of humor and a tell-it-like-it-is style that helps people get to the truth quickly. Ses-sions are offered in Boulder, CO, and via phone or video chat. For more information visit www.bestlifetherapy.com.

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Inspiration

By Noel Marshall

TheDivineFeminineenergybringstomymindtheimageofMotherMary: gentle, loving, encouraging, flow-ing, and peaceful, as well as showing “might for right” when needed.ItalsosummonsforththearchetypeandpatternsofMotherNature,whichshowus that there isatimeforblooming,atime forpruning tobring forthbeauty,andatimeforstrengthandcharactertocometotheforefront.

Those are not any of the words or phrases that I woulduse todescribemyself prior tomy transformation.Born the seventh of 15 children, I aligned my thought sys-tem with our planet’s prevailing paradigm: To thrive I had to master masculine “survival” techniques. I felt strongly that there was only one person who would take care of me, and thatwasme.Competition,manipulation,colluding—what-ever it would take.

It“appeared”thatIhadwonmyprize!Isuccessfullyput myself through school and earned a Ph.D., married a won-derfulandloyalhusband,andhadabeautifulhome,sowhywasn’tthereafeelingoffulfillment?WasthegameIplayedjust a farce? What was rising in me? Unbeknownst to me, it wasadesireforbalance—awelcomingofthefeminine.Letting Go

Through personal development work, I began to get hintsthattheworldasIknewitwasextremely limiting.AteacherIoncehadcluedmein:Transformationisn’taboutfindingorgettingsomething,it’saboutlettinggo.Further,I

was encouraged to “drop my story” as it wasn’t serving my highest good any longer. My choices and how I wanted to live my life were new in every moment and virtually unlim-ited. I can very truly say these words of wisdom were like pearlsdroppedbeforeswine;Ijustdidn’tgethowpowerfuland unlimited I could be if I let go of how I viewed myself andothers.Indeed,whatIjustsummarizedtookatleasthalfadozenyears formeto fully integrate.Andthat’swhen Ilearned the importance of compassion. I must have it for myself before I can have it for others.

My desire, indeed my hunger, now was for release literallyandfiguratively.This led toavery intensetimeof“wandering through the desert” and the painful process of self-examination and developing new skills: discernmentandlisteningtothewisdomofmyheart,AKAmyHigherSelf.I can tell you it would have been easier to take a standard-izedtestthatonlyrequiredregurgitationof“facts”thanitwas to learn how to listen deeply and feel from my heart. And as I grappled with my life’s path, I was blessed to have the company of my beloved husband, Bob. One thing I have learned is that gender has nothing to do with balance of male and female energies. I would even go so far as to say that my husband, buried in his workaholism, had more femi-nine energy than I did! Perhaps that is why as I started to ponder, read, and introspect. I found him such a willing and able partner.

The release of all-that-did-not-serve-me was hap-pening on the physical as well as the spiritual level. One day Bob came home from work and I asked him, “If our house

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was burning down, what is the one thing that you would take?”LittledidIrealizethepowerofthatquestion:Itwouldprompt him to let go of all. Within the year, Bob “vibrated” himselfoutofhis37-yearcareerinaviationassociationman-agementandsobeganour“retirement,”thoughwepreferto call it our “rewirement.” We survived our heavy mortgag-esonmytinyincome,butbytheendoftheyeartheUni-verse blessed us immensely. On my birthday in December 2008,wenotonlyclosedonthesaleofourfive-bedroom,five-bathhouseon10acresbutalsoonour175-acrefarmcompletewithanFAA-approvedgrassrunwaythatwepur-chasedwiththedreamofdevelopingaresidentialairpark.

I’vecometorealizethatawakeningshappenonanindividualsoul’sowntimeline.Asoneofmyspiritualteach-ers said: “We are all like kernels of popcorn, and we all pop atourowntemperature.”Boband Iwerestartingtopop.Fueledwithcuriosity,wewerebecominglikeanemptyves-sel surrendering to Spirit and listening, with discernment, for guidance. We gratefully gave thanks for the tremendous blessingswe had received. Themost powerful realizationwe had was that we were being prepared, balanced, and aligned with an energy that we had previously sought so vig-orouslytocontrol:theDivineFeminine.The Holding Pattern

The beginning of 2009 found us in what we avia-torscall“aholdingpattern.”Wecontinuedonourspiritualpath, feeling more awe and wonder. Every day it felt like rays of sunlight were breaking through as guidance as we continuedtodevelopourspiritualpracticeofprayer,intro-spection,andmeditation.Icontinuedtosellrealestate,andBobandIbothvolunteeredattheorganizationwhereBobpreviously worked. We always held the “loss” of Bob’s job asablessingtohelpuswelcomethenewdirectionofourlives,alwaysaskingourquestion:“Howdoesitgetanybet-ter than this?” We are true believers that when one door closesanotheropens,providedyoudon’tcontinuetostareat the door that closed.

It didn’t take long for the Universe to answer our question.Thevolunteerprojectthatwewereworkingonal-mostfull-timewascompletedinJuly2009.Thenextmonth,wewenttovisitmyMomandattendafamilywedding.Theday after thewedding celebration,my second oldest sib-ling informed the family that she had been diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer and was “given” six months to live. This was a much tougher idea to face in our new “Every-thing happens for our good” or “How does it get any bet-ter than this?” thinking. This news challenged me to release even more, to surrender and accept that it is not my job to judgeordesigntheworksoftheUniverse.Iwasdefinitelyat a choice point: rage or trust the Divine. Why this sibling? Surely she was the kindest, gentlest, and meekest amongst us? And yet, how could I possibly presume to understand and judge her soul’s path and agreements? And is death true? I certainly was given much to ponder.

In truth, my sister and I had once been extremely close, but there came some unmemorable event, and we barelyspokeafter.It’dbeenmorethanadozenyearssince

our hearts kindled together. Was I going to let that be? With the help of my spiritual family, I received lots of input that mostly boiled down to: Tell your ego to shut up and pick up the phone and talk to your sister. I listened. I wrote her. I apologized that I letmyegoseparateus. Like the fatherof the prodigal son, she welcomed me home. Even more, she invited me to move to her community and help her as she went through hospice. Thank you, Spirit, for allowing metoservesuchabeautifulsoul.Ididn’tfeelworthy(andIthankedmyegoforthatthought)butsoonthereafterBoband I moved halfway across the country. As I write this, my sister was returned to the Light three years ago this month. Thankyou,Spiritforourcollectivesouls’growth.

In April 2009, it appeared that Bob and I had com-pleted two short-term assignments and again found our-selves wondering: What’s next? And quickly, like a faithful companion, our answer came: travel. Really? We had never had an RV or even camped, and the Spirit wanted us to sell our truck, buy a new one, and go on the road? An addi-tionalironyisthatwepreviouslyownedamodelofairplanecalledan“RV”(anRV-6A),andwehadpreviouslypurchaseda building lot on an airport only 30 miles from where my sister then lived. Surely it made more sense to purchase an-otherRVairplaneandbuildintheresidentialairpark?Right?Wrong. Go!

Andsowedid.Lessthanamonthaftermysister’stransition,wepurchaseda38-footfifth-wheelmotorhome,sold our truck, and bought a new one capable of pulling our new home. It seemed that the more we surrendered, the more exotic our life became! How does it get any betterthanthis?(Besurenottosay:ItCAN’Tgetanybetterthanthis,becausethenyoustoptheflow!)Listen to the Small Voice

The underlying theme of our life, as we understand it now, is that we are always being prepared. This is the qui-et,gentlepoweroftheDivineFeminine.Itfeelslikeitisal-waysdeliveredinthatsmall,quietvoice—ifonlyIgetquietand listen.

Forthenexttwoyearswecontinuedwithourspiri-tual group and helped produce events and spiritual retreats. WespentmostofourtimeinSouthernCalifornia,withourmotor home hooked up at a friend’s private airport. We were also blessed to be travelling with our dog, Boomer, whoisjustasmuchatripleSagittariusasIam!(Duringthisperiod,IlearnedthatTripleSagsarefilledwithwanderlust,are gregarious, and freedom lovers.Ourmottomight be:“Don’tfencemein!”)

Life seemed to be perfect, but then the small quiet voice, which I was trying very hard to ignore, kept telling me something that I didn’t want to hear: You have outgrown yourcurrentspiritualcommunity;youaren’texpanding;saygoodbye!

Making that move was very painful, particularlysince Bob and I weren’t in the same place with this message. Afternavigatingthroughaveryemotionalsummer,webothfeltourpainof separation fromthegroupand fromeachother start to gently heal as we honored our feminine call

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And that is how and why we drove to all 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada in less than six months. And Boomer was able to travel with us for most of the 20,000-plus miles of our volunteer journey!

At the conclusion of our tour, we had made more than90presentationsinawidevarietyoflocations,acouplein our RV, but mostly in spiritual centers, bookstores, cof-fee shops, and private homes. We knew that we were never aloneandfeltprotectionthroughoutourjourney;afterall,wewereco-creatingwiththeDivineFeminineaswellaslo-cal collaborators. We were privileged to meet conscious evo-lutionariesofallsize,shapes,andages.Ouryoungestwhospoke up was six, and he wanted to talk about saving Mother Earth.Ouroldestattendeewasa97-year-oldretiredminis-ter who invited us to dinner at her assisted living facility. She playsBarbara’smovie towhomever shecanfind,andfin-ishedwritingherownlifestoryatage94.Wewereinspiredateveryturnandeventalongourroute;eventhemainte-nance bill on our RV just became part of “what is,” and our journeyunfoldedwitheaseandgraceandflow.

During the course of our adventures, we were in-terviewedby a documentary filmmakerwho is telling thestory of “Bold Mother Hubbard” and her vision for the new eraofhumanity.Sheaskedustodescribethemostdifficultthingweencounteredalongour“self”evolution tour.Weagreed that it is people not believing in their own power and shrinking fromtheunknown.Then I reflectedonmyself: Iwasofferedtheopportunitytowritethisarticle,andIinitial-lydisqualifiedmyselfasknowingnothingabout“FeminineEnergy.” It reminds me that we only stop growing when we closethedoortonewopportunities!

In love, praise and gratitude, I AM Divine... and so are YOU!

Noel Marshall, Ph.D., and Bob Warner are the founders of “Light Partners.” They are available for coaching on an individual or group basis and remain actively involved in contributing their time and talents to the evolution of humanity. Visit the website www.Light-Partners.org or email: NoelBob@LightPartners.org.

for harmony to prevail.Shortly thereafter we were again eagerly asking,

“What’snext?”Andthistimewegotaveryfunnyanswer.Well, funny in retrospect. The wisdom “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” certainly applied here. As withourformerteacher,therewasanotherteacherwaitingtoserveourgrowth,butthistimewedecidednottosharethe same teacher. Bob decided to do a tele-class with Neale Donald Walsch, and I was called to take a tele-class with Bar-bara Marx Hubbard.

Fortherestof2011,BobandIwereroaminginourRV;onenightI’dhearhimonhiscallwithNealeandanothernighthe’dhearmeonmycallwithBarbara—ourhomeisonly 300 square feet, remember! We were both enjoying the universe of new ideas that we were swimming in. Then that “funny thing” that I eluded to above came to pass. At the end of my class, Barbara invited all her students to come to Los Angeles and hang out for two days and discuss con-sciousevolution.Iwasin!IhadfalleninlovewithBarbara’smessage ever since I saw her movie “Humanity Ascending: Visions of a Universal Humanity.” I felt a deep “knowing” that Iwassupposedtobe inthatconversation.Bobdeliv-ered me to my out because Neale had just published a book aboutBarbaraentitledMother of Invention. While I was in the room falling in love with Barbara and her message, Bob was in the lobby reading Neale’s book and doing exactly the same thing. Wonderful! We were on the same page togeth-er again!

What was next for us, we barely needed to ask: Bar-baraandStephenDinanofthe“ShiftNetwork”announced“Birth2012,”whichwouldbeacelebrationoftheneweraof humanity on, coincidentally, Barbara’s 83rd birthday, December 22, 2012. We stepped up as mentors to assist inbringingawarenesstothisgloriouseffort.ThenBarbarastumpeduswhensheasked,“Whatisyourgifttotheshift?”

After a period of prayer andmeditation, we rec-ognizedthatlivinginourRVwasexactlywhattheUniverseordered for us to contribute to this global movement. We committedtotravellingtoall48states inourRVandpre-sentingBarbara’smovie,“HumanityAscending:OurStory”andpractice“deeplistening”andfollowtheenergyoftheconscious conversation of thosewhowere drawn to Bar-bara’s message.

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yourbodyreactsmoredramaticallytoanysugaryoufeedit.Remakeyourbreakfastto focus on proteins, vegetables, healthy fats and whole grain carbs, like a scrambled egg,spinachandavocadosandwich,andyou’llgetyourdayofftoagreatstart.

Sugar Cravings Crushing Tactic #2: Eat fruits to get some sweetness.

Whilefruitscancontainalotofsugar,theirfiberhelpsslowdownyourbody’sabsorptionofsugarsoyouarelesspronetosugarhighsandlows.

But just to be clear, fruit juices don’t cut it. Don’t get deceived by pack-agedjuicesand/orthejuicingfad.Withjuicesyouloseoutonmostofthefiberinfruits, leaving your body vulnerable to a sugar overload. If you prefer to slurp your fruit,makeuseofthewholefruitandtryasmoothie.Addsomesugar-moderatingveggies and proteins, and the sweetness in your fruit will go down even slower.

Sugar Cravings Crushing Tactic #3: Invite some bacteria inside.Thankstooveruseofantibioticsandgerm-killingsoaps,we’vedoneseri-

ousdamagetoourinternalecosystem,thehelpfulprobioticbacteriathatareapartofourdigestivesystem.Asthesebacteriadwindle,oftentheyeastcandidatakes,anditisnotoriousforcausingustocravesugar—itsfavoritefood.

To bring your bacteria count back to a healthy number, consider taking a probioticsupplement.Andfeedthesebacteriawellwiththeirfavoritefood:prebiot-ics.Chlorellaisaterrificprobiotic-boostingprebiotic.

Sugar Cravings Crushing Tactic #4: Attend to your hormones.Inwomen,sugarcravingscansometimesbelinkedtohormonalfluctua-

tions.Bymediatingtheseshiftswithsomehormonebalancers,likelicoriceroottea,eleuthero or raspberry leaf, women can help their bodies recover hormonal balance and reduce cravings for sweets.

Sugar Cravings Crushing Tactic #5: Get proper exercise and sleep.

Weturntosugarinstinctivelywhenweneedanenergyhit.Unfortunately,whilesugarcangiveyouatemporarylift,itdropsyouhardsoonafter.Insteadofturningtosugartowakeup,getmoving.Exerciseisoneofthebestenergizers,alongwithclean,purewater.Andfinally,getproactiveaboutfeelingtired.Ifyou’recravingsweets,checkyourselftoseeifyoureallyneedanearlierbedtimeoranapinstead.

Crush Your Sugar Cravings And Charge Ahead!All these tacticswork.Butbottom line, theyallworkbetterwhenyou

shiftyourperspectiveinonefundamentalway:Don’tseecuttingdownonsugarasdeprivation.Seeitasagifttoyourself.Andthisgiftincludesmoreenergy,asharpermind,abettermood,aslimmeryou,strongerimmunityandbetterhealthoverall.You’llbeamazedathowmuchsweeterlifecanbewhenyoucutdownonthesugar.Remember, reducing sugar intake is one of the best things you can do for your body.

Dr. Michael E. Rosenbaum is a 35-year veteran and widely recognized pioneer in the field of nutritional medicine, alternative healthcare and medical acu-puncture. As one of America’s most respected experts in natural health and healing, Dr. Rosenbaum has been a frequent lecturer to professional medical groups and has participated in numerous television and radio talk shows. He is also an esteemed member of the Sun Chlorella Advisory Board, which helps guide the medical innovation behind Sun Chlorella products. Visit his website at drmichaelrosenbaum.com. You also can download a free copy of “Why Didn’t My Doctor Tell Me This?” at sunchlorellausa.com/why-didnt-my-doctor-tell-me-about In this eye-opening report, five pioneering natural health experts reveal nutritional secrets that can change your life.

Sources:[1] Avena NM. Examining the addictive-like properties of binge eating us-ing an animal model of sugar dependence. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2007 Oct;15(5):481-91.

By Dr. Michael E. Rosenbaum, MD

If you have great intentions of eating healthy—but get sidetracked by

sweets—you’re not alone!

According to Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of Beat Sugar Cravings Now!, the average American eats about 150 pounds of added sugar each year in processed foods and drinks.That’smorethanseventimestheamountAmericansatein1820—twocenturiesago!

Sugar is in just about everything we eat from salad dressings, to cold cuts, to pasta sauce. Even if we avoid cook-ies,wemaybe getting toomuchof this sweet stuffunbe-knownst to us.

And this isn’t sweet news for our health…Sugar weakens immune cells, and sugar can cause

the body to age prematurely. It binds with proteins in our bodythroughaprocesscalledglycation,whichdamagesourbody’stissues,robbingusofvitalityandhealth.Excesssugarcan lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer andevenattentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder.Italsomaybeasaddictiveasmajordrugslikeheroin.[1]

Now, to be fair, craving sweetness is not always a bad thing. Our simian ancestors depended on sweet fruits for easy energy.

The real problem is that our craving for sweets is too easily catered to in this day and age. Where natural scar-cityputsomelimitstooursugarconsumptioninearliergen-erations,thesedayswecaneatsugartoourheart’scontent.It’s so easy to get!

Fortunatelytherearesometacticsyoucanusetokeep your sweet tooth in check and crush sugar cravings:

Sugar Cravings Crushing Tactic #1: Eat high-protein meals frequently.

Sugar cravings often can be due to dips in bloodsugarlevels.Slowlydigestedproteinshelpstabilizethelevelof sugar in your blood, quelling the urge to get some sugar in you.

Thisisparticularlycriticalinthemorning,whenyouserveupbreakfast.Afteralongfastwhileyouweresleeping,

Healthy Living

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