Daily Inspiration 11-14-15

Headline: 

"Retail gets slammed as stocks 

have second-worst week of year."

First paragraph copy: 

 ". . .Fears that the holiday shopping season 

will be a dud tanked retail stocks." 

-- The Associated Press 

via The Daily Republic newspaper 11-14-15 

Wow. This is a big article and it is telling us all about the fears that have caused fearful actions of selling off stocks in fear of losing value, compounding the fear of them losing somewhat more value, along with the fear that they may not recover for a period of time. It goes on to tell of more losses: "The Dow Jones industrial average fell 202.83 points, or 1.2 percent, to 17,245.24." Anyone remember when the Dow Jones was below 3,000?

Yesterday, I talked about that we all have the choice many times every day, even maybe hundreds of times each day to spread fear or love. What is this article spreading? The article didn't stop with retail and pointing out several top retail chains and their stock erosion, it went on to hit the price of gold and oil, energy, government reports "compounding those worries," even though the government report showed that spending was "up just 0.1 percent in October, a bit less than analysts expected." Oh, those analysts. . . who do they think they are? How dare they! 

Ever heard the idea of self-fulfilling prophecy? How about spreading the fear of sales being down and then sales being down? Hmmm. It's logical too, I suppose.

It wasn't all bad news, but you had to dig for it if you even got past the headline and the first paragraph. In fact, it says that, "there will be a lot of gift giving, a lot of apparel sales. . . shoppers will spend plenty of money this holiday season," mentioning TVs, smartphones and other large items.
 
If you were looking for positive notes, would you have even read this article? I doubt it. You might not even have picked up the newspaper in the first place for the newspaper has proven its attitude toward information since the beginning of newspapers. 

How many times might we be creating self-fulfilling prophecies in our own lives in other ways, and often they are negative prophecies? We can choose to make them positive and uplifting or not at will.

What if. . . What if nothing could go wrong? What if there was no such thing as failure? What if everyone lifted everyone up? What if we praised diversity instead of sameness? What if we loved each other? What if we respected each other? What if we realized that it was as easy as choosing? 

Heck, it might change the newspapers too. The new headline: Retail Sales Are Expected To Soar This Season. Shoppers Are Out In Force. Stores Are Stocked and Ready. There Is Plenty Of Money. Everyone Seems To Be Doing Very Well. Everyone Seems To Be Happy and Prosperous.


It's A Wonderful Life! 

Spread Some Joy Today--Yes. Please. Joy. We love joy. Joy feels good. Yes. Let's spread some more of that. Yes, please!

Daily Inspiration 11-13-15

"I think wisdom is three things. 

One, it is awareness. 

Two, is acceptance, 

and three is allowing."

-- Albert K. Strong 

What would life be without some contrast and diversity here and there? How do you remain a loving person when someone is clearly and seemingly purposefully undermining you? Is there such a thing as love in business? Or is it all about competition, survival of the fittest, and market share?

As you must already know by now, I am a practicing unconditional lover. Much of the time, since I've been practicing for so many years now, I do well, but there are times when I am challenged to stay connected to that ideal. Business is one of the more challenging aspects because it seems that there are so many people who believe that personal ideals and business don't mix, that love and business don't mix. Instead, they may see, as the saying goes, 'all is fair in love and war,' but of course, not at the same time.

Our company has a challenge on the table as I write this. My business partner and I discussed it yesterday, and I gave my feelings and thoughts about it. If we fight it, we are in resistance. My advice was to state our position with respect, and then let go of the rope. Of course, the worry is that if we let go of the rope, the threat will get larger and may consume a client or a few clients in the process. But, I don't think resistance of any kind is the answer.

Then this morning, I was still thinking about this a bit and it occurred to me to love them unconditionally. Do I/we have the ability and willingness to allow these other people, this other company to be what they choose for themselves or to do business in whatever way they choose without any insistence that they satisfy me? Yes. Am I willing to practice it? Yes.

Until I asked that question of myself this morning, I still felt a little resistance. I felt like yesterday that I dropped the rope, but maybe I was still holding a few threads or something. And, after answering the unconditional love question, I feel zero resistance.

Are love and business mutually exclusive? Only if you want to believe that. I remember now that I have taught love in business most of my long career as a sales manager, but it wasn't until Dr. Wayne Dyer shared his definition of unconditional love that I aspired to grow to that level of love.

I used to teach at the truck body company I worked for that we all get to choose love or fear many times, maybe hundreds of times a day. Which will you choose? The choice is made by simply asking, is this decision based on fear or love? Will it create fear or love?

When we serve our clients or customers, we can ask, is what I'm doing based on fear or love? As we are communicating with our spouse, children or friends, we can ask, am I communicating fear or love? When parents are scolding and yelling at their child, are they communicating fear or love? When they are praising and uplifting their child, are they communicating fear or love? When we are dealing with our co-workers, or our supervisors or bosses, are we communicating fear or love?

The wisdom of knowing is through awareness, acceptance, and allowing.


Allowing IS Unconditional Love. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Am I spreading fear or joy?

Daily Inspiration 11-12-15

"We all make too much of all of this. 

It is simpler than we all make it out to be. 

Be easy about it. 

Be kind to yourself. 

Do things that feel fun. 

Look for things that bring you relief, 

and just easily move into that place 

where all things that you want 

have already been lined up for you." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

I think we are all perfect right where we are. We are not broken. We are not separated from God because God is in every thing and non-thing, and that would include us. It's true that we may not be paying attention, but we cannot be separated. You're good. Start there. Every day. Start there. You are loved. I love you. God can do nothing but love you for God is Love. You are love. Start there. Every day. Start there.

A couple days ago, I said I just started reading Intentional Living by John C. Maxwell. The subtitle to the book is Choosing a Life That Matters. Today I was reading aloud and came to page 46 and read this: "When you embrace each of these four elements, you increase your odds and opportunities for significance. If you live out all four of them in your significance journey, you can be assured that you will truly live a life that matters."

As I read that, it was like I received a shock, and I thought about what he had just said. I get what he is saying. I have 225 pages to go so there is a lot about learning how to be significant. I've read so many books like this that have the 14 principles, 7 action steps, 10 road signs, and these 4 elements. There's so much to it, we might need a Ph.D. to qualify. [a little levity...]

I love John's work. I've read so many of his books. I am always reading something new to learn something new to share something cool or interesting or fun or magical.

BUT, you and I are absolutely cool just the way we are. There is not anything wrong in us or with us. We are perfect in every way. I get excited about learning or reading something, at the same time, I take what resonates and leave the rest. I think that the value of any learning is how it helps us to re-member or reconnect with our own power, our deeper inner knowledge, our total connection with God (or whatever word or phrase feels good to you), and our own significance.

His subtitle, Choosing a Life That Matters is cool, but you and I already matter. We don't need to choose to matter. It is already done. We matter just because we exist. We don't need another reason or any rules. We matter. And, we are significant. We don't need any coaching or mentoring to be significant. We are significant because we exist. That is all the reason we need.

Don't get me wrong, this really isn't anything negative about John's book. I'm only using some things here to make my point. There is a lot of value in his book and I've already gleaned some, and I'm sure more as I continue to read. But, as Abraham, Esther Hicks so perfectly and matter-of-factly says, "we all make too much of all of this. It is simpler than we all make it out to be. Be easy about it." Yes. Love yourself. Love others. Laugh often. Make fun of yourself. Enjoy your moments. Live.

Then, when you feel like reading some tips and thoughts from me or anyone, see if any of it resonates with you and then appreciate that resonance. If it doesn't, just let it go on its way.


We Are All Perfect Exactly The Way We Are Right Now. 

Spread Some Joy Today--What joy there is in realizing that you are joy.

Daily Inspiration 11-11-15

Today's Note from the Universe: 

"Do you realize, Terry, 

there's something even better 

than having a loving Universe 

conspire on your behalf? 

Right! 

Being that Universe. 

And you are. 

Yours truly, 

The Universe" 

(aka Mike Dooley) 

I've been receiving my daily Note from the Universe from www.tut.com for many years now, and it is only recently that I was instructed that below the signature, there is a secondary comment regarding the message, and today's secondary comment is this: "Whose day shall we make today, Terry? After yours, of course." Obviously, since I am now being the Universe, I have the power to make that happen.

As I sat there staring at the screen in wake-up mode, I thought, "what a wonderful, delightful question!" Whose day shall I make today? Can I make someone's day today? What about just touching someone's day today? Or doing something for someone today? Or simply giving someone some attention today? Absolutely! It will be fun! Let's do it!

So, as the message said, "after yours, of course." I think it is good to remember that we are someone too! Why not make our own day. . . Today is Veteran's Day, so finding a veteran and giving them some attention would be good. But, wait! I'm a veteran! But, even better, we can make our own day of the year too. Not just a birthday, or Mother's Day or Father's Day, but George's Day, Joan's Day, Alisa's Day, Joe's Day, Frank's Day, Cecilia's Day, Allison's Day, Tony's Day, Becky's Day, Paul's Day, and well. . . I don't have the space to list all of you, but making your own day makes sense to me. And, why stop at one day? Why not two. Or three. Or four? How about one a month--12 days. It could be the Twelve Days of Jessee, or the Twelve Days of Tammy, or Gretchen, Shirley, James, Kathryn. I love it!

Now that we've picked our own day or days, let us get our little task list out or our calendar and make a note for today: Give someone some extra love and attention today! Then begin your day thinking about all the people in your daily life near and far who you can choose from to lavish some love on. Maybe it will be a stranger or a new person you meet, someone you haven't thought of in years and you now feel the urge to reach out. Maybe it's someone in your office that you've sat next to day in and day out and have never said anything higher than chit-chat, and other numbifications.

You have so many to choose from! A wealth of possibilities! It should be easy enough with all of those choices. Heck, you might even go for two! Or three! Or more.

What do you suppose is going to take place in that other person's life after you do your deed today? 


I'll Bet It Is A Little Bit Of Joy! 

Spread Some Joy Today--do it today. Now.

Daily Inspiration 11-10-15

"Most people don't know this, 

but it's easier to go from failure to success 

than from excuses to success." 

-- John C. Maxwell 

I just started John C. Maxwell's newest book just released in October titled, Intentional Living - Choosing a Life That Matters. In the first few pages, I found some short gems that reached out and grabbed my attention. The quote above is one of those.

As I looked at it, the amazing truth of that statement made me laugh. Of course, when you try and fail, you cannot fail to learn, so it is not really a failure then, is it? It is a learning experience. Parlay that into thought and activity renewed and adjusted, and you cannot help but eventually succeed, whatever idea you have of success. However, making excuses for why you can't get going or keep going is a failure. This reminds me of the title of a movie I like called, Failure To Launch.

John C. Maxwell is an amazing person. He has written over 60 books and sold over $25 million worth, which for non-fiction, is way up there is the stratosphere. I've probably read about 25% of his books and have very much enjoyed all that I have read. He has a way of writing that brings the subject to life, and he is considered the Leadership Expert. He has certainly taught me a lot about leadership. In addition, he travels and does seminars, interviews and much more. He's a very busy, in-demand guy, who is a prolific writer and life long teacher.

He said, "People ask me all the time for advice about how to write a book. I tell them to start writing." 

Therein lies the success potential, or you could even call it the key to success. We have to get started. We must bust a move. "I'm gonna" is a failure statement. "I wanna" is a dreamy statement. Nothing really happens until we make a move. We can think it to death or we can start without everything we think we need.

We don't need much to get started, but I do think that the key to success is actually getting started.


We Can Figure The Rest Out Along The Way. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by beginning right now.

Daily Inspiration 11-9-15

"Your reputation is in the hands of others. 

That's what the reputation is. 

You can't control that. 

The only thing you can control 

is your character." 

-- Wayne Dyer 

Lao Tzu tells us, "Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner."

None of us like someone else putting us down. Most of us like someone building us up. Yet, can we take one without the other? Wayne Dyer said, "What other people think of me is none of my business. One of the highest places you can get to is being independent of the good opinions of other people."

What really matters most is what we think of ourselves. That is what drives us more than anything else; albeit, sometimes it may drive us to drink. . .

In last Saturday's post, I talked about a fresh approach to being present that I stumbled across on YouTube, which led me to sign up for a course on learning to be more present more of the time. What I have found is that it is amazing how often I am not present, but in my head going over the 65,000 thoughts I've thought repeatedly almost every day in one sequence or another, the majority of which isn't worth thinking or listening to in my self-talk--that incessant self-chatter of one thought strung to another to another.

Just this morning, I was making breakfast and then standing there eating my delicious egg, bacon and cheese sandwich, and enjoying the first cup of coffee, and I realized that during those several minutes I must have had many hundreds of thoughts already. Those thoughts were not the least bit helpful to me or my path in life. Indeed, they were focused on what is not yet right, what may never be right, how I failed to follow through one more time, and how hopeless that looks. How I'm old and out of shape and not living the life I used to dream about, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, BLAH! It was a disgusting mix of self-defacement.

Then, I come into my office to sit down and endeavor to write something inspiring and uplifting here. What a juxtaposition that is. Yet, it is so every single day. At some point, I let go of the self-defeating rhetoric and peruse some great quotes to lead me toward the magic of inspiration. By the way, you know that inspiration, to be inspired, is to be connected with God, right? It is a delightful place to be! 

This course by Josh Pais is helping me in a very practical way to get out of my head and all those self-degrading thoughts and into the present by focusing on what is around me in detail, and what is going on inside my body in detail, while breathing deeper than normal, and matter-of-factly bringing me back to the present whenever my mind interrupts, which is a given, and is often in the beginning, by saying aloud or to myself depending on where I am, "I'm back!" As I do so, I am back in the present and experiencing life as it is.

Life as it is. That's an interesting phrase. It is the present. This does not stop us from desiring something else, wanting something more, setting goals, moving toward goals to a path that is more to our liking. But, on the way, if we are engaged in life the way it is, or in other words, enjoying the journey, allowing the unfoldment, we are in the present along the way.

Our self-chatter is always on if we are not present. It is our presence that is of value to ourselves and what we are doing and how we do it, as well as to others around us, how they receive us, hear us, see us. How often during your day are you present? How often in your head with those 65,000 repetitive thoughts? Next time you find yourself in that thought-loop, try saying, "I'm back!" Then do it as often as you need to in order to come back to the present.


The Present Is Where Life Is. Everything Else Is Off In La-La Land. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by breathing and paying attention to this moment.

Daily Inspiration 11-8-15

"You can indeed afford to laugh at fear thoughts,

remembering that God goes with you wherever you go." 

-- A Course in Miracles 

Many times we may express to others something we dream of doing or intend on doing, only to hear them tell us to get real, that we may be off in a dream world, especially when our ideas are grand. 

Alan Cohen in his new book, A Course in Miracles Made Easy, says that "When others attempt to gobble your hopes in the shredder of doubt, Higher Power stands with you."

He quotes from A Course in Miracles: "'Who walks with me?' This question should be asked a thousand times a day until certainty has ended doubting and established peace." He continues, "When the world does not understand, accept, or support you, you do not walk alone. And if you should lose faith in yourself, God still has faith in you." 

"Happiness, well-being, and success are your birthright and your destiny. All else is a trick of the mind."

Of course, we may experience attacks on our desires and dreams from the outside, but the most persistent and the ones doing far more damage are the ones from the inside--our self-talk, our ultra-protective ego. The good news about that is that the ego has its place, but the ego is not us. It is a persistent voice sometimes, but we are far larger than that and we can choose to listen or not as we wish to because we are the ones who control our inner well-being or lack of it.

Next time you feel a desire to do something or dream up something that moves you momentarily, remember two huge things: One, you are always in control of your own well-being or lack of it. In other words, you accept control or you relinquish it. And, two, ask that wonderful and so-empowering question above: "Who walks with me?" and remember that God always has an unshakable faith in you. Always. 


Pure Joy Is Knowing Who Walks With You, Delights In You, Is Always Loving You, Adores You. Supports You. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by relaxing in the peace of your inner knowing.

Daily Inspiration 11-7-15

"When you're exactly where you are, 

there is no better or worse. 

Better and worse fall by the wayside 

when you're engaged in the moment." 

-- Josh Pais 

I'm sure all of you know by now that I am a committed life-long learner and I am on that path every single day. In fact, one of my daily to-do list items is--Learn Something! Not that I need a reminder, but I also like checking off the boxes in my to-do list and that one is pretty dang easy to check off! I like easy.

So, I thought I would share today about a path I took to get to a place of learning something that excited me. I thought after looking back on the trail that it was pretty interesting how this came about.

A few years back, I saw a Marie Forleo video. That led me to her website of her namesake, then I don't remember if it is once a week or what, but I signed up for and receive her emails fairly often. I don't watch all of the videos, but I have watched most I'm sure.

On Thursday, my Success magazine Dec 2015 issue arrived and it always has a CD inside with some interviews of successful people. I opened it and there was Marie Forleo as the first interview. Friday, I listened to it and she mentioned she was very much into dancing, and not knowing very much about Marie, I went to YouTube and typed Marie Forleo dancing. Come to find out, she used to do quite a number of workout videos. I looked at a few short ones, then scrolling down, I see one that really stood out of her in a bed, and the title is How To Live In The Moment.

Now, I've heard her say in her more recent videos that "her man" is Josh, but I didn't know anything else. (By the way, this video is from 2011). In this video on YouTube about living in the moment, Josh is in the video and telling one little bit of magic that I found delightful to learn as a way of staying in the present. Of course, since I'm a Eckhart Tolle fan, I've been paying attention to being in the moment, but this little trick which Josh calls, "I'm back!" was so good that I wanted to know more. At the end of the video, he gave his website, www.CommittedImpulse.com. So I checked it out.

I signed up to get in and got a free download audio which has four simple steps to learn to stay present and to learn to have presence. It was all about getting out of your head as Eckhart likes to say, and so here were the steps.

1. Take in your immediate environment. In other words, pay attention to what is going on around you in every detail. It keeps you out of your head.

2. Tune into your body. Pay attention to anything and everything about noticing your body and what you are feeling. No judgement. That is a head job and we don't want the head involved.

3. I'm back! As you realize that your head has taken over your attention, immediately say, I'm back! and this brings you back to the present moment. As this is done, we are learning control of our experience. 

4. Breathe! We often, and especially in tense or unknown situations breathe very little--just enough to make due. By purposely taking a deeper breath and paying attention to our breathing, we are back in the present.

So, after listening to this wonderful audio, I signed up for his course. Josh made a sale. I didn't know anything about him. I found him along a trail that was delightfully leading me to what I crave: Learning. His approach excited my senses, and I am very much enjoying the course to date.

Isn't it interesting how we might stumble on to something that can change our lives. I think it is changing mine as we speak. It's


A Wee Bit Of Synchronicity. . .

Spread Some Joy Today--and being present is where joy is.

Daily Inspiration 11-6-15

"You have everything you need 

for complete peace 

and total happiness right now." 

-- Wayne Dyer 

I love this quote by Wayne Dyer because it is so true because peace and happiness are not without--they are not out there, a place we arrive at, but simply a choice. Peace and happiness come from within, and so they are with us whenever we choose to allow them to be.

They say that at the end of a war, there is peace. That could never be true. There might be a ceasing of violent conflict, but peace is never a product of violence, and it is not a process that comes from action or activity. At the end of war there is a cessation of structured violence, but peace can only come from within. Can you be at peace within a war? Well, yes, by choosing to allow peace, and with that choice, you could no longer inflict violence on another.

How do you allow peace and happiness? By choosing peaceful and happy thoughts, As we do so, we are at peace and we are happy. Want it to last? Keep choosing them.


It's Not Rocket Science. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by feeling your way through your day.

Daily Inspiration 11-5-15

"I have learned silence from the talkative, 

toleration from the intolerant, 

and kindness from the unkind; 

yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers."

-- Kahlil Gibran 

A while back I shared a quote by Albert K. Strong, that flows perfectly with Kahlil Gibran's quote above. It was this: "It's true, that out of diversity often will come conflict. Yet, it is just as true, that out of diversity will come harmony."

Consider this: Contrast and diversity are our best teachers. When stuff goes seemingly wrong, that is a great time to get EXCITED!

Here's another thing to consider: Maybe it's time to be grateful for the contrast and diversity, the trials and errors, the ups and downs, the ebb and flow going on in our lives. As Kahlil Gibran, in realizing that these contrasting situations and activities have taught him to appreciate something more in harmony with himself, he cannot help but have gratitude for their appearance in his life. He realizes that he has not been grateful and yet now that he realizes the value contained in them, he cannot help but be grateful.

I was out and about on errands yesterday blissfully enjoying myself and the beautiful day I was experiencing. At the bank, two girls were at their windows and I was floating in to take care of some business. One said that they were discussing the Pollyanna Principle and that is how they thought of me, and then she said that she feels like she gets a mini-therapy session whenever I come in. Wow. What nice things to say.

As I left the bank to walk Charlie (he loves to go for a walk around the bank), I was thinking about how few times in my life now that I have any negative thoughts worth considering, and how often I now pivot to a better way to see things when on the surface they may seem negative. I realized again that a happy life is simply choosing to see things as you want to see them.

A few days ago, I wrote about the sign on my wall of a quote from Abraham, Esther Hicks. It has now been there for years and yesterday I realized that I am pretty much living that now--so much more so than I realized before. It says, "Today, no matter where I am going and no matter what I am doing, it is my dominant intent to see that which I am wanting to see."

Getting excited about things that seem to go wrong, or be negative on the surface are miraculously changed by how we choose to see them. Just as Gibran realized his teachers were in that place, and that he learned to see their value to his growth, at some point he, as I have realized I now am, become excited about the bumps on the road of life.

Here's another way to see that. If you looked with a strong lens at the grooves in a vinyl record or even a CD, you would see all these little bumps. It is the bumps that is the music. Without the music, there would be no bumps.

Maybe we can look at life anew by seeing that the bumps are the music and without the bumps, there is no music. Maybe we could find joy in the bumps. Maybe we might even look forward with great anticipation of the bumps to come. Maybe we simply go with the flow and enjoy the whole of it all.


Which Brings Us Back To The Choice Being Strictly And Completely Up To Us. 

Spread Some Joy Today--May your highs be high, and your lows be higher.

Daily Inspiration 11-4-15

"The best way to predict the future 

is to create it." 

-- Abraham Lincoln 

Alan Cohen told a story in one of his Wisdom for Today emails of he and a friend eating at a Chinese restaurant, and at the end of the meal, they opened their fortune cookies and were both disappointed in their fortune. So he requested the waitress give them another because they didn't like their fortunes. The waitress brought a bowl of fortune cookies and Alan and his friend opened the cookies until they both found a fortune that they wanted and liked.

He added in the message, "When it comes to establishing your future, you can take what you are offered by others, or you can call unto you what you choose. If you like what you have before you, then bless it and enjoy it; if not, you have every right--and responsibility--to make for a new selection."

That reminds me of asking children, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" With rare exception, I would imagine the answer to change often. This year its a fireman, next year a nurse or doctor, then a rock star. Of course, we could ask that question at any age. And, I don't know about you, but at 66, I'm still wondering what I will be when I grow up.

The good news is that I get to choose. As Abraham, Esther Hicks likes to say, "I don't need to figure that out this red-hot minute. I'll figure it out as I go along." Which is what we all most likely do. We figure it out as we go along. I'm figuring it out as I go along. Today, I'm doing this, and tomorrow, I might do something different. I might up and make a dramatic change, or maybe just a little tweak here and there. It doesn't matter. I get to choose my fortune from a huge bowl of fortune cookies. 

Abraham, Esther Hicks adds to this idea: "Is it reality, or is it not reality? All things are reality. Even if only one is imagining it, it is a reality in that the thought has been offered and someone, who has the ability to translate that vibration, will perceive it. It must be fair to say that anything that can be perceived must be reality. Because, as creators, your reality depends upon what you are willing to imagine and allow."

We live in a world of contrast, and although that is a good thing because it helps us to know what we want or what we prefer, but it can sometimes be confusing. Ultimately, we all have the same experience of getting to choose. With billions of us on the planet today, there are potentially billions of choices. Whatever they are is cool. If it's cool with you. If it isn't; if contrast has caused you to want something else, then we each have the power to choose a new, better-feeling reality.


I Delight In Our Ability To Choose At Will. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by choosing to feel the joy that is within you.

Daily Inspiration 11-3-15

"Today, no matter where I am going, 

and no matter what I am doing, 

it is my dominant intent 

to see that which I am wanting to see." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

The above quote has been on a poster on my wall in my office for several years. It is a wonderful affirmation to start each day.

After yesterday's post and several very positive responses to it, I thought that it would be appropriate to linger on one idea expressed in it today. That idea is that we are in charge of our thinking and we are in charge of our actions, and as we change, the world around us does as well.

I would like to modify the above quote ever so slightly, yet ever so effectively for my purpose by restating it this way: "Today, no matter where I am going, and no matter what I am doing, it is my dominant intent to BE that which I am wanting to see."

As I ended yesterday, by giving unconditional love, I am experiencing unconditional love, and even better, I am teaching unconditional love, sharing it and spreading it, and living it. I am then, unconditional love.

Gandhi is quoted as saying, "If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him." He added, "we need not wait to see what others do."

I was talking with a salesman at a dealership, and in the last many weeks they have been going through an upheaval of change with people being fired, and an entirely new management team, and much more. (How many times I have seen this!) He was at a loss as to what to do because it is a process in motion and he is unclear about his future role.

I watched a movie last night where the guy said, "I don't like my job, but it is steady, and I hate my boss."

Drama is unfolding all around us. We often get caught up in it and react to it with anger, frustration, powerlessness. Yet, we don't need to wait to see what others do, and we need not wait to live according to the ideals that we want to see in others.

Instead of disappointment or despair seeing what others are doing, or how others are acting out their roles, whether in business environments or in our family lives, if we really want that to change, the only reliable change must come from within. Viktor Frankl said, "When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."

If we want to have love in our lives, we need to give love, express love. In giving love, we are love, and when we are love, that love is multiplied. If we want peace, we need to exude peace, or we need to become peaceful. In doing so we become peace. If we want a kind and gentler boss, we need to become that kinder and gentler employee. If we want to have a better team, we need to become that better team member within ourselves. If we want a happier, more fulfilling life, we need to become that happier, more fulfilled person within. Then all of these things become without, or they change the environment around us. 

We need to become the person that we expect others to be toward us. We need to be what we expect to see in the world. We need to see in the world as we want to see it, situations the way we want to see them, other people to be the way we want to see them, and as we look for the qualities that we want to see, we automatically change to become more like a person with those qualities and then everything around us changes according to our vision and more importantly, our inner change.


I AM The Change I Want To See In The World. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by becoming joyful. It's easy. It requires no effort. Just let go of the rope.

Daily Inspiration 11-2-15

"'My son,' the father said, 

'you are always with me, 

and everything I have is yours. 

But we had to celebrate and be glad 

because this brother of yours 

was dead and is alive again; 

he was lost and is found.'" 

-- Luke 15:31-32

The Bible, NIV 

Yesterday I was thinking about unconditional love. I've written about it several times, and I think I understand it well enough, but what I was wondering yesterday was if I have ever actually experienced it toward me. In other words, have I ever felt real unconditional love?

I know that I have felt it for others because I think I understand it and so would recognize the offering, but I could not think of one instance in my life where I have felt it lavished on me. I seem to know that I have felt it before I was born into this body, but I have not known it on earth so far.

As I was thinking these thoughts, the Parable of the Lost Son or the Prodigal Son came to mind. This is often taught as a story of redemption and certainly, it is that, but to me, it is a tale of unconditional love. First, the father loved the younger son with all his heart, then when asked by the son to have his inheritance early so he could go off and experience that wealth, the father did so. When the son who left was completely broken down and coming home to beg his father pardon, not as a son, but as any common worker for him, his father rejoices and celebrates the return of the lost son.

Oh, I have experienced love, even deep love, when things are going well. I have even seen it when things were not going so well, but to pardon anything so brazen as in the Prodigal Son, or some of the many foolish things I've done in my life, no.

Now the father, by his time's standards and even the standards of today, anger for the actions of the son would be easy, and even deeper, stronger negative emotions would be condoned by most. Yet this father loved the son without condition, without respect for what he had done, without respect for how he had squandered his inheritance. He was welcomed as if no bad thing had ever happened and only that he was not there and then he returned. Amazing. I don't even think that the father had ill words while the son was missing because his love was without condition.

To love without condition, or to love unconditionally, is to not even see anything but love. There is no blame. There is no guilt. There are no grudges. There is no ill-speaking. There is nothing but love completely without any conditions.

Wayne Dyer's definition of unconditional love is my favorite. He says, "[Unconditional] love is the ability and willingness to allow those that you care for to be what they choose for themselves without any insistence that they satisfy you." We all have that same ability, but we do not all have that willingness. It is when we fail to satisfy the ideals of the other that challenge love. There are so many things that can and do go wrong. Many so-called hurts and pain. And, we have probably all experienced these from both sides, but unconditional love sees none of that, is not the least bit plugged into any of that, sees through to the core of us, and is full of compassion.

Have I felt and experienced unconditional love? Yes, but only from me to someone else. Yet that is experiencing unconditional love, isn't it? I have no expectations of receiving unconditional love, and I have no earthly recognition of having received it, yet it occurs to me that the most important thing is not receiving, but giving. If I am loving another without any condition that they satisfy me in any way, shape or form, then I am loving unconditionally, and I am experiencing unconditional love. And, just like the father in the story, who cares about any of that other stuff?


Either Way, I'm Still Feeling It! And, It Feels Magical! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by sharing love with others, lavishing them with praise, and seeing only that which they truly are beneath that which we see with our eyes.

Daily Inspiration 11-1-15

"Only when you are 

sensitive to the way you feel 

do you really know 

what your vibrational content is." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

Continuing from yesterday's message about how our point of attraction can be recognized so that we can be more in control of what we attract into our lives. It was stated yesterday from Abraham, Esther Hicks that, "Your thoughts change the behavior of everyone and everything who has anything to do with you. For your thoughts absolutely equal your point of attraction, and the better you feel, the more everything and everyone around you improves." And, it is in the recognition of how we are feeling that tells us what we are attracting.

From Ask and It Is Given: "Some believe that they're focused upon the subject of a healthy body, when instead, they're focused on the fear of a sick body. Some believe that they're thinking about improving their financial situation, when instead, they're focused on not having enough money." They say, "every subject is really two subjects: something that you desire and the absence of something that you desire. If you do not understand that these are very different vibrational frequencies, then you may believe that you are focused on something that you desire, when you may, in fact, be focused in the opposite direction." 

One of their many processes to make it interesting and fun to find ways to stay in alignment with what we really want is, Which Thought Feels Better? (Process #13 of 22 in the book). They say that the game is best played when you are alone so that there are no outside influences, and in the beginning, it can be most helpful to write down how you feel about a subject. As you look at that, they suggest you expand on that feeling, then write a statement that you think feels better. Some statements may not feel better or might feel worse, but as you go through the process, of trying to find a better feeling thought, you will change your vibration toward feeling better about the subject you're considering and yourself at the same time.

After you have played the game so that you understand how you use it, you can easily do it in your mind as your thoughts are coming to you.

Here's a simplified idea of this: "Which thought feels better, to appreciate or to condemn? Which thought feels better, to applaud what you have done, or to feel critical that you did not do enough?" 

When I talk about the importance of feeling good, some have said to me that life is not all about feeling good. Then they go on about all the things going wrong in the world, violence, and a long list of ills, and that things happen and stuff happens, and you just can't go around feeling good all the time! Well, I have to let them have their way. If they want to feel bad, okay. If they want to focus on what is wrong, okay. If they want to find more ways to feel bad, okay--for them. It is not okay for me. We cannot change another, we can only change ourselves. So, it is best to let people make their own choices. I'm okay with that, but I'm not going to the dark side just because someone has a long list of ills in the world and they feel passionate about them.

I think most would agree that they really, truly want to feel better or to feel good. Yesterday I felt fabulous all day long and it was such a joy to feel that. That's what I'm talkin' about! So, this process of asking ourselves, Which thought feels better? can be helpful in finding more ways to feel good and fewer ways of feeling bad. That is its only purpose.


Which Thought Feels Better? 

Spread Some Joy Today--by taking your happy pill and feeling good.