Will We Still Reject Materialism After the Downturn?

Question: I enjoyed your recent interview with Robert McElvaine. His thesis that the downturn will lead us away from consumption as a way of life to what really matters is interesting.

Am I correct in my impression there's a growing number of reports lately about such positive benefits of our economic woes? But even if true, I wonder how long such newfound wisdom will last, once credit starts flowing again.

Unlike the Great Depression, we have generations raised from babyhood on the importance of material possessions and the ease of acquiring them. Is that habit truly changing now, or just dormant until the worst blows over? I'd put my vote on dormant for those who may have to hunker down, but aren't losing their homes and struggling to feed their children. What's your take?

Paul Solman: I don't know if there's a growing number of benefits-of-downshifting reports, Marion, only that we ourselves have now done two of them - our interview with McElvaine and a piece called The Upside of the Downturn. Or maybe even three, if you count Dallas Salisbury's advice to start saving once again.

How long do I think the "newfound wisdom" will last? Remember, I'm the guy who can't go a month on this page without repeating that there are two kinds of economists...those who don't know the future, and those who don't know they don't know.

In short, I haven't a clue. But if I had to bet, it would be on another period of increasing optimism, with all (or many of) the attendant excesses. We human beings are obviously on the "more-is-better" treadmill. Presumably, we're wired that way, because those wired for covetousness, or just for staying ahead of the Joneses, DID get more in the EEA ("environment of evolutionary adaptedness"), when we were still evolving back in the Pleistocene. We had more to feed and shelter their kids, so more of our kids survived than those of, say, the hakuna matata types on the savannah. And so the "more" genes (or proteins or whatever) prospered, relatively speaking. End of the story: We can never get enough, because the whole point is "more than the other guy."

Now clearly, some folks get off the treadmill, or never get on. Near as I can tell, this is what Buddhism seems to be about. But I have to confess, I've known more than one Buddhist shopaholic in my time. Transcendence takes a lot of practice and even then, it's no slam dunk.

Marion Jacobs

Four Paths to Freedom - Which Is Your Root Path?

For the next post in my mystic spirituality series (which I have to warn you I may meander through with lots of tangents, because I am after all a Pisces and just can’t help myself) I wanted to cover the four types of spiritual paths, which correspond to four types of mystic experiences. I don’t usually like categorizing much, but I find this particular classification system useful for:

1) understanding the religious and spiritual traditions of the world

2) understanding the different routes to ’spiritual’ experiences, and

3) understanding your own spiritual proclivities

These four categories are based on ancient Hindu texts such as the Vedas and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, but I first came across them in the biography of Vivekananda, one of the formost disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, and the first Indian ‘Swami’ to travel to Europe and the U.S. (he did this before Yogananda, founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship.)

In Vivekananda’s writings, he labels each path as a different type of yoga, or path to ‘union’ (which is what the word yoga means.) The root of any experience that we label as ’spiritual’ or ‘mystic’ is a dissolution of boundaries, and therefore rooted in a sense of union with forces or a power larger than ourselves. Of course dividing life into ’spiritual’ and ‘non-spiritual’ moments presents big problems, but for the sake of this post, let’s just not get worked up about that - I think we can all acknowledge that we have certain moments or experiences of opening that help define our spiritual lives. Personally I prefer the word ‘freedom’ to ‘union’ - as in, freedom from the forces that usually keep us tied down or separated. So I call this Four Paths to Freedom, but you can call it whatever you want!

Think about what you gravitate to the most as you read this. What has preceded your defining moments? What dissolves you? Which of these traditions have you gravitated to the most? Each path is traditionally associated with certain risks, which I have listed, so think also about whether you have ever been (or currently are) caught in any of these traps? Let me know in the comments!

Paths of Inquiry (Jnani Yoga)

These paths revolve around direct inquiry into the nature of reality, mind, personal identity, and God/source. While these start as intellectual exercises, the practices are meant to move you beyond intellect, dissolving subject and object and all the dualities of mind that cause us to believe we are separate from God/source/each other.

Motto: To Know (or even better, To Know the Knower)

Seeking: Truth

Tradition Examples: Zen (all of Buddhism to some extent, but Zen in particular), Taoism, Vedanta, Hasidic Kabbalah (in terms of Talmudic study), Eckhart Tolle, Jungian-based symbolic psyche systems, the Enneagram

Risks of these paths: Getting trapped in the mind. Analysis paralysis. Mistaking intellectual understanding for wisdom, or self-awareness for realization.

Antidote: Surrender. Your intellect is your tool on this path, not who you are. It can bring you to the brink, and then you have to let go.

Paths of Devotion (Bhakti Yoga)

These paths revolve around devotion to an external representation of God, source, or love. Usually, this is devotion to a teacher, deity or other person meant to represent the liberated state. While initially these generate feelings of love for the object of worship, the idea is to collapse into the love itself, recognizing yourself as a pure expression of love, not an individual feeling love.

Motto: To Love (or even better, To Become Love)

Seeking: Connection

Tradition Examples: Christianity (through devotion to Christ), Tantric/Vajrayana Buddhism (through mandala, deity, or guru identification), Sufism, ritualized Hinduism (deity devotion), Guru yoga

Risks of these paths: Getting trapped in external devotion. Never recognizing the same source inside yourself. Getting addicted to the ‘feelings’ of love or bliss that devotion can trigger, without taking the next step into becoming love. Sentimentality. Self-righteousness - when emotion becomes the sole psychological driver.

Antidote: Discrimination - as in the mental ability to take a knife to your ego, discriminate between the various forces at work there, and surgically dissect your emotional addictions (which can be considered a kind of jnani yoga - inquiry and devotion work together.) If you stay trapped in worship for the emotional ‘high’, your ‘object’ of worship has to remain external to yourself. Give up temporarily feeling good to be free.

Paths of Service (Karma Yoga)

These paths revolve around service to others, as a means to overcoming the ego’s self-interest. The goal is to live in selflessness, through service to others, in order to overcome all egoic attachments and thought patterns. Dissolution occurs through recognizing everyone (and yourself) as expressions of the same source. Service to others is service to self - there is no separation.

Motto: To Serve (or even better, To Serve as Source)

Seeking: Selflessness

Tradition Examples: Christianity (think Mother Teresa), Judaism (in the principle of tikkun, or making the world ‘whole’ through compassionate action), Bodhisattva practice in Mahayana Buddhism (which includes Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, but some lineages stress service in action more than others, and fit better here), karma yoga monasteries like that established by Vivekananda himself (one of Gandhi’s inspirations)

Risks of these paths: Attachment to outcome - judging results instead of focusing on your inner relationship to service. Also, martyrdom or ’service ego’ - attachment to others viewing you as a ‘good person’, which masks underlying insecurities. And finally, compassion fatigue - a shutting down due to sacrificing your own needs beyond a level that is sustainable long term.

Antidote: Solitude. Meditation. Pulling inward instead of going outward for a time, to reconnect to your source and recognize your true drives.

Paths of the Unseen (raja yoga)

Raja actually means ‘king’, and these paths are so called because they combine aspects of all the other paths, plus add in occult and energy studies. The idea is to study the unseen forces in our world - the patterns of energy and laws of existence that determine what we experience and how the world evolves. Or put another way, the laws of creation. Dissolution comes through the recognition that we ourselves create the world, as opposed to the focus being on an external ‘creator’. Any act of creation - from the creative arts to healing (which is a kind of re-creation) to magic and manifestation - can be a practice on this path.

Motto: To Create (or To Become Creation)

Seeking: Power - as in the power to Create/Manifest

Tradition Examples: Tantric/Vajrayana Buddhism, mystic Kabbalah, kundalini yoga, siddha yogic paths, Religious Science/New Thought Christianity, energy healing traditions practiced as part of a spiritual path, Evolutionary astrology, any occult or energy-based tradition (magick, divination, healing, even martial arts) that is practiced as part of a spiritual journey

Risks of these paths: Arrogance. Attachment to using power as an individual, to fulfill your own ego desires, instead of as a means for experiencing yourself as a conduit for creation. Also, disassociation - too much time in the ‘unseen’ can leave you emotionally disconnected from ‘real life’.

Antidote: Compassion, and service (the raja and karma paths can work to balance each other just as the bhakti and jnani can.) Focusing on your connection to others is the best way to keep yourself connected and balanced.

Many people label only devotional or occult paths as ‘mystic’, but as I said in my Are You a Mystic? post, I use it much more broadly. As for my own tendencies, in my life I have most definitely focused the most on the Paths of the Unseen, with a strong draw to Paths of Inquiry too. But interestingly, the main focus of my last few years - parenting - is a combination of the other two Paths, Devotion and Service. So I’ve been pulled to explore other aspects of myself - and spirituality - through that.

So what’s your tendency? What paths (formally or informally) have you been drawn to? What do you most seek - Truth, Connection, Selflessness or the Power to Create? What traps have you encountered? I’m interested to know…

From Mommy Mystic

Sleep Tight and Well

The quality of our life significantly depends on our mental and physical state of health. We have realized how important healthy food and physical activities are for our body. But we still underestimate the significance of our sleep process…

Sleep deprivation causes fatigue, irritation and low productivity. All these decrease your immune system and create perfect conditions for other diseases. Here are some tips to make your sleep deep and sound.

1. Try to get up at a regular time even during the weekends.


2. Go to bed only when you feel you are in a sleepy state but not too late - it is so easy to waste sleepless hours.


3. If you cannot fall asleep during 20 minutes, leave your bedroom and do some chores. Do not allow yourself to fall asleep in another room. Go back to your bedroom when you are sleepy. Repeat the following as many times as it is needed during the night.


4. Use your bedroom only for sleep, sex or when you get ill and need to stay in bed.


5. Avoid irregular napping. If you feel you need it try to do it at a regular time and don’t nap more than one hour. The perfect time for napping is about 3 p.m.


6. Organize a relaxing ritual before going to bed. It can be a warm bath, 10-minute reading or you can have some food to enhance your sleep. Avoid eating much before going to bed!


7. Everybody knows that exercising provides a good night's sleep. But make sure you exercise in the morning or afternoon, not at night, to see the benefits while you dream.


8. Do not drink or eat something containing caffeine 6 hours before sleep.


9. Do not drink alcohol beverages when you feel sleepy or if you take some soporific draught. Even a little doze of alcohol combined with your fatigue can cause a big effect.


10. Avoid smoking before going to bed or during the night.

What Transformational Healing Traditions Inspire You?

Transformation can be seen as a tool for learning. I often say, I won’t go through tough "shit" without learning from it. There is no point to facing what we perceive as death and destruction without growing from that experience. I have heard the phrase, “an unexamined life goes nowhere”.

Transformation forces us to examine our lives. Of course some of us have no choice rather than to confront our “divine chaos” when transformation is triggered by some sort of traumatic event such as divorce, loss of a job, economic hardship, health issues, etc. (All issues that hit me at once!) These events can catapult you into full attention and questioning of your life. Such divine chaos is an opportunity for inner reflection. It’s like the universe is saying “pay attention! I am giving you an opportunity to allow your life to proceed with greater purpose!” Many times, as a result of transformational experiences, fulfilling opportunities arise from this chaos which we otherwise would not have been open to. For example, perhaps “losing my job” forced me into pursuing my own soul inspired and consciously aware business. This is an opportunity I wouldn’t have explored so ambitiously if I was parked into the status quo of my former job.

Transformation does not always need to arise from trauma. It can happen gently and with a subtle intention. The point is that when you resist (even Trekkies know that resistance is futile) the universe continues to insist! This is why it’s important to listen to the subtle cues born of awareness, intuition, instinct, and your inner voice, and then follow up on this awareness with inspired action. Too many times we hear these messages over and over and do nothing. Thus, as in my own case, we get blind sided into real clarity.

The journey requires self awareness. The greatest shift in awareness may stem from our own perception. We have the power to shift our perception… to recreate the story of our existence. What is your story? Are you a spiritual being having a human experience or are you a human being having a spiritual experience? For many, the very acknowledgement of spirit and influence over their own perception can have a deeply transformational impact.

So back to the original question, what is a transformational healing tradition?

I am reminded of the ancient tradition of astrology with its Plutonian concepts of death and destruction as a means to transformation and its chironic reflections (chiron representing the wounded healer) of transformation through the confrontation of one’s innermost wounds. What a beautiful example of a transformational healing tradition.

I am also reminded of Latin American folk healing, a tradition that does not separate the soul from the physical body. In fact the intent of spiritual shamans and Granny healers of the tradition is to reunite the body with the soul, for disease is a manifestation of soul loss arisen from trauma or fear. What greater transformation than to be reunited body and soul! Along the same lines, conventional western healing culture is not devoid of transformational healing. They just use different terminology like “post traumatic stress disorder” and may support transformational healing through counseling and education.

There are many different healing traditions that inspire transformation. I am an herbalist, and I have seen many cases of truly inspiring transformation simply by connecting people with plants and nature and by empowering students to become healers not only to themselves but to their loved ones, their communities, and their planet. Speaking of the planet, I would have to say that we are in the midst of a mass transformation!

What healing traditions have inspired your personal transformations?

By Mimi Hernandez

Is Your Spirituality Keeping You From Making Money?

Today I’d like to discuss some things that may be on your mind already, the concept of spiritual growth and how it is related to (or in some peoples minds in conflict with) financial growth. Can the two coexist? Is it possible to strive for both simultaneously? Before you jump to any conclusions, read on.

For many people, this is simply not possible. Citing passages from the Bible such as ““It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”. Ok, I’m not going to “diss” the Bible, but I truly believe that quote was taken out of context, or was directed at some really baaaad people. I think of all the wealthy people I know of that contribute large sums of money and time to helping others, and I know this is not always true. Are there rich people who do bad things? You betcha! Are there also very financially distressed people who do bad things? Again, of course there are. Having money in and of itself doesn’t make a person moral or immoral.

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Ecumenical Gospel Music Concert, Susan L. Taylor open CommUNITY Week Sept. 28-Oct. 2

CommUNITY Week is an excellent time to reflect on the important roles that art, culture, spirituality and learning have in our lives. It is a time for the University of St. Thomas and Twin Cities communities to share and exchange through formal and informal networks.

In its third year, CommUNITY Week has turned the spotlight on the vital contribution that culture and spirituality make in learning and in life. Music, faith, books, theater and dialogue about uncomfortable issues are a part of daily life and have a lasting impact. They inspire and challenge us and broaden our horizons. We respect the Ramadan and Rosh Hashanah religious traditions as we reflect and celebrate.

The third annual CommUNITY Week celebration will begin Sunday, Sept. 28, with an Ecumenical Gospel Music Celebration fundraiser in the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas. As a learning community rich in faith and heritage, it is important that we work toward uniting our community through a greater sense of shared spirituality. The Office of Institutional Diversity continues to support St. Thomas' strategic priorities of access, excellence and Catholic identity.

One goal of the OID is to improve and enhance campus climate through a number of intentional initiatives. One way to do this is to fortify our humanity in the name of God through gospel music. Music is a universal language that transcends social status, ethnic origin, gender, generation, faiths, culture and background.

The Ecumenical Gospel Music Celebration fundraiser is a diverse program that features gospel music performed by a mixture of Twin Cities musicians and choirs. Funds raised will benefit diversity and access initiatives in the Office of Institutional Diversity.

Award-winning artists performing in this celebration will include: Bruce A. Henry, Debbie Duncan, T. Mychael Rambo and Yolande Bruce. Henry will serve as guest director and Rambo as master of ceremonies.

The Hallel Praise Team Ministry from Holding Forth the Word of Life Ministries International and the Voices of Unity Choir from Pilgrim Baptist Church will join in this jubilant celebration from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, in the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Legendary editor emerita of Essence magazine, Susan L. Taylor, also will headline CommUNITY Week. Taylor has empowered the powerless and provided hope for "all God's children" through her famous "In the Spirit" columns. She is an accomplished author, editor, humanitarian and national spokeswoman for National Cares Mentoring Movement. .
Susan L. Taylor

Taylor will join our community for two major events: 1) "All About Love: Living Fearlessly in a Changing World," 7-9 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29, in Room 304, Murray-Herrick Campus Center (followed by a reception and book signing), and 2) "Diversity Dialogues: Lifting Voices in the Circle," 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, in Room 304, Murray-Herrick Campus Center. Get details on these events in the CommUNITY Week schedule that follows this column.

I appreciate the forward thinking of co-chairs Michael Glirbas and Cynthia Fraction. In addition, we always are fortunate to have eager students, faculty and staff who contribute their time by serving on the Steering and Volunteer Committee. A special "thank you" to all these willing volunteers who publicly support our diversity initiatives. In addition, thank you Gayle Lamb and Food Service for providing special menus in various dining facilities throughout this week.

I personally invite students, faculty and staff members to attend as many events as possible. I encourage faculty to provide students with co-curricular learning opportunities by considering CommUNITY Week events for extra credit. On a college campus, diversity becomes intellectually, culturally and socially productive and central to the university's educational mission when it is a source of mutual enrichment to all members of the university community. In this way, education becomes a tool through which the fact of diversity is transformed to exciting and productive actions of diversity, creating a climate and environment so stimulating and attractive that the experience of difference becomes a source of excellence and an instrument of achievement.

A very special "thank you" is extended to all CommUNITY Week sponsors for their generosity and support. Each sponsor is recognized in the schedule of events below. Visit our Web site for additional details.

Here is the schedule of CommUNITY Week events:

Sunday, Sept. 28

* Ecumenical Gospel Music Celebration fundraiser, 3-5:30 p.m. in the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas, honorary co-host Anchor Hilyard Lodge. Tickets will be on sale at the St. Thomas Box Office and Expeditions, lower level, Murray-Herrick Campus Center, and online Sept. 17 through Sept. 26. Tickets prices are $25 for general admission and $15 for students (with ID). Discounts are available for general admission groups (10 tickets for $225 and 20 tickets for $450). Tickets may be purchased concert day from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Box Office. VISA, Master Card, Discover and student eXpress cards will be accepted. Call the Box Office at (651) 962-6137 with questions.

Stthomas

10 Simple Soul Exercises

Our spiritual life is like singing. Most of us can sing, but few of us do it in public. Even fewer can do it in public without embarrassment! Try these simple, soulful, spiritual workouts to help develop your religious voice so that you can--to use the words of the Psalms - "sing a new song to God."

Therefore I Am

French philosopher Rene Descartes wrote, "I think, therefore I am." But what if thinking isn't the reason for your existence?

What word or phrase might you substitute for "I think"?

Here are a few ideas:

• I complain, therefore I am.
• I have stuff, therefore I am.
• I improve on things, therefore I am.
• My parents procreated, therefore I am.
• I create, therefore I am.
• God loves me, therefore I am.

Every version gives a very different perspective on life. Meditate on what you would put in the blank and see what you discover.

Spend Time 'Not Doing'

Parkinson's Law (named after 20th-century British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson) states, "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." That's just the way it is.

Paradoxically for adults, it takes work and planning in order to successfully rest. Can you spend five minutes today not doing? How about 10 minutes? Or a half hour?

Take a 'Universe Job Survey'

I saw the following quote: "Many people want to serve God, but only as advisors." If we aren't here to advise God, what is our job?

Here's a way to think about answering that question: Imagine for a moment that the universe was your employer. Based on the way you actually live your life--not on how you wish you did - how would you answer the following questions on The Universe's Job Survey:

• What is your job title?
• What department do you work in?
• How high-ranking are you in your department?
• Do you have a job description?
• Does your job have fixed hours or benefits?

Create Your Own Holy Day

Rather than commemorate a truly significant religious or secular event, many of our culture's holidays are invented and exist primarily for commercial purposes. If you could invent a holiday what would it be?

• Bob, my brother-in-law, advocates "Creativity Day."
• Larry, my friend the retired minister and sociology professor, likes the idea of an "International Day of Contrition."
• I would have everyone celebrate "Faith Day."

What "holy day" do you think should be observed?

Give Yourself Advice

If you could go back in time to when you were half your current age, what advice would you want to give yourself?

Might you tell yourself:

• to have more faith?
• to love more freely?
• to be less anxious?

And, if you were to take that advice today, how might that change your current outlook?

Try New Words

For the rest of the day, see if you can substitute the verb "get" for "have." For example, if you were going to say, "I have to check my email," say instead, "I get to check my email." It's amazing how the little change of one word can affect our attitude.

Read an Email from God

Imagine you open your inbox and find an email with the subject line: An email from God. What do you imagine the message would contain?

• Praise?
• Condemnation?
• An answer to a question that you've been asking?
• Advice?
• A forwarded joke?

What about your response? What would you write back? How would you sign it?

Surprise Yourself

Imagine that at half the age you currently are, you fell asleep. And imagine that you slept right through (like Washington Irving's story of Rip Van Winkle) until today. What five things about your own life and the world would be most surprising to you?

Would you be surprised by where you live? Would you be surprised by your wealth? Would you be surprised by your state of mind? Would you be surprised by technology? Would you be surprised by world politics?

Change It Up

If the only constant is change--as paradoxical as that might seem--it would behoove us all to learn how to deal gracefully with it.

For the rest of the day, change your cell phone ringtone or put your watch on the opposite wrist. (Really, do this.)

Now, each time your phone rings or you look at an empty patch of skin instead of finding out the time, notice how you react. Your reaction to this change is going to inform you about your natural, pre-wired response to change.

Change is just change. It isn't inherently good or bad. It's just different.

See if over the course of the day you can learn from yourself and accept both change as well as your reactions to it.

Have a Talk with God

If you were in a couples' counseling with God, what complaints, grievances, grudges, etc., would you have about your recent relationship with God? In other words, what is it that you have not said to God that you know deep in your heart you want to say about your relationship as of late?

It might be something that you haven't felt particularly safe saying or just something you haven't had the opportunity to say. Or it might just be something you've said before that bears repeating.

See if you can come up with at least seven sentences. (There is no one who can't do this--those claiming to have no relationship with God can use that as a wonderful starting point.)

By Rabbi Brian

Spirituality - Is it all in your head?

These things can always be looked at several different ways. After listening to WNYC’s RadioLab on “Where Am I?”, I was very uncertain about the brain’s role in religion and spirituality, and how we might create the “proof” for these beliefs. When the brain loses track of the body, experiences similar to “near-death experiences” occur. Perhaps these situations are merely a reaction of the brain being confused? Does this call into question other spiritual experiences as really being physical manifestations of some issue, misinterpreted as something esoteric?

Then Dr. Taylor has this store of inspiration, which I’m reposting here. She was featured in the New York Times just last week. According to Dr. Taylor, nirvana is attainable by choosing to behave and perceive using more of one’s right hemisphere. There isn’t clarity of exactly how one is supposed to go about doing that (perhaps you need to buy the book?)

But it is an interesting proposal. Add in the RadioLab information, and the question becomes even more convoluted.

First - is it merely an electrical stimulus of the brain we are perceiving as peace?

Second - does it matter? Does the fact that one can choose to be in nirvana make it less desirable to attain? Less of a challenge? I mean think about it - part of the method of attaining nirvana was to let go of the physical - and now we have some indication that nirvana is purely phyiscal? A matter of making synapses happen more on the right brain than the left. Does that alter our understanding of most metaphysical teachings? Meditation?

Perhaps spirituality has less to do with what’s OUT THERE as opposed to what’s IN US, and how we connect to others.

Anyway - have a look. (If this video isn’t working for you, go here.)

From Exponential Steel Buddha

The Emotion Of Fear

I read THE SECRET a year ago and my life has steadily improved since then.

Just stopping in to say hello. I found Good Karma last year shortly after I finished reading The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, but there wasn't much action here back then, and way leads onto way...

I want to share my remedy: If life is knocking you about, try reading The Secret or watching the movie.

I can attest to the radical difference in a person's life that can follow applying the wisdom found within the book and movie. I'm almost ashamed to talk about how much better my life was after a year's time.

My heart goes out to everyone who is living in despair. I remember when every day was an effort that felt futile. I knew life was out to get me, and it was too late to expect any more than I currently had in the world. I could understand that my situation was the result of decisions I made, opportunities I didn't pursue perhaps, but I did not see how I could turn everything around.

A year ago I was on dial-up. I still worked retail. We hadn't had cable television in our home in nearly three years. I was driving on a license that had been revoked back in 2002. I was crushed under the weigh of debts I thought I would never be able to face. And then everything hit the fan again March 2007. Just my 19th nervous breakdown I suppose. I didn't have enough to pay the rent on time, we ran out of heating oil, and the car needed to go to the shop. It was impossible to trace my problems back to a specific date or event by then. Life had been horrible for ten years, and I felt unequal to the task of working so hard to get nowhere, and completely uninterested in facing up to any more drama.

My son had seen the The Secret at school, and he assured me I just had to see the movie to understand how to make it all better. He was confident all I needed was to see the movie, I finally promised I would if he would just stop talking about it. Once the rent was paid and other crises were averted/funded and there was some money for a frivolous pursuit I went to the bookstore. I bought the book instead of the movie because I am more a reader than a watcher. I read The Secret overnight, and I have never again been as stressed out about life. Every time I feel myself begin to get heated I apply the recommended techniques and things go my way, or at least go better than they would have.

Changes in the first year include: Verizon installed internet in June, and Comcast upgraded us to high speed and cable in December. I started my fantastic job in July, took care of my license in October. And just last week I settled an old debt in court. For me, these are huge victories. Though I guess that last one is more than a year from when I read the book. But it's part of the whole trend of my being able to pay my way and settle old claims.

Unexpected checks in the mail, I remember how I scoffed at that. But I downloaded a short Secret video about money from the website and I watched it all the time and imagined myself bathed in wealth. In July I landed a job with a company I had been trying three years to get into. And this job turned out to be a work from home situation. It's a real job, 40 hrs/wk, with benefits. But I do all my work on a computer in my bedroom. I accepted the job thinking I would earn about 25% more than I had at my old job. After my first complete month on the job (August) I received notice that I would be receiving a bonus check that was nearly equal to a week's pay. The following month I earned a bonus closer to two week's pay. I had been promised bonuses, but I'd had no idea they would be so lucrative. This was like unexpected checks in the mail for me. Definitely unexpected compensation for the job I accepted.

And then, the last week of February this year, my boss offered me a promotion. And in a year's time I was making twice as much money as I was when I read The Secret.

I believe in the Secret and the application of its principles. I think positively. I choose to believe that everything in the universe is working for my benefit. I write down my goals and dreams and I review them to keep them fresh in my mind. I express and experience gratitude as often as I think of it, and try to appreciate more and more each day.

I believe that when I went through life thinking that everything was against me, everything WAS against me. And once I started thinking everything happened to my benefit, even when it did not appear to be so, suddenly everything started going better than I had known how to expect.

But I must admit I'm surprised I reap all these benefits because I don't practice the Secret as often as I could. Too many of my to do lists go undone. I don't remember to visualize every day. I average 5 journal entries a month. And yet somehow it's still enough to work to my benefit and I am now making investments and paying off old debts. And finance is only one area of my life that has improved.

It's almost insane how much better my life gets every month. I'm working on launching an online business. I go to Toastmasters meetings and take night courses to invest in my education. And it doesn't feel as hard as I thought it might. I have energy and inspiration to do more than I did when I worked so hard and expected so little in return. Now my efforts reward my expectations.

Oh well, it's hard to know when sharing one's joy becomes boastful and arrogant. If you read this far and you really want to know what could make your life better, and you haven't already read or seen The Secret, please try it. For your sake.

By maragold

…who be loved!

A long time ago, a girl named Li-Li got married and went to live with her husband and mother-in-law.In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn’t get along with her mother-in-law at all.
Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law’s habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly.

Days passed days, and weeks passed weeks. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese
tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing the poor husband great distress. Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law’s bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it.

Li-Li went to see her father’s good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all.
Mr. Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you
must listen to me and obey what I tell you. Li-Li said, “Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do.”

Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, “You can’t use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some pork or chicken and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects you when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. Don’t argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen.” Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her
mother-in-law.

Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother. After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn’t had an argument in six months with her mother-in-law, who now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with. The mother-in-law’s attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li’s husband was very happy to see what was happening.

One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again. She said, “Dear Mr. Huang,
please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law! She’s changed into such a nice
woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave
her.” Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. “Li-Li, there’s nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her.”

MORAL: Friends, have you ever realized that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you? THE GOLDEN RULE: The person who loves others will also be loved

From: A Friend for You

Children See Children Do

Control your behavior and make you influence positive.

Discover your spirituality with yoga

Yoga has many beneficial effects if you practice it on a regular basis; it is known to help if major illnesses as well as being undertaken by those who just want to get fitter and healthier. There is so much more to yoga however, yoga is a total holistic system that can strengthen not only the muscles but also the mind. Those who practice yoga on a more serious level think of it as a totally spiritual experience and benefit on a spiritual level deeply.

The majority of people who practice yoga do so because of the way that their whole system, their body, mind and soul is brought together and the totally peaceful feeling that this brings out in the person. Yoga helps to bring and harmonize the body, mind and spirit that are essential to a happy lifestyle.

The Chinese have long believed that illness develops due to the body becoming out of sync and that symptoms are just a sign of a more deeper underlying problem. They believe that there is an energy force that flows throughout the body and it is when this energy force is blocked that problems begin to arise within the body. Yoga is one way of ensuring that the flow of energy is kept running freely throughout the body, yoga can help to achieve this many ways, the poses are specifically designed to open up the chest, the heart, the lungs and to strengthen the body functions such as the immune system.

One of the aspects of yoga is to help the person develop their spirituality and to let it flow, to look into themselves and the person they are instead of running away and putting the blame on anything else but themselves. Those who develop their spirituality have found that they are able to feel free, happy and are able to deal with and overcome problems that previously would have had them in knots.

Feeling good about oneself is essential in dealing with a wide variety of problems and indeed if you are able to deal and understand yourself and the problems that affect you then very often these problems simply disappear. One oft eh easiest ways to start looking into yourself and finding your spiritual side is to start off with the yogic breathing exercises. Yogic breathing helps the person to settle down and relax and to look inside him or herself and discover the person they really are.

Hatha yoga breathing relies on focusing on the exhalation; Westerners seem to put importance on inhalation when in fact this is wrong. Changing the way we breathe can vastly change how we feel as well as our outlook on life. When practicing Hatha yoga to develop your spirituality breathe in slowly though the nose fully, yogic breathing focuses strongly on silent breathing, if you are breathing correctly then you shouldn't be able to hear yourself breathe. When exhaling, be sure that you do so from your abdomen and make sure that you push the air out of your body totally. This is the simplest way to perform yogic breathing to develop and bring forth your spirituality.

by icamm

Spirituality and emotional IQ can drive business

John Ruskin said: "Education does not mean just teaching people what they do not know, it also means teaching people to behave as they do not behave."

Today, more than 150 years later, Mr. Ruskin's words still ring true, as it is no longer enough to just have a high IQ. In fact, new research at Harvard University reveals that 90 percent to 95 percent of success now depends upon Emotional Intelligence — EQ or EI — and only 5 percent to 10 percent on IQ.

Emotional Intelligence is developing universal values of dignity and trust gained through open and honest communications. It is adding intelligence to emotions and gaining wisdom.

My own personal journey has convinced me that you cannot reach your potential as a leader if you are not using your potential as a human being first. And you can't achieve your potential as a human being if you are not authentic.

And yet companies and organizations across this country invest about $25 billion a year on training for technical skills and very little on developing authentic leadership skills. I call it the "Great Training Robbery."

My experience has been that "authentic leadership" can be developed and should be considered as a viable option for you, personally, and your team members. Authentic leadership based upon emotional intelligence, leads to mutual trust and respect and sustainable superior performance.

There are four conditions of authenticity, and none of them will come as a surprise to you. In fact, they are traits our parents and mentors instilled in us during our development years. They are:

The absence of defensiveness.

The absence of manipulation or the presence of truthfulness.

The presence of sincere empathy.

The presence of values.

Couple those traits with what I identify as the five components of emotional intelligence-based authentic leadership and you are creating greatness.

The five components are:

Self-awareness: The ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions, drives and values as well as their realistic effect on others.

By Jay S. Sidhu

Spirituality - Reducing stress

When explaining stress management to an audience, a lecturer raised a glass of water and asked, “how heavy is this glass of water?”

The answers called out ranged from 20 grams to 500 grams.

The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it! If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right aarm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll probably have to call an ambulance! In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.

That’s the way it is with stress and the way we manage it. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.

As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the task at hand. So, whatever your burden is... put it down...at least for a moment. You can pick it up tomorrow.

Some thoughts on the stressors of life:

• Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue.
• Always keep your words soft and sweet...just in case you have to eat them.
• Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
• If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
• Never buy a car you can’t push.
• Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on!
• Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird...sleep late! Of course, it’s the second mouse who gets the cheese in the trap! Hmmmmm
• Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
• Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
• You may be only one person in the world....but....you may also be the world to one person!
• We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
• When everything’s coming your way....you are probably in the wrong lane
• If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments
• The repairman couldn’t repair your brakes so he made your horn louder.

I hope these ‘thoughts’ lightened your load for today; at least long enough to make you realize that there are no ‘big deals,’ only big reactions.

By SALLY SAULITIS

Laugh, but if you cannot, watch how do laugh other people!!!

Are you depressed?
Just smile and your bad mood will leave you without a trace!!!



Do not feel shy to laugh and you will be surprised at how your life and health change. Good and kind laughter is useful and healthy not because it elevates your spirits.



People who like to laugh – less feel sick, less become annoyed and do not know what it means this thing depression.



Laughter calms your nerves

During laughter your organism releases endorphins (they occur naturally in your brain) – “hormones of happiness”, exactly they help you to get rid of irritation and sadness.



Even if you recall the minutes you were laughing – your mood would get better at once.



Laughter conquers your stress

British scientists investigated the influence of laughter on people’s health. Two groups of people, volunteers, took part in this experiment. During one hour one group was watching comic videos, the second group was asked just sitting in silence. After this experimentation all participants did blood tests. This research revealed that people were watching funny records, had a low level of “stress” hormones like cortisol, dopamine and adrenalin than the second group.



The fact is that when we laugh- all our body and all organs experience more physical work. When we stop laughing our body relaxes, rests and slows down.

Conclusion

Thus means, that laughter helps to get out of physical and emotional tension. Scientists insist on one minute of laughing, as one minute of frank laughter is equal to 45 minutes of deep relaxation.

How can I control my anger against my child?

I always dreamt of having a child - I wanted to love someone in the way that I was never loved. I now have my beloved daughter. She is three and a half and beautiful, but she makes me so angry and I can't cope. I know that having a child is demanding, but she makes me despair. I don't hit her but I can feel the build-up of resentment towards her, even though I know this isn't really about her. My parents hit me and I resent them for it - I could never do that to my child. However, I am frightened by the wave of anger that comes over me when I know that she is probably just behaving as a child.
Catherine

It isn't just our behavioural responses to our child that affect their behaviour but the emotional content of those responses. These emotions are known as projections - feelings from within us that are linked to our own pasts and histories and that we then project on to our child. In effect, we emotionally dump on our children while all they are doing is responding as a child who is developing and learning the rules of the game of life.

I wonder whether, through your analysis of your relationship with your parents, you are left with an understanding of your own history that has left you feeling uncomfortable? These are the feelings that to some degree you have been projecting on to your child. Except that you are taking responsibility for that, so your daughter can carry on being a child. I congratulate you for doing this - it is tough, but is also an essential part of parenting - not using your child as your emotional outlet. You are tolerating the difficult feelings like an adult and not making them your child's problem.

When you find yourself in a situation with your child where you acknowledge that their behaviour is stirring up such intense emotions in you, try to step back and begin to question your behaviour. In doing that, you will start to build an awareness of how your own emotional issues are being keyed into by your child - many people would say that their child “knows which buttons to press”. These buttons are our insecurities and emotional vulnerabilities, but is it fair to blame a child for pushing them? Do we honestly believe that they are scheming in their little mind to get what they want by profoundly upsetting us? No, they have learnt because we have taught them that certain behaviours give us the greatest problems and in those situations we are likely to give them the most attention.

It's a mismatch of behaviour and interpretation of behaviour. And the projection comes from your own belief systems about yourself as an adult. If you believe you are a failure, or not good enough, or even worthless, you label yourself in a negative way. The moment your child does something wrong, or something that embarrasses you, or keys into that sense of “I'm a failure” or “I'm out of control” or “I am a terrible parent”, then you will go into meltdown. It becomes about you, when actually children are supposed to make mistakes. If your child's mistake compounds your negative beliefs about yourself, which are in turn linked to your own childhood or difficulties in your life and relationships, then your child is going to find themselves in the path of a huge response that is completely mismatched to their behaviour.

It's important for us as adults to accept that we can at times project our own inner feelings outwards, and a very good receptacle for those feelings can be children. It is easy to fall into the trap of pushing our anger, sadness, pain, frustrations and stress on to them and make them responsible for it, rather than taking responsibility for these feelings ourselves and understanding what they are really about. You have this insight already and you are stopping yourself hitting your child - this makes you a good parent.

My advice is to monitor these situations (keep a diary) and work out the specific triggers that set you off.Then, when you see situations about to occur, employ a range of creative distraction techniques when possible. When this is not possible, ignore the difficult behaviour and distract yourself (count backwards from 100 in threes; sing a song).

In the most difficult situations, use the “time out” method, whereby your child is separated from you for three minutes (one minute for each year of life in a safe place such as a bedroom). This allows them to learn that the behaviour will not be tolerated, gives you time to calm down and reduces the chance of hitting. Once you have managed the behaviour, do not bear grudges; move on with the day and praise them for every wonderful thing they do.

Finally, find support about your own history, either through talking about your feelings with those you trust and are close to or by having psychotherapy.

From The Times

3 Steps To Reclaiming Your Power and Happiness

Reclaiming your power and happiness can be accomplished easily, bringing joy, excitement and energy back to your body and life. Our power is gained when we speak the truth. To really be free and happy, we are called to speak the truth. Words are more important than we realize. In Jesus' original teachings, the word is creation itself. Just think how we create with the words we speak. What are we saying all day long, and how are these words creating in our life.

Speaking the truth can be challenging at times. Often, we are afraid of being rejected if we really let others know how we feel. Fear of hurting someone's feelings is often what stops us from speaking the truth. We may also be afraid of starting an argument if we speak the truth.

Unfortunately, when we don't speak the truth, we unconsciously create manipulative ways of dealing with our unexpressed emotions. We find ourselves saying or doing things that are not really our truth. In this way, we betray ourselves. Then, we will notice that depression is often the result of not speaking what we feel and think. Withholding our feelings leads to separation or distancing from others. We cannot experience the closeness and warmness that we truly desire. Often, we blame ourselves or the others for the lack of communication and guilt may be the result. We may find ourselves being angry and becoming agitated. All of this can be corrected easily when we are willing to step forward and speak the truth.

3 Steps to Regain Your Power and Happiness

First Step: Begin to notice where in your life you are holding back from expressing your feelings and thoughts. Where are you holding back from asking for what you want? Now, get a notebook and begin to write your thoughts and feelings in great detail. In your journal, ask for what you want and then write why you think you deserve to have what you want. During this process you will get to know yourself very deeply and discover why you feel scared, frustrated, powerless and unhappy. In this process you begin to untangle all the built up emotions that get us bogged down and suddenly you have lost your joy.

Second Step: The next step will open your voice and your heart up. It will empower you. Your happiness will begin to rise up the scale as well as your self worth, which is directly related to your sense of power. When you are ready, go to a very private place; maybe this is your car with the windows rolled up. In your safe, private place begin to speak your thoughts and feelings to the universe, to the person who you have been withholding your feelings from. Speak as much of your true feelings out loud. This will get you in touch with the deep self. Next, surrender any hurt, anger, fear or resentment. Once you are clear of these emotions, your communications will be filled with a new energy.

Third Step: You are now ready to speak the truth and reclaim your power. There is no blaming in this communication because you are clear and have taken responsibility for your feelings and surrendered them to your Sacred Energy. You have been purified and now you will be empowering yourself by speaking the truth about your feelings and needs in a deep and profound way. The power you gain is the power of love. Remember the truth will set your free.

For more exciting tips on how to live from the center of your being using your Sacred Energy to create a life of joy, peace and love go to http://www.VirginiaEllen.net Virginia Ellen is an author and mystical teacher and healer.

10 ways to control your anger - Professional expert’s advice

I am really emotional and excitable person. I think that there are two types of anger: constructive anger and a destructive one. In order to understand the anger phenomenon I decided to investigate the nature of anger, reasons of its appearing, key factors and anger management.
What does it mean this anger? Anger is a strong indignation feeling of our emotional sphere that is attended by self-control losing. Anger is a signal of our state. Glands produce an array of hormones that have a great and deep effect on all our body. The main participants of this process are adrenaline and cortisol. They activate cardiovascular system and consequently all organs. Adrenalin causes fast heart beating, rising blood pressure. These rich oxygenated blood streams to the places are responsible for reaction. Thus some extra energy is released.

There are 4 basic ways of anger expressions:

1. Straight and immediately (verbally or nonverbally) to show your anger. It gives an opportunity to free from the negative emotions.

2. To express anger in an indirect way. In this case usually suffer persons that are weaker, not dangerous and those ones who “come to hand”, usually they are our family and close relatives. Thus we hurt our dear ones. One of the best ways is to express your anger to the person who is the source of this very anger. If it is impossible- better find some compromise.

3. Restraining anger you “drive” it deep inside. So, negative emotions store will provoke a big stress sooner or later.

4. You may foresee situation of anger feeling, try not to expand this feeling but get to know the reason, understand and solve it. A Roman philosopher Seneca said: “When you are feeling of ascending “volcano”- stand still, not doing anything- not speaking, not moving.”

Anger is a normal and natural human feeling, especially nowadays as life is really fast and we have a huge amount of information to accumulate (in comparison with our previous generations). The range of anger is rather wide: from a slight annoyance to impetuous fury. Anger can be quick and long, lasting for years in form of bitterness, vengeance or hate. Anger can lead to health issues like depression, high blood pressure, hearth diseases, stresses, alcohol dependence and obesity. If you are anger- express it. If you feel discomfort from these “negative splashes”- then we can give some techniques how to manage your emotional anger:

• 1. Take a deep and continuous breath. Count up to 50 or imagine your aggressor just naked, only in socks. This will help you to calm and smile.

• 2. Have a walk. Look at high sky. Continue to breathe deep and easily. So you appraise the situation and calm down.
• 3. Do some physical exercises. When you are angry- your body is very tensed and tough. If you stretch your muscles it will relax your body, as you will spill out all your negative energy into action. Your brains will get more oxygen and it assists to clear your thoughts.
• 4. Write down all your thoughts. Write down that you are mad and why. Avoid being rational, logical or laconic. Write on paper all you are feeling this moment. Try to write all in details. The function of this technique is to shift all your anger out of your head on paper.
• 5. Be grateful. Find someone to thank. Do you not forget about yourself. Thank that you have woken up today, thank that that the Sun is shining for you, that the sky is blue and the grass is green.
• 6. Prayer. Ask God to be with you during this anger moment and lead you.
• 7. Meditation. Close your eyes, look into solar plexus, and be all your anger, breathing deeply.
• 8. Change of places. Move yourself on your enemy’s place. And look at situation from his point of view. Better look at the situation from the ceiling. Focus on details, especially on funny and absurd ones. Strive to forgive your enemy as well as forgive truly yourself.
• 9. Go back to your childhood memories. Recollect state when you were angry. Hug this child and say: “All is ok. I am here. You are good child. I love you and I will not leave you.”
• 10. Your values. What is the most significant thing in your life? Who are the most important people in your life? What kind of person do you want to be? Think and accept that point that you are living your life, and you are living your values. There is a good man inside you that wants to help you. I wish you good luck!

Practical Spirituality - Finding a New Source of Power

Today there is a powerful spirituality movement. When I say spirituality I am not speaking of religion; I am speaking of something different--a connection with the Divine. This connection is what many mystics call "union with God." Sometimes this happens through a religious path, but not often. When it does the person who achieves divine union usually finds herself on the outside looking in.

One time a minister in a somewhat interfaith organization told me that the spiritual ministers usually didn't make it as successful ministers. That statement and the truth of it says something in itself, I think. Spirituality is not a good thing when it comes to maintaining buildings or systems, which are basically the little units of power that everyone needs in order to be able to function in a power-over society. Spiritual people draw on another source of power that is shared by everyone and everything.

One can have a great career working within a religious institution trying to sneak in spirituality and ways to connect every once and a while to those who are interested , but one is not often oneself. One´s own spirit runs dry and this can lead to much despair, corruption of the soul, and even physical and psychosomatic illnesses that lead to death. Worse than this, it can lead to a shift of thinking and a hardening of the heart that can lead to spiritual death. It is important to understand the difference between religion and spirituality. If one is religious and becomes spiritual, he will quickly be given a lesson that demonstrates the difference.

If this New Year you would like to attend to your spiritual needs and be free of the chains that so easy beset many of us in this material power over society, it is important for you to begin a spiritual, not religious journey. It is important to seek and find what suits you best to enhance your spiritual life. This only comes from having and open mind and being around a supportive group of people who are spiritual. If you are around a lot of people who are as bad off as you are socially or spiritually I doubt they will be helpful. As a New Year resolution you may need to spend some time away from such people in order to save your eternal soul.

I am not talking about joining some strange cult, or fasting until you can´t walk, or drinking poison Kool-aid, I am talking about using well proven techniques to find the God within, to commune with that God within, and to ultimately connect with and merge with that God. This merger comes as a result of letting go of the false ideas of self and realizing who we really are. It is easy to do this in the head, but practices like meditation and contemplation help us realize it in our hearts and make it a reality. If you want to make a New Year resolution why not go all the way. Go for enlightenment and spiritual freedom not only in this life, but for all eternity.

It is written that you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Where shall we find this truth? We, like the one who made the statement, are the truth, the way,and the light. When we transcend the ego and realize this, entering deep within and allowing our divine, wise self to reawaken, we will be free and free indeed. The beginning step is to seek. Repeating actions the same way only brings about the same results. It is time, if you would like to live, to die to the old things and take a journey into the new Kingdom of Heaven that resides within. If we cannot find love, light, hope, God and the Kingdom ruled by love within us, we shall never find it.

Om Prakash John Gilmore is a spiritual director and healer. He teaches Tai-Chi, Chi-Kung and martial arts. Om Prakash has written many books on how to free the human soul and is the founder of the DSWellness Cyber School and the Universal Cyber Circle of Creation Spirituality. From his website http://www.dswellness.com there is a link to the school and Cyber Circe where you will find free courses and a religious service based on mysticism and spiritual principles. You will also find a free Journal of Practical Spirituality and the descriptions and previews of some of his books for freeing the human soul and reclaiming your own identity.