Children say and do enlightening things. They seem to hold the secret to life not only because they smile most of the time and play even when doing chores, but because they approach life with a sense of wonder, magical thinking and an understanding most adults have lost. Most children are their parent's teachers more than the other way around. They coax the adults in their lives to embrace their own innocence, love unconditionally and approach life with a sense of excitement and enthusiasm. Some children are old souls and little angels on earth calling attention to the spiritual dimensions that interface this world. They speak with the wisdom of a sage and tap into a divine intelligence making seem like geniuses.
My first guru was just shy of six years old – my own daughter. At the time, I was going through a rough spot in my life and had little faith that things would improve. Like most kids, my daughter loved to draw and on one occasion handed me the most amazing crayon colored drawing. It was a picture of God with an enlightening description and message. At the center of the paper was a round yellow circle divided in the middle by a line to make two halves. One side she labeled "boy" and other side labeled "girl". At the top of the circle it just said plainly "God". Above the circle and on the corners of the paper were the sun and the moon with outstretched arms reaching out across the paper to grasp each other's hands. Both the sun and the moon had smiley faces. The sun wore glasses, as a matter of fact. When she handed me the drawing, she uttered the most amazing thing. She said, "Mommy, God told me to tell you that you have to turn your power over to God." My jaw dropped. Mind you, I don't ever remember mentioning to her that a god even existed. The funny thing is that a few months later I met a man who was my perfect complement. He wore the same round wire glasses my daughter had drawn on the face of the sun. Sun and moon were together as prophesized by a 6-year-old angel on earth. And out of this experience, I was given a clear picture of what God was: A unified intelligence that was both male and female.
Children can point us towards our spiritual path. A friend of mine told me a fantastic story about her daughter when she was barely three. The family had gone to a Native American Pow Wow with traditional drumming and dance competitions. They were standing around the circle as one of many spectators watching the dancers perform when her three year old broke free from her hand and ran into the center of the circle joining in the dance. She was "fancy dancing" to the native drum as if she had danced the dance a hundred times before. Her mother recognized that her daughter's soul memory was kicking in and that she was a Native American at heart. Later that year, my friend found a photo of her great grandmother in a deer skin dress amongst a group of other Native Americans. Her father who was ashamed of these roots had never mentioned the Native American genealogical tree. Through the dance of her daughter and the later discovery, my friend was pointed to a path rich in spiritual tradition.
Some children possess a highly developed spiritual eye with extraordinary psychic abilities. One of my students has a 7-year-old stepson who she relies on for psychic tips regularly. His clairvoyant powers are quite remarkable and his predictions spot-on. He is fascinated with crystals putting them up to his third eye, explaining how the crystals help him see. When my student told me about her stepson, I wasn't surprised. My own godson had the same kind of fascination with crystals. On one occasion, when I was showing him all the specimens I had collected, he asked if I knew that you can carry a piece of the spirit of someone inside a crystal and bring it back into their body. Realizing what he had described was a soul retrieval technique used by shamans, I asked him where he learned this information. His response was that before he was born and while still in heaven he read the "Book of God" and learned a lot things like that. He said that the book held all knowledge.
Children can show us that we lived other lives. Another one of my students brought her six-year-old son, Daniel, over to my home for a visit. His mother and I were talking when little Daniel interrupted asking his mother why she had killed him in the fire. We both wondered what on earth he was talking about and began questioning him. He said that when he was a baby his mother left him in a burning house and that he died there. His recollection of the event was a bit distorted, because my psychic impression was that both he and his mother had perished in a house fire in a previous incarnation. The memory of that life had traveled with him to this life.
As parents, we usually owe our children a great deal because in previous incarnations we may have failed them or hurt them in some way. For this incarnation, we promise to love, support and teach them. Their choice is to service our spiritual evolution in unique ways. As one of my friend's child said to her. "Mom, I choose you to be my mother in this life." This 9-year-old girl signed up for an unusual incarnation, because her mother is a paranormal investigator. The girl has been ghost hunting and attending Wiccan ceremonies since the age of three.
Compassion is something most adults need to learn and sometimes they need the help of children to show them how they can touch the lives of others and make a difference in the world. Some kids are born humanitarians and are here to inspire others to lend a helping hand when they can. A recently publicized case in point is a 14-year-old girl named Hannah. She and her father Kevin Salwen, a writer and entrepreneur in Atlanta, were driving home from Hannah's sleepover and while waiting at a traffic light, they saw a black Mercedes coupe on one side of the street and a homeless man begging for food on the other side. Disturbed by the inequity, Hanna told her father that if that man in the Mercedes had a less nice car the homeless man could have a meal. She insisted she wanted to do something. She convinced her parents to sell their luxurious home, donate half of the proceeds to charity and with the other half they could purchase a more modest home for the family. Out of their experience, father and daughter have recently published The Power of Half, a book offering hope and optimism to those who want to make a difference in the world.
Avatars, philosophers and sages sometimes live in broken little bodies. Mattie Stepanek was only three years old when he began writing inspirational poetry relying on his mother's hand to transcribe his words. Although his life span was only 13 years, he published seven little books – the Heartsong series and a book of essays. Mattie suffered from a rare form of muscular dystrophy, DMM, and spend the majority of his life confined to a wheel chair and a breathing device. Despite his handicap, his determined spirit pushed on to deliver important messages to the world. For instance, on the topic of heaven Mattie said, "There can be many different views of what Heaven is like, because Heaven is whatever makes each person eternally and fully happy." Mattie's philosophy of life was just as poignant. He said, "While we are living in the present, we must celebrate life every day, knowing that we are becoming history with every work, every action, every deed."
When someone comes to me looking for an instantaneous healing, I know we are not likely to make very much progress. Are you wondering why? Doesn’t it seem to make sense that the more the person is able to believe in instant healing, the more likely it is going to happen?
Indeed, I love to offer healing sounds and support to people that believe in the power of energetic healing because we are most likely to get results. However, there is a difference between believing in miracles and looking for them.
Someone looking for miracles is usually desperately hunting to find a solution. If you have been suffering with an illness or condition, it makes complete sense doesn’t it, that you want relief and you want it now? However, here are some of the kinds of beliefs that typically accompany you when you are on the hunt for a miracle that actually limit miraculous opportunities:
1) Somebody out there must have the answer; 2) Well, that didn’t work right away, so I’ll have to find something else; 3) That healer must not be very powerful because I’m still sick; 4) If nobody can heal it, then maybe I’m just supposed to live with this; 5) Let’s see what this person can do, because the last person I saw didn’t help; 6) God will make me well if he wants me to be well; 7) If I can just find the right cure everything will be okay; and 8) I want somebody to tell me what is going on and how to fix it quickly.
Do any of these beliefs sound familiar to you? If you believe in any of these above ideas or similar ones, you are still hunting for a cure. I used to hunt, and I now understand that seeking was unsuccessfully using up energy that I could have been using to actually heal myself!
Each of us came here to earth with the ability to access inner healing power. Yep, even you! Yes, some of us are more practiced, and some of us get results a little faster, and yes, you do have to devote time and energy into developing your abilities, but they are there.
This is not a gift handed out to a rare few of us and the rest of you just have to scramble to find the right healer and methodology. That would be a pretty sadistic reality, wouldn’t it? Yet, isn’t it interesting how many of us have grown up believing that’s how it works.
You do not have to say exactly the right prayer to God at exactly the right time, making exactly the right sacrifice, catching him/her in a good mood in order to receive a miracle. I know that is what a lot of us grew up believing, and that is not how it works!
With all due respect, that is how children think life works when they are dependent upon their parents. You have to catch mom or dad in the right mood with the right question, and maybe even offer to do something in return, and then you are lucky and you get what you want. Or there you are as a kid, stuck with a problem. So you seek someone else (often an adult) who can help you find the answer to your problem. Sometimes you are really fortunate to find just the right person with the information you are seeking and voila—you have an answer to your problem.
There is nothing wrong with either of these scenarios. They can happen and we have years of evidence demonstrating to us that this is how you manifest what you need.
But what do you do when that doesn’t work anymore? What do you do when you have been to several healers and doctors, and tried scores of treatments and therapies, but you are still feeling bad? Most of us keep looking for an answer somewhere, but in the mean time, we are building up a huge mountain of doubt and disappointment, and that is the energy we personally bring to our own healing.
Miracles don’t actually start outside of you. That’s why looking for them rarely works. Miracles start on inside and are manifested on the outside. Miracles start happening when you reframe your search into one of discovery about your spiritual/healing gift.
You might ask yourself if your hands get hot when you are around people that are ill or you are not feeling well. You might wonder if those songs you have been singing all your life actually have some healing power. Consider whether your ability to visualize so easily might just be a gift you could be applying to your healing starting right now. Maybe you regularly have dreams that are significant and you could be taking a question into your dream-time.
Ask yourself, how the Divine could and does best speak through you. That is where your miracles live. So let me suggest you stop looking for miracles and replace the hunt outside yourself with a deep and meaningful exploration of the real you that is longing to be discovered. Believe in the person that you are and the hidden gifts waiting to be uncovered and used, so that you will be fostering an internal environment of belief where miracles can truly occur.
The death of a loved one can be perceived as an irreconcilable loss and for some the grief can be unbearable and long lasting. Anyone who has lost a parent, spouse, child or close friend knows the intense sense of loss and emotional pain that is a natural part of the grieving process. First of all, you miss the person who contributed so much to your life and in the case of a parent, the person who gave you life itself. In fact, the term bereavement means "to be deprived of someone through death." It may take some time to move through the initial stages of the grieving process, such as the initial shock, numbness, sorrow, the necessary tears, and feelings of despair. With time and patience, the initial grief subsides and with this resolve comes an opportunity for a deeper healing. Beyond mere coping or finding a sense of peace, the transition of a loved one can bring about opportunities for emotional and psychological healing and spiritual growth.
There is no set formula for moving through the grieving process with grace, however these spiritual keys may be just the ones you need to help ease your grieving heart and transform a difficult time into a spiritually meaningful experience.
Remembering Them with Honor and in Gratitude
Recognizing how much your loved one contributed to your happiness, even just by being who they were, honors the love they had for you and the place they carved in your life. By remembering with gratitude, you are filled again by those very experiences you so cherished as well as those you perhaps took for granted. Writing entries in a journal about how the person inspired you, pushed you to grow, shaped your life and added to who you are could fill the pages, but more importantly the process will fill your heart with appreciation. Through gratitude new meaning is brought to the relationship. Remember: Nothing they added to you can be taken away with their passing.
Forgiveness Sets Your Heart Free to Love Again
The act of forgiveness is a measure of love you give yourself as well as to the departed soul. True forgiveness frees you of the residual pain from the past and releases their soul and yours of any burden. After the death of a loved one, forgiving yourself for anything left unsaid, not done, or left unfinished can alleviate shame and regret. Forgiving them their shortcomings, any pain they caused you, as well as the fact that they left you will bring you a sense of competition.
Acknowledge the Signs That Their Spirit Lives On
The transition from this life to the next need not be perceived as something intangible. Beyond merely having faith in the afterlife is the experience of surrendering to a loved one's continued presence in your life in spirit form. The wind rustling the branches of a tree, a butterfly fluttering above your head, or a dream of them comforting you are all signs of the continued connection and communication between your souls. Honor these communications and know your loved one lives on and may have signed up to guide you.
Recognize with Death There Is Rebirth
With the death of a loved one your life is forever changed. The release of the energies that tied you can catalyze a transformation in your consciousness. Many testify to experiences of a transcendent nature characterized by a heightened consciousness and an in-pouring of love from an invisible source after the passing of a loved one. Others may experience revelations about themselves and deep insights into the meaning of life and the afterlife. These peak experiences may mark a time of spiritual emergence and self-realization, if classified as such rather than being viewed as periods of confusion. By surrendering to the process, you can awaken spiritually, reborn into a greater definition of yourself and open a new meaningful chapter to your life.
Let Them Go with Love
These words from an unknown author are so true: "Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward." To let go doesn't mean you forget or go on with your life as if their passing meant little to you. Letting go means letting go of them to embrace yourself and the life you envision for the future. Because of soul binding, letting go may also entail communicating with their soul asking them to release you so that they may move on to complete their journey home. Some souls will find it difficult to let go of those they felt responsible for and may linger in the astral plane thinking they are needed by the one they love. By letting go of them, you encourage your loved one to do the same.
Death Can Bring Your Tribe Together
Your loved one was likely central to the lives of others. Like you, other family members and friends grieve in their own way. Sometimes the tribe scatters after the funeral services and rather than reaching out for continued support, each finds ways of coping on their own. But what is often true is that the life of the person who departed was truly meant to bond others more deeply by a common thread. Reaching out and coming together not only fosters strength and support, but also honors the life of the one who brought you together.
Turning a Passing Into Something Lasting and Meaningful
Countless examples exist of those who took the death of a loved one as the inspiration to creatively turn their experience into a meaningful gift to give to others. Books and songs, websites of poetry, forums for the bereaved, and organizations founded in memorial to someone are all examples of the meaningful ways people put their creative impulse to good use. To cope after the death of someone suggests merely surviving. But to create something lasting is to renew your life and contribute something meaningful and beautiful in memorial.
It was a cold December night in West Orange, New Jersey. Thomas Edison's factory was humming with activity. Work was proceeding on a variety of fronts as the great inventor was trying to turn more of his dreams into practical realities. Edison's plant, made of concrete and steel, was deemed "fireproof". As you may have already guessed, it wasn't!
On that frigid night in 1914, the sky was lit up by a sensational blaze that had burst through the plant roof. Edison's 24-year-old son, Charles, made a frenzied search for his famous inventor-father. When he finally found him, he was watching the fire. His white hair was blowing in the wind. His face was illuminated by the leaping flames. "My heart ached for him," said Charles. "Here he was, 67 years old, and everything he had worked for was going up in flames. When he saw me, he shouted, 'Charles! Where's your mother?' When I told him I didn't know, he said, 'Find her! Bring her here! She'll never see anything like this as long as she lives.'"
Next morning, Mr. Edison looked at the ruins of his factory and said this of his loss: "There's value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God, we can start anew."
What a wonderful perspective on things that seem at first to be so disastrous. A business failure, divorce, personal dream gone sour . . . whether these things destroy an individual depends largely on the attitude he or she takes toward them. Sort out why it happened, and learn something from the blunders. Think of different approaches that can be taken.
Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family.
The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.
As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.
When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem."
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.
When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.
The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die.
"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied.
"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it."
"Then last night as we slept in the farmers’ bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."
Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until sometime later...
Getting out of the urban noise of a city and into nature puts you at ease, nurtures your soul and expands your consciousness. Your mind quiets and as you take it all in you are delivered in to a space of peaceful contemplation. Moments in which you are surrounded by nature's beauty are sacred moments. Whether a trip into a wilderness, a forest where the sun is filtered by the trees, a red-rock desert or the landscape of a secluded ocean beach, you are welcomed and awaken to something extraordinary, not only to that which is before you, but that which is within you.
Science tells us if you want to grow smarter, walk in nature. A study conducted by John Jonides, University of Michigan Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, found that when the participants returned from the nature walk, they showed a 20 percent improvement in mental performance but showed no improvement when they returned from urban walks. While science remains focused on examining the brain's potentials for the sake of productivity, mystics, shamans and poets teach us about the human spirit. Their words about nature offer us a more transcendent view of the relationship between ourselves and nature.
Along with the words of mystics, whose consciousness has touched the sacredness of nature, here are some practices to make your experience in nature truly enlightening:
Attune to Nature's Power and Feel the Shift
Nature is my medicine. Sara Moss-Wolfe
Nature transmits energies that take the weight of the world off your shoulders and tune you up a notch in consciousness. Nature's power is creatively bursting forth with color and invisible vibrations the first awaken you and then subtly and by increments bring your mind, body and soul back into balance. As you sit or walk in nature, attune by breathing in the vibrations through your heart and see for yourself how much more alive you feel. A dose of nature is medicine.
Feast on the Beauty
In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful. Alice Walker
The intrinsic beauty of nature is surely something to marvel at, absorb and appreciate. As your eyes grow wider, after having cleared away cobwebs that obscured your view, you notice that colors are intensified and the symmetry of landscapes are more defined. Appreciation brings you an even more powerful perspective as your heart embraces what your eyes can only see. Practice appreciation by blessing the trees, every flower and blade of grass at your feet and they will reveal even more of their secrets.
Let the Elements, Elementals, and Animals Guide You
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. Albert Einstein
On your walk through the park, rather than forging your own path or following a well-treaded trail, let the rustling wind or the call of a bird guide you in another direction. Nature will beckon you forward to explore her mysteries in hidden places where you might stumble across something most wouldn't have the opportunity to see. As you surrender your will to the call of nature, the natural world becomes your guide, nurturer and teacher.
Commune with the Spirits
One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. William Shakespeare
Native Americans believe the rocks, trees, and flora contain the spirits of ancestors and the "relations" they call the animal spirits. From a shaman's perspective, the rocks talk, the trees sing, and the ground tugs at your feet. While wandering through a nature preserve, the spirits come out to greet as well as to guide and teach you about your soulful connection to the natural world. Once the veil has been lifted from your eyes, you may notice an ancient ancestor's face seemingly carved out in the bark of a tree. You may find a rock in the shape of an animal or a larger geological feature that resembles an animal sentinel placed by the Creator to oversee the workings of nature. Sit beneath such a tree or rock formation, close your eyes and feel the spirits that surround you. They will humble you with a profound sense of oneness and love.
Read the Signs and Recognize Metaphors
You will find something more in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters. St. Bernard
The answers to the deepest questions can be found in the metaphors of nature. A tree with two trunks twisting upwards mentions you and your lover in a fond embrace, a heart-shaped rock sparks the dawning realization that it is love that binds everything and a squirrel busily collecting acorns may remind you to gather your own resources. More than just the product of your imagination, these are metaphoric synchronicities woven into the experience by your dreaming mind. You will witness how you and nature co-create an experience of profound meaning. You and nature are poetry in motion as you make your way gathering the messages to the deeper meaning of your existence. Look for signs everywhere you step and mull over the interpretation until the message becomes crystal clear. Give thanks to nature for being your teacher.
Gather the Gifts
Pleasure is spread through the earth In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find. William Wordsworth
On your walk, nature may bestow a gift. A feather dropped from a flicker, a smooth pebble from a stream that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand, a twisted branch you can use as a walking stick or as a prayer stick that you can decorate with feathers and yarn later on become your sacred objects. Indigenous elders teach that sacred objects hold the power and spirit of nature within them. They refer to crystals, stones, claws, and sticks as medicine objects, some of which are carried around in a pouch. Symbolically, the gift nature bestows binds your heart to your experience in nature and reminds you always that you hold a piece of nature's mystery in you forever. Honor it.
I shift and change as the winds of change blow thru me and to me, I shift with every birth. I shift with every death. I change when the Heavens express emotion and anoint themselves. My temperature changes with my emotions, my heartbeat changes with my every thought. I am the seasonal change of God. As the molecules rewrite the rules life sprouts wings, where there was once only a tale to tell.
Objects appear and disappear from dusk to dawn confusing the layout of the mind. Comfort in what was familiar no longer soothes the soul. Free flowing without form or destination in a wondrous aspect of becoming a Godling in training. Free falling into any and all possibilities is not for the weak of heart or mind. Impossible Possibilities rearrange themselves nanoseconds at a time, switching bases and outcomes simultaneously. What comes through the personal wormhole is yet to be seen but very expected.
Losing the past and disconnecting from the now offers opportunities that need to be embraced in order to be issued as a decree. The new age, the old age, all age becomes unnecessary as humanity makes a U-turn into a place of re-connection. The lines between humans feel fragile and strained like an umbilical cord that needs to be cut later on in the delivery. Seeing oneself in others has become painful and many avert their eyes so they do not have to see. Oneness seems miniscule and inconsequential as humanity huffs and puffs and blows the illusion down.
Time and weather rewrite themselves in accordance with these new amendments of creation. Each door takes you down another highway of self. Fractured parts of humanity now seek to be united with their celestial counterparts. Many are so busy scooping up parts of their self they don’t see that it is happening to everyone that lives upon the planet.
Humanity has asked for more on all levels and so it shall be. Each person is escorted into all faces of their eve and their atom. Original blueprint is now laced with pink and all-possibilities. To become your true presence, you need to be free floating without form if you still seek to walk in the stars. Realities are challenged doing hand-to-hand combat. Time rushes by without even a wave as options are tailored and shortened to fit the daily change of energy. Holding on to who you think you are will become as an anchor that drags you into deep emotional waters. Holding on to the way your thoughts should be is even heavier. In the mists of radical change on earth, hold tight to the good thoughts that seem to float by like debris from an oil spill.
Do not allow yourself to get pulled into the muck of what is right and wrong/ good and bad/ justice and injustice. For all molecules of earth in all forms decree and declare in no uncertain terms. Your anger at these injustices will only fuel an already explosive situation. What is dark in nature, uses you and feeds off your anger, which increases the disasters exponentially.
When’s the last time you had a good laugh? Take a moment to relive the good feelings that come with real laughter.
We pay money to laugh. At the movies and a comedy clubs. We stay up to catch the jokes on late night talk shows. We delight in finding something funny in our lives to laugh at. When we laugh, we get pleasure. What a joy! What a blessing!
Certainly there are times when life presents major challenges when we need to act clearly, but behaving responsibly and efficiently doesn’t preclude humor and light-heartedness. In fact, a flexible, fluid, upbeat approach and attitude is crucial to being effective and creative in our lives.
Laughter, play, spontaneity and improvisation are integral aspects of being human, healthy, happy—and successful. Tribal peoples laugh, sing, chant, drum, dance and act out stories as basic ways to relate socially, to make individual and collective decisions, and to achieve their goals in daily life.
Inspiration and breakthrough are often born from the spirit of playfulness and exuberance. A spontaneous wink, a funny smile, a comic gesture can facilitate change and harmony in the most blocked situation. Through conscious merriment our spirit can emerge and work its magic.
Take a Tip from the Kid In You
Preschool children laugh an average of 400 times a day. The typical adult only laughs 17 times per day. Perhaps it’s time to return to the power of living life through the wonderment of childlike adventure, innocence, lightheartedness, humor and irreverence.
Ancient Roots
Throughout history, spiritual traditions in China, Japan and India have revered the sacred strength of laughter. Lao-Tzu is always pictured smiling. Samurai are always laughing. “Laughter Yoga” was a practice of the ancient rishis of India over 5,000 years ago. Dr. Madan Kataria of Mumbai India started a “Laugher Yoga Club” a few years ago, and now there are thousands of laughter yoga clubs across the world. The club members get together just to enjoy a deep chuckle—and reap the many benefits of mirth.
Hawaiian Secret of Laughter
The ancient Hawaiians assert there are two chemical reactions within the human body that can accomplish Reconnection with Source Oneness. The first is the "sacred tear” beneath our sadness and hopelessness. Beneath that tear lies the second chemical reaction, said to be more powerful than all the healing agents known to humankind. It comes "out of the blue" with the power of a jackhammer, shattering the seriousness of the entire human estate. A power instantly freeing and balancing to all the body's chemistry. This is the power of laughter. When it comes in this manner, it comes through the "na'au" (gut level) and will pierce the hopelessness of any situation or attitude. It is not a power to be taken lightly, for the ancient Hawaiians say it holds the chemistry of immortality and will instantly heal any terminal disease. It’s said to be the "laughter of God" which shatters the ridiculousness of hopelessness.
Laughter Is the Best Medicine
A laugh a day keeps the doctor away! Having a good laugh has long been known to be very therapeutic. As we let laughter wash over and through us, its energy cleanses, purges, and rights imbalances and disharmonies in our mind and body. Hundreds of medical studies have shown the remarkable benefits of laughter.
DEEP LAUGHTER
Frees Breathing
A good belly laugh opens up your lungs, stretches your diaphragm, eases chest tension, and has an overall healing effect on your well-being. Laughter aids ventilation and clears mucus, improving respiratory functions for those suffering from conditions like emphysema and asthma.
Aids Circulation
Laughter improves blood vessel function, reducing blood pressure and heart rate, enhancing blood oxygen levels and boosting overall circulation.
Boosts Immune Defenses
Laughter increases the immune system’s T-cells, which kill invading bacteria that are harmful to the body. Laughing increases the number of antibodies in saliva, which combat upper respiratory infections. Laughter increases immunity to infections by instantly flooding the system with immune cells and cancer fighting proteins.
Reduces Stress
Cortisol is a chemical produced in your body when you feel stressed, upset or frustrated. Elevated levels of cortisol in your bloodstream have the effect of suppressing your immune system function. Laughter lowers the cortisol levels in the body, thereby protecting your immune system from the negative effects of stress.
A good laugh increases endorphins, which make a person feel happy and have a brighter outlook on life. Laughter also causes secretion of an enzyme that protects the stomach from forming ulcers.
Cures Cancer
Since cancer thrives in an oxygen-depleted body, laughter is helpful in combating cancer. Norman Cousins, in his book “Anatomy Of An Illness,” explains how he laughed himself back from the death sentence of a terminal illness just by watching funny movies, laughing hard, and taking vitamin C. There are hundreds of cases of laughter healing patients described as “terminally ill” with cancer and other ailments.
Laughter reduces food cravings. Laughing 10 minutes a day burns 40 calories.
Is Enjoyable Exercise
Laughing can be considered an exercise since it conditions the abdominal muscles and relaxes muscles throughout the body. Twenty seconds of laughing gives the heart the same workout as 3 minutes of hard rowing.
Makes You Look and Feel Younger
Laughter reduces the rate of cellular decay, which slows aging. Also, the effects of laughter include better mental function, improved mental alertness, memory and social responsiveness.
Saves 30% on Medical Expenses
In western Japan the government provided elderly people with a complete medical care program combining physical training and laughter therapy. "It’s the nation’s first attempt to launch a medicare business with laughter," commented university official Mitsutoshi Nishikawa. 92 participants reported their annual medical costs fell some 30 percent after they joined the program.
Helps Diabetics
A Japanese scientist is unlocking the secrets of the funny bone by cheering up people’s genes. Geneticist Kazuo Murakami teamed up with an unlikely research partner: stand-up comedians—who turn their one-liners into efficient, low-cost medical treatment. Murakami’s approach is to use laughter to trigger energy inside a person’s DNA, potentially helping cure disease.
Murakami had diabetics laugh at a comedy show performed by top stand-up comedians after listening to a monotonous college lecture. The two-day experiment showed that the diabetics’ blood glucose levels (a key gauge for development of diabetes) became lower after they laughed— as compared with their levels listening to the boring lecture. He identified 23 genes that are activated with laughter. 18 of these genes control immune response and cell signal transmission.
“A laughing therapy has no side-effects, meaning it’s an epoch-making treatment for clinical medicine," Murakami said. "One day it won’t be a joke to see patients receive a prescription for a comedy video at a pharmacy for medical treatment."
Maintains a Healthy Heart
University of Maryland Medical School discovered that laughter helps keep your heart healthy. The scientists found that laughter-provoking movies cause the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels to expand, resulting in an increase of blood flow.
For their experiment, the team recruited 20 healthy volunteers to watch two segments of movies at the extreme ends of the emotional spectrum: the comedy "King Pin" and the war drama "Saving Private Ryan." They found that when the study subjects watched a movie that caused laughter, beneficial blood vessel relaxation increased in 19 of the 20 volunteers. In contrast, blood flow was reduced in 14 of the 20 volunteers following the movie clips that caused mental stress. Overall, blood flow increased by 22 percent during laughter—and decreased by 35 percent after watching a clip that caused mental stress.
Lead researcher Dr. Michael Miller suggests people should combine regular exercise with 15 minutes of laughter a day for good cardiovascular health. "It’s conceivable that laughing may be important to maintain healthy blood vessels and reduce the risk of heart disease," said Miller.
Laughter Inspires Clowning
Doctors, nurses and attendants now use "clowning" in hospitals to enhance the healing process with patients. They’ve discovered that when people are laughing and having fun, they experience less physical and psychological pain—and recover faster.
So … laugh more, heal quicker, live longer, and enjoy life as a kid again!
“All my life I had been looking for something, and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was. I accepted their answers too, though they were often in contradiction and even self-contradictory. I was naïve. I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer. It took me a long time and much painful boomeranging of my expectations to achieve a realization everyone else appears to have been born with: that I am nobody but myself.” ~~ Ralph Ellison
I love what Ellison says at the end: I am nobody but myself. And that is significant and sufficient, right?
You were born with a unique voice.
Don't look to others to define who you are or what your purpose should resemble.
It's okay to be you. Avoid comparing yourself to others.
This is a big challenge for many people — trying to measure up to others. Part of what keeps people stuck is their inability to see themselves for who they are. Some people get caught up in the lives and stories of others, that they don't see their own relevance. Be or get comfortable in your own skin.
How important do you think avoiding comparing yourself to others is to embracing the greatness within you? Extremely!
When you start to compare yourself to others, telling yourself that you don't measure up, telling yourself that you are not sufficient or enough to walk in your purpose, you minimize what you have. You shrink in size and statue, and you start to just blend in. You avoid standing out or being in the forefront. You stand at the back of the room gazing on all those you think are ahead of you. And the more you do that, the smaller you make yourself.
I know people who struggle in this area. I have struggled in this area. They get cast in the shadow of someone else's life, someone else's story, that they lose their voice. They don't discover who they truly are.
Finding your voice means you have to discover the courage to walk in your own personal greatness. As one of my clients has defined herself as being bold and courageous, that's exactly what you have to be or become: bold and courageous about who you are and not being afraid to walk in that.
When you can understand that you have a voice that it is uniquely yours to develop and to share, you will stop allowing yourself to be diminished by the voice of others. You will no longer define yourself based on what others are doing or saying.
So how do you find your voice? Well, stop listening to the self-sabotaging voice, that's for sure. But I want to give you three ways (although there are many) to help you find and USE your voice:
FIRST: Despite what you've told yourself or made yourself believe, understand that you DO have a voice. That's a good first step: acknowledging that your voice does exist. You may not be using it, but you definitely have one. Discover what that authentic voice is.
SECOND: Embrace the uniqueness of your voice. Take in or receive what is you. Don't expect your voice, your journey or your process to mirror that of someone else's. Don't try to imitate someone else. Be authentic to who you are.
THIRD: Open your mouth. Begin to speak with your purpose-filled voice. This is both in the literal and figurative sense. Talk and walk in the person you are. Don't shrink beneath the voice of someone else because you think their voice is bigger or more powerful. When you begin to open your mouth, you will discover just how powerful yours is.
TRY THIS LITTLE EXERCISE:
Think of something powerful you can say. Think about perhaps a great goal or accomplishment you desire to achieve. Or think about something you desire to say or even ask someone else.
Now, just open your mouth and say what it is you need or want to say. Now I can't hear you nor can anyone else, but you need to hear yourself. So if you're in a place where you can open your mouth, say the statement aloud. If your not in a place to do this exercise, write the statement down and when you get a chance before the day is out, do this exercise.
Here's my voice: My purpose is to inspire and motivate millions of people around the world to discover, embrace and walk in the greatness that is inside of them; to empower people with the tools to identify and resolve issues that keep them stuck.
Wow! When I hear myself say that, I get goose bumps because I know there is power in words. There is power in the sound of my voice.
How powerful does your voice sound?
Your voice is a direct reflection of what you are walking in. So if you're not walking in the person you should be today, you need to change your voice. Make sense?
Remember to think of your voice as how you are projecting or walking in what you are purposed to do. How is your voice translating that message to yourself and to others? How does your voice make others feel, think or respond? How does your voice make you feel, think or respond?
The next time you feel yourself starting to compare yourself to others, catch yourself and remind yourself that you have your own voice, unique to you, to your message, and to your calling. Decide that you will not be intimidated by what you hear, see or believe about someone else.
Until next time, think about what Maya Angelou said:
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, what you did, but never how you made them feel.”
There are moments when I tend to forget that Angels are real.
I get so caught up in everyday life – my work, my daughter, cooking dinner, my friends, cleaning the house and a myriad of other pastimes requiring my focus – that I do not always consciously acknowledge the blessings offered by these Beings of Light.
Once in a while, however, the Universe has a way of reminding me. Sometimes gently like the softest stroke of a feather on my cheek. At other times, I am admonished in a much firmer fashion, but always with love.
It was early in the morning last week, driving my daughter to school, that it happened:
I drive a 1970 VW Beetle, much to the amazement and delight of some of my fellow motorists. I love the old Dame – for her unrelenting service to many generations of drivers, but mostly because she gets me to where I need to be.
On this particular morning I was driving merrily along, already mentally constructing a list of doings for the day, when Madame Vintage impetuously lost her oomph. I pulled over as best I could – still somewhat in a daze of mind chatter and mildly surprised at her insolence.
My little daughter immediately saw the advantages of this miniature adventure causing her to be late for school, but for me it meant potentially missing writing deadlines and sitting up very late into the night working on various projects. It also meant the most likely tedium of being towed away and spending a few boring hours at a workshop in the drolls of industria.
I sat behind the wheel and calmed my thoughts as best as I could while the morning traffic swerved around the three of us. Silently I thought: “OK Angels, I don’t know what to do. I need help over here.”
I phoned my kindly neighbor for assistance and then proceeded to sing a silly song along with my 7-year-old while we waited for his arrival.
Within five minutes two cars stopped. A Chubb security guard emerged from one of the vehicles, and a benevolent motorist from the other. Within the blink of an eye they heaved the old Madame out of the road. The security guard went on his merry way once he had established that we were in good hands which, it turns out, we were indeed.
Miraculously, the gentle Samaritan in the shape of a mere motorist happens to be a Beetle enthusiast. He proudly possesses a Dame of his own, and moreover, his occasional hobby is to take her engine apart and deftly putting it all back together again.
Before my neighbor had even arrived at the scene of our adventure, the kindly Samaritan had already repaired the wickedly delinquent electrical cable responsible for this early morning mischief.
Miracles often look so mundane that we fail to notice their significance.
I did manage to meet all my deadlines that day. I even managed to get to bed at a reasonable hour. And yes, I did remember to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Angels, keepers of the equilibrium of the Universe.
Relating this incident just reminds me again how guided we are. Angels, incidents and circumstances will always turn up when and how we need them. Admittedly, these do not always look pretty or friendly, but they are in the shape and form needed without fail.
With our limited perceptions of the bigger picture, we often do not understand the whys and the hows of life. Ultimately, however, All is always Well. Things are always exactly as they need to be.
Sometimes Angels turn up looking like adversity. Sometimes they protect us even from ourselves and, when we don’t get what we want, it usually turns out to be a blessing.
They always walk in Light though, and they always serve us in love and kindness.
We always get what we need. It is our perceptions that determine how we experience Life.
“When you have come to the edge...and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, Faith is knowing...that there will be something solid to stand on -- or you will be taught how to fly.” Patrick Overton
When life’s circumstances seem overwhelming, when life has got us down, we often wonder: “Why is this happening to me now?” We are confused. We question our possible role in the situation. Did our behavior directly or indirectly cause this? Or is this due simply to a random series of events? Why is it that we seem to encounter similar difficulties over and over? Try as we might, our problems appear before us against our wishes. And these troubles even appear to occur in groups - one thing right after the other. What exactly is going on in our lives? How can we avoid or at least minimize our troubles?
Yet when times are good – we often don’t pose the “why” question, but when times are not so good, we do. In times of turmoil it is time to reach out and it is time to reach up. It is impossible to figure out the real reason why things are happening in our lives. It is impossible to identify specifically why things are happening to us and the world around us at a particular point in time.
The one constant that you can rely on is faith:
• Faith is a very powerful force
• Faith focuses our attention
• Faith changes our perspective
• Faith soothes our feelings of powerlessness
• Faith provides a safety net to stop the free fall
• Faith can bring you peace.
In times of need, you are not alone; faith can build a bridge to see you through. Faith can help to you overcome difficult obstacles. Faith takes practice, so there is no better time to get started than the present. Faith has the power to guide you: it is there when you need it. According to Kahlil Gibran: “Faith is knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof.”
Faith has the power to guide you in your life’s journey. No matter what is happening to you, faith can show you the way. Whether you reach out to God or you follow your Higher voice, the power of faith can guide you and help you to stay on the right path. Faith helps you to chart your course when things don’t make sense. Faith has the power to calm the stormy seas in your life. Faith is a life line. Faith is a beacon in the darkness.
Paradoxically, reaching out for help via your faith is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness. Let your faith guide you in making your decisions and in selecting your choices. Connect with your faith and make it stronger over time. Lay a solid foundation of faith and build upon it. Spend the time; see the awesome power and benefits of faith.
Three-Step Call to Action
Over the next week:
1. Reconnect with your faith by identifying a routine practice to engage your faith.
2. Embed your faith practice into multiple parts of your life; stay with it and be patient. Profound faith will soften your stance.
3. Rejoice for your blessings and assess your troubles in an altered perspective. Continue to build upon your foundation of faith and live in peace.
In a recent interview I was asked, “What can people do to embrace the magic within?”
Embrace the Magic Within is the subtitle of my book. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting this question (I’m new at being on the receiving end of an interview after all!) The short response is the two main components are to:
A: Erase negativity.
B: Develop a grateful attitude.
The media expects sound bites and I’m used to lengthier responses, but that IS the long and short of it - erase negativity and develop an attitude of gratitude. The dilemma is “embracing the magic within” is more of a journey than a final destination. For the sour pusses of the world, it requires a shift in thought. It can happen in a nano second, develop over a lifetime, or never happen at all.
It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Confucius:
Watch your thoughts they become your words.
Watch your words they become your actions.
Watch your actions they become your habits.
Watch your habits they become your character.
Watch your character it becomes your destiny.
The good news is that when you expect magical experiences, they have a way of manifesting on a regular basis. For instance, a couple of nights ago my spouse and I were in the backyard. Our “night time backyard adventures” resulted in our spying a tiny mouse, a baby bunny, and a toad lurking near our backyard pond.
Then we heard a crunching sound. CB pointed a flashlight at the bushes in the common area behind the house. There were two javelina (wild pigs) munching on a bush. We watched in fascination. And don’t worry, there was a fence between us and the pigs, so we weren’t in any danger (although I did retreat a step or two when one strolled in our direction.) It was fascinating to watch the pigs interact, burrow in the dirt, play with one another, and get a bite to eat.
Ironically, the night before I had a dream that we had a yard full of javelina (although in my dream some were striped like a zebra and others were bright colors like tropical fish). Maybe my subconscious was picking up on the possibility of the pig encounter. Perhaps I heard the crunching noise in my sleep and my brain conjured up a pig dream. Or maybe I just ate something that didn’t agree with me. But the bottom line is we did see javelina and it was fun to watch.
This may not seem like a magical encounter to many folks. In fact, a few years ago it wouldn’t have seemed like a magical encounter to me either. But when I changed my mindset from negativity (or indifference) to a grateful attitude, seemingly innocent encounters seem enchanting.
There is a gosho, or letter from the Buddhist priest and founder of Nichiren Buddhism called, “On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime.” My favorite snippet from this writing is this: “If the minds of living beings are impure, their land is also impure, but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds.”
When we shift our attitude from cynical to grateful, miracles can happen. It’s as if we create a new space in our hearts for happiness, or illuminate joyful things that had been previously hidden in the dark.
I do not believe that we are born negative. It is a behavior we learn. We may enter this world with a certain predisposition toward happiness or crankiness, but it is not written in stone. We have the power to change it.
For example, I have two grandchildren, one is two years old and the other is one. Since I don’t have to deal with the day-to-day responsibility of their upbringing, I have the opportunity to observe them as they perceive the world. And I can tell by watching them that they embrace magic every day. Everything is a wonder to them.
Now some of these wonders are a “no no” (like turning the TV, computer and other electronics off and on) but other things are perfectly acceptable to enjoy. I try to expose them to as many delightful encounters as I can. The same is true for we grown ups.
We can choose to embrace the magic of every day sights, sounds and experiences, or we can go through life bemoaning the things we do not have. I believe Abraham Lincoln said it best. “"People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
You can go through life as a grouch, or you can embrace the magic within. The important thing to remember the choice is yours. It may be a simple decision, but it one you will need to make every day.
As a part of evolution Man has been on a constant upward slide of developing and exploiting technology in all forms possible and in the race for success he seldom gets time for himself. Human body is constantly under stress both external and internal owing to the machine-like life that we lead. However, this cannot pertain for long since there is a certain saturation point where a human body gives up and becomes victim of stress and strain. Of course there are a plenty of medications available on the market to get you through your daily headaches and body aches but all these don't really soothe your soul. If there is one type of relaxation that can be attained that truly calms your soul, it is through getting in touch with the serenity of nature.
It is practically impossible to take a vacation or boat ride or a bike hike in the hills or sit by the lakeside after a long day of our routine and busy lives. So the only alternative' bring nature to you. And what more can be as apt as owning a water fountain in the comfort of your own home? There would hardly be anyone in the world who hasn't been wooed by the rustling sounds of the descending water and the breathtaking sight of diamond-like droplets of water being prey to gravity in the most bewitching manner from nature-bestowed waterfalls.
Water fountains could either be of the outdoor type or the indoor type. Both these types have equally positive energy releasing capacities for the well being of the house and its residents. Water fountains are known to release negative ions which have proven to have purifying effects. It not only purifies the air in the surrounding but also effectively removes any unwanted elements embedded in air thus making it a dust-free and non-polluted environment. All these factors help in great deal in reducing stress and providing ultimate relaxation effects.
The cool breeze that enchantingly passes through this water body and touches our skin brings about the most heavenly feeling of bliss and freshness. The sound of the water gurgling in the fountain is soothing to the ears and has a direct connection to our souls. It brings us closer to nature. Water brings in the element of good fortune and prosperity. You have a range of Feng Shui fountains to choose from that are based on this ancient Chinese art of energy balancing by appropriate designing and placement of articles around the house. These fountains may also be incorporated with other elements like metal which ensures you get positive energies from these elements, viz. water and metal. Thus, if do not wish to spend every evening in a spa to get rid of your stress, take a wise decision and bring home these scintillating stress relievers and gift yourself the hindmost natural stress buster product, a water fountain.
A few years past, I read an editorial that claimed that, on average, a child will hear the word 'no' from their parents and other authority figures four times more than they will be told the word 'yes'. Now of course, children must be stopped from doing things that could cause them, or someone else, harm. And some would contend that children's excessive behavior ought to be limited for them to function appropriately in society. This last statement is debatable and in any case means different things to different people. But my point is, the majority of us are methodically trained from childhood to put restrictions on ourselves. We're told we can't do this; we can't afford that. Or perhaps we heard; that would be good but...; we could do that if only...
Therefore we grow up with restrictive ideas and limiting beliefs. These restrictions have been drummed into us from an early age and, seeing as we do not know any better, we pass them on to our kids. Just for good measure, we perpetuate the problem in ourselves too. Phrases similar to 'I can't...'; 'if only...'; are an articulation of our self perception. But they also confirm our self perception and continue limiting us. Part of our curious human behavior compels us to function in accordance with anything we say out loud. Hence if we say we can't achieve a thing, we are compelled to fall short simply to prove ourselves correct. What's worse is our subconscious mind will accept all we say (and all we sincerely believe) as the truth. In the event that we present conflicting words, thoughts and beliefs, our subconscious mind will compare them and go with the one that is presented most strongly. So if you say you can achieve a thing just once, but inwardly tell yourself you cannot achieve it ten times, which do you imagine will turn out to be embedded in your belief system?
To illustrate the point, I am reminded of something my father used to say. 'Never tell a child he or she is stupid. If you tell them that frequently enough, they will come to believe it and act stupidly'. If that is correct (and I believe it is), then the inverse must also be correct. If you tell a child often enough that they are a smart, gifted, amazing person; it follows that sooner or later they will come to believe it and act correspondingly. It is known as conditioning and it can be empowering or restrictive. That is all very well but it's not so simple for us to condition ourselves; or break our previous conditioning. How do we avoid using those restrictive terms when half the time we do not even realize we are using them? Well, here's a thought.
Have you ever come across the idea of a swear box? Plenty of people have I imagine. It is a cash box that you deposit money into every time you curse or swear. It is usually used to break the swearing bad habit. It can perform just as well for limiting words we employ. Put some cash into a money box every time you or someone else catches you using the restrictive language. It has to become enough money for you to feel the pain of doing this. You need to make the use of limiting words more painful than the use of empowering words. And just to get started, here are a few restrictive terms and phrases you might like to avoid:
I can't - This is a phrase that is possibly most used. In a few circumstances it might be valid but the majority of the time it is not. And do not fall for the easy cop out of 'I'm not sure I can'. That is just as bad as 'I can't'!
I'm going to do it - The inference here is 'I'm going to do it someday'. But as Credence Clearwater Revival sang, someday never comes. If you are going to do it, settle on a time and date to get it done; otherwise forget about it.
I'll try it - Whenever anybody uses the word 'try', they are setting themselves up for failure. As Yoda said in Star Wars, 'do or do not, there is no try'.
Yes but... - This is an easy one to drop into. I still catch myself doing it every now and then. When we use 'but' we are typically saying 'but it will take me out of my comfort zone and I do not want to go there'. So we look for excuses not to do whatever it would take to reach our desired goals. Learn to enjoy being out of your comfort zone and send all the 'ifs and buts' packing.
If only... - This is the result of a victim mentality. ‘If only I could find a way... If only the boss wasn’t such a jerk... If only I had the time... Empowered people are not victims; ditch the excuses!
These are just a few. If you set your mind to it, I'm confident you can uncover many more. Learning to remove these restrictions from your life can be a lifelong process; I'm still doing it! But I enjoy the journey and I think you will also.
Feelings of wholeness..... as to the wholeness of an apple. Ripe, delicious, juicy, full of nutrients, beautiful, roundly shaped as the globe and it's just good for you.
What is good for you as to the wholeness within your Soul calling you for attention; saying you are whole inside, there is nothing wrong with you. Stop blaming, and start correcting your perception of your self.
Your Soul speaks in such delight saving you from your promises to self-hurt and self-destruction over and over again. Your Soul playful and loving....wanting only your happiness. Happiness living within the wholeness within you.
Have you forgotten asks your Soul? Have you forgotten yourself today? Have you forgotten me?
Your Soul speaks with such confidence as to the wholeness within you. Saying you are not that which others have declared you to be that weakens you. You are not that society has made you out to be.
You are way way more special than what you have believed about yourself. Your Soul speaking with such generosity as to the truth ever present within you.
Your Soul as your saviour today and everyday! Undeniably wanting your highest good.
Now, would you kindly declare that your true nature is Whole and Wholly today, asks your Soul? That your True-Self is whole in every way!
There is no fault where there is Truth. So in fact you are a whole emanation of the Divine presence of God inside and out.
You've heard it and now it's time to start believing it as you will.
You can start by declaring out loud words and statements such as : I am whole today and everyday in every way! Say it to your mind, say it to your body, say it to your heart, say it to your Soul, say it to the whole world, declare it with all of your heart to the Universe.
Say it, Declare and Be it! By your own will create it for yourself.
