“Your own consciousness is always creating thoughts, and the more you energize those thoughts, the more they come into being, good or bad.” – Paul Selig
Do you ever have those days where you wish for a magic wand—just for a moment to wave over life’s troubles and make them magically disappear?
If you’ve been on the spiritual path you’ve come to realize that change doesn’t come automatically. If I want my life to be different, I have to change my thinking, attitude, and perception. I have to be the one to initiate the change. There is no magic to it. Just consistent, dedicated practice to shift my thinking from wishing to doing.
In I Am The Word, Paul Selig writes, “This is not something that can be done once. This is about a new pattern, and like any new pattern it needs to be ingrained in consciousness and in behavior for it to become fully realized in your life.”
No one can do our work for us. We can’t will it or wish it away. There is no being in the sky that grants wishes for us. Each of us has to do our own work and look at old patterns, old beliefs, past experiences and take responsibility for them.
Responsibility is the ability to respond. We have the opportunity to bring conscious intention to whatever we are engaged in.
Ernest Holmes reminds us, “Realizing that all action starts in and is a result of consciousness, prepare your mind to receive the best that life has to offer. Become increasingly aware of the one Presence, the one Life and the one Sprit which is God. Drop all sense of lack or limitation.”
Affirm: I am willing to receive the best life has to offer me.
As I approached seat 6D on my flight, I smiled and told the gentleman he was sitting in my assigned window seat. He smiled back and said he was sure he was in his assigned seat. I looked again at the diagram on the overhead bin and yes, 6D was the window seat, and it was the one listed on my boarding pass. He started looking for his boarding pass. “Do you mean they gave us the same seat?” he mumbled, as he searched for his boarding pass. I did not want to hold up the long line of passengers and quickly said, “You know what, it doesn’t matter.” I hastily stowed my luggage under the seat in front of me and let the line move forward. It was no big deal.
Or was it? Was I just conned into giving away my window seat? Why was I in such a hurry to give it up? I reflected on how many times I didn’t speak up when someone got in front of me in line or ignored my request. I remembered times I felt invisible to those around me. One part of me felt that giving up my seat wasn’t an issue. It was a short flight, and I had a book to read. Another part of me was livid because I felt manipulated, controlled, disrespected. Was I just trying to be nice?
We all want to be liked, accepted, and included. As a result, we don’t always say what we’re thinking. We often hold back from telling the whole truth so we don’t hurt someone’s feelings. We go out of our way to do things for others so they will approve of us. We suppress what we really think. We hold our tongues. We were taught: Little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice. We are told to be seen and not heard. Don’t argue. Don’t yell. Don’t jump around so much. Don’t talk back. Don’t be greedy. Don’t get dirty. For goodness sake, just be nice!
We can learn to set boundaries and not be in such a hurry to give up our own good for the sake of others. It takes patience, as we learn to speak up for ourselves. The passenger in 6D was not the cause of my pain. If I felt empowered, I would be free to speak up and hold my ground knowing that was my seat. I would speak my truth rather than silence myself.
Are you ready to speak up, stand up, and show up for yourself?
Affirm: I am aware, alert and willing to take charge of my life.
We spend so much time judging ourselves that we become prisoners of negative thinking. We judge our outer looks as being too big, too fat, too tall, too short, too anything. We believe we are not smart enough, capable enough, or qualified enough. While we are busy judging ourselves, we don’t take time to appreciate the abundant blessings our lives have to offer.
Would you repeat the inner judgments you say to and about yourself to someone you loved? We wouldn’t think of it. Yet, we beat ourselves up mentally and verbally until we are left exhausted, powerless, and immobilized. Self-criticism and judgment are debilitating habits. They break down our faith, erode our self-esteem, and stir up our feelings of shame.
When we live a life of intention, we move away from the self-defeating practice of comparing and competing. We are inspired to find role models whom we want to emulate. We connect with friends and associates who are encouraging and supportive. Instead of searching for our own acknowledgement, we recognize and celebrate the successes of those around us.
As we begin to peel away the layers of false beliefs and ideas about our bodies and ourselves, we touch on our awareness of the Divine, our connection with God. In This Thing Called You, Ernest Holmes states it perfectly: “There is a Divine awareness within you which will lead you upward and onward. Prepare yourself for the ascent, then fill your mental life with spiritual realization.”
Love is an inside job that begins with letting go of the pain from the past. Then there is an opening to express love. As we love ourselves, we begin to acknowledge and appreciate others. The more love we give, the more we receive. As we think about love, we become love.
–Excerpt from Conscious Choices: A Woman’s Guide to Clarity, Courage and Connection, by Christine Green
“Spring is the best life coach: It gives you all the energy you want, all the positive thoughts you wish and all the boldness you need!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan
Happy Spring!
There is something wonderful about Springtime. We emerge from the grayness of winter into a kaleidoscope of color in the spring. There is such joy in seeing the flowers blooming, hearing the birds singing, enjoying extended daylight.
Spring signifies a season of hope. We emerge out of the darkness of winter to see the transformation that springtime brings. Perhaps it is the feeling of hopefulness and expectation that things will get better.
We can cultivate that feeling of hope everyday. We don’t have to wait for springtime to arrive. We don’t have to wait for conditions to change in order for us to accept possibilities.
Ernest Holmes invites us to affirm:
“I know that Spirit within me goes before me, making perfect, straight, easy and happy the pathway of my experience. There is nothing in me that can obstruct the divine circuits of Life, of Love, of Beauty and Truth. Today I have faith that my word shall not return to me void.”
“Everything you judge you fear. Think about it. Ask yourself what you judge, and then ask yourself why you fear, and you will know this in your heart once and for all.” Paul Selig, Book of Love and Creation
It is very popular to play the blame game in today’s society. We often look a scapegoat, someone to blame for the problems of the world. We blame the government, stock market, banks, wealthy people, poor people, big business, other countries and our parents for the pain and suffering of today’s world. We point fingers and worry about what others are doing or not doing. When we do that, we are simply spreading fear.
It’s so easy to judge what others are doing and give advice to how they should change their behavior. Actually it is a way to avoid looking at our own limiting beliefs and fear-based thoughts. An important step on our spiritual journey is to take responsibility and pay attention to what we are doing, thinking and saying.
Responsibility is not about blaming ourselves. Responsibility is the ability to respond. It is the freedom to take action. It is the power to change. When we take responsibility, we face our fears and take steps to move past them.
Practice looking at what you want instead of what you don’t want. Ask each day “What is mine to do to make the world a better place?” Release judgment and anger and send love instead. When we send love we raise the vibration for everyone.
Be gentle. Practice compassion. Having compassion for ourselves and others opens us to love and be loved. Compassion awakens love in us. Love is the healing power beyond judgment and blame. There is always a choice.
Speak this prayer attunement aloud whenever you are feeling separate, angry, or judgmental. Speak it aloud for yourself when you are feeling fearful.
