Where Am I? And Why Am I Where I Am?

The second and third questions I'm asking myself are Where am I and Why am I where I am? These questions are presented in Neale Donald Walsch's latest book, The Storm Before the Calm. I already addressed Who I Am - a child of God, one with the Universe, a spiritual being having a human experience. So where am I?

Here. I'm here. And I'm there. I'm everywhere. I'm pure energy connected and in flow with all energy. I am you and you are me. I am here and you are here, I am there and you are there. Confused yet? I get this mostly as a concept, but have experienced (in what seems like small, fleeting moments) Being all that is and Being everywhere. Feels good, really good.

Have I ever told you my silly putty analogy? One day while contemplating the concept of "We Are One" I had an epiphany! Up until that moment I couldn't quite get it. If I was a part of the whole, I was still separate as a part. The jigsaw puzzle theory didn't work for me - I was still a separate piece. I could be willing to be of the "One", but was still removable, know what I mean?

Anyway, I pictured silly putty spread way out, really thin. I hope you all remember silly putty! Then I pictured using my finger to poke upward a silly putty me. I did it again, and that was me, too. Again and again. Silly putty me, and the rest were silly putty yous, which were actually me. I was everywhere! With absolutely no separation. We Are One!

Now I could look around at all the silly putty me's and say, "Wow, look what I am doing over there!", and over in another direction, "Fascinating the choices I'm making over yonder." In my daily reality, the "over theres" are You. Me being you. Of course, I forget that.

I recently had another "epiphany" around my silly putty analogy. Remember how you could take the silly putty, press it against a comic strip and create a "copy?" That's what I did. I put a "face" on all the finger beings I created- You now have a face! Ha! My illusion, my show!

What was the questions? Oh, yeah, Where Am I? My conscious human self is in Traverse City, Michigan, United States, Earth, Universe. I am in the Higher Self Bookstore at this moment - at least that is where my focus is. Talking to you, out there everywhere, where I am as well just not feeling it at the moment. Words are so limiting, aren't they?

Why Am I Where I Am? I figure there's got to be a good reason. I need to go a little deeper, but not just yet.

I attended a retreat with Neale Donald Walsch some time back. One wonderful thing I took away from that experience was this: "You are in the room to heal the room." I'm sure it is in one of his Conversations with God books, but I remember it from the gathering. To me this means that wherever I am (in a room, a park, a convention, a friends house, a family reunion), I am there to do what I can to raise my vibration and the vibration of those around me. To bring in positivity where there is negativity. To make the "room" and those in it feel better.

More on these questions and the next question in my next blog. My women's group has already started discussing the questions. If you are interested in meeting for A New Conversation, let me know and we will plan a get-together! And feel free to leave comments here. Namaste'

The Drama Demon

Drama. We all get sucked into it at times if we aren’t awake and aware. I refer to awake and aware as being in my right mind. I am totally guilty of being asleep at the wheel, jerking awake to look around and say “What the hell just happened? How long have I been here?”

What gets me is that I know better. I have practiced standing in that neutral space, separating the facts from the stories and blocking the energies shot in my direction. Still, sometimes I’m caught unaware. I am grateful for the years of practice that help me “wake up!” much sooner than later.

This ever happen to you? You get wrapped up in your perceptions, or someone else’s perceptions, making up stories and proclaiming what is right and what is wrong - rather loudly! Then you proceed to bring others into your drama, convincing them that you are right and justice must be served! Well, maybe not to that extreme. Maybe you just start feeling bad, your vibration takes a dive, and you just want to feel better.

Is it possible to avoid the Drama Demon? Yes. Let me give you a couple examples.

First, take a step back. Now, identify what is fact from the parts that are made up. By fact, I mean, those things that are tangible, touchable, etc. As in “these words were said.” Leave out all the emotion. Now, the rest is all perception. We give meaning to the “words said” (we fill in the blanks) and draw from our past to make sense of what we just heard. Don’t get me wrong, our past serves us well, unless it doesn’t. Our past experiences can keep us safe and help us from making “the same mistake.” But sometimes our past remembrances can cause us to assign an experience that just does not apply in every situation.

Second, ask yourself “what else can it be?” Again, we make up the stories and there are always lots of stories that be imagined in any situation. Try to get more facts. If this isn’t possible, stick to the story that works best for you. One that comes from love and helps you to feel good. Do not judge – discern.

A little practice and you may find you can avoid a lot of drama. Besides, no one likes having to say they made a mistake and have to make amends after playing with the Drama Demon. Been there, done that, too.

The Latest "Cuss" Word

This is my holiday gift for you, wishing you a wonderful, prosperous 2010! Someone asked me to think of the perfect gift I'd like to receive and my response was "that one thing that keeps me from manifesting, experiencing, allowing and receiving prosperity into my life."

So, how can I give this to you? I'm not sure but I do have an observation that just may be the trick for some of you. I know the application of this gift is already making a difference in my state of affluence.

For the last couple months I have been noticing the phrase "I can't afford it", being used by myself, my employees, customers, friends and family. It became like a red flag, demanding I pay attention.

Some people said "I can't afford (something)" in order to shut someone up. You know, the "Hi, how are you?" "Fine." - end of conversation conversation. Many times when I heard the "I can't afford....." I just knew it wasn't the truth, whether the speaker recognized they were lying or not.

And way too often it was just what it was...a belief that it just wasn't possible, a conversation about lack. Especially now with all this talk about the economy and bad times. Listen closely and you can hear a choir of "can't afford" at any time across the country.

I have decided that this should be considered the newest, latest "cuss" word/phrase, that a penalty should be paid for each utterance. I have given some of my friends the equivalent of "cuss boxes" for their quarters, dollars, whatever they choose, and asked them to spread the word.

Because...this particular phrase of lack is totally dis empowering. At the very best, it is a bad habit, complete with negative energy and low vibration. We need to eliminate it and replace it with empowering, vibration raising affirmations.

Now, exactly what kind of affirmations to use have eluded me until recently. The problem with affirmations are unless they have even a slight chance of being true for you, they are empty words and will not fill the void created by NOT saying that phrase of lack.

So I have this suggestion instead: talk about what you are choosing to do with excitement and passion. For instance, instead of saying I can't afford (that something), say with enthusiasm something like "oh, I just love it, but I am so close to saving for (name it), or so close to paying off that credit card and being debt free!!! Yeah!!!

Get the idea? Be excited about your goals and your progress, not down about stuff you choose not to have just at this time. Do not buy into the victim hood community, avoid the woe is me sayers, the we are family in doom and gloom.

Just imagine for a moment everyone being excited about tomorrow and its possibilities, as a choir, at any time. What a difference - and how could the Universe possibility say no?

Have a Happy, Prosperous New Year!

More Baby Steps....

Let's talk more about baby stepping. In the last post I talked about baby steps vs. leaps and how both work in getting you to your goals.

I learned about visualization about twenty years ago, listening to a Jack Canfield tape, I believe. Then I learned about dream boards and setting intentions in personal growth courses. I would practice what I'd learned and sometimes I manifested what I wanted, and sometimes I didn't.

And then we all watched "The Secret." It was a wonderful reminder and triggered me to do additional research. I recognized that I needed to raise my vibration during visualization. Oh, and to feel good! Okay, a little more success.

My thirst for knowledge brought me through two manifesting programs in the last couple years that added neurological adjustment techniques, goal setting, and doing affirmations correctly. So, I got my meditations, my affirmations, my vision board, my story of my masterpiece of a life that I read over and over and over. I keep my vibration up, my brain linked, my picture perfect.....

I forgot the baby steps. I'm trying to get from where I am to where I want to be in one leap. Of course the perfect man for me is on my vision board - smiles, walking together, dancing, hugging, growing old together. But here's the kicker. I forgot to visualize "meeting someone", then "a date", then a "second date."

And there's my perfect body on the dream board - riding a bike, hiking, doing fancy yoga twists. I forgot to visualize buying a bike and putting the present body on it, or walking this present body around the block, or enrolling in a yoga class. My baby steps are missing.

Now, the baby steps are probably listed in the plans as things "to do." And they are still on the "to do" list because - I'm focused on the big picture and I forget to look at the list of things "to do."

Baby stepping in visualization is about being. It's about letting the Universe know what you want to experience now (like, a date!), and allowing that manifestation. If I'm looking off into the future, I'm going to miss that wink from across the room.

So today, I'm breaking it all down in my my visualization. I'm even picking just two or three manifests instead of all twenty-five "I've arrived" future items on my board. Letting the Universe know I'm ready and willing to meet the man, allowing the perfect bicycle to show up, and choosing to feel good instead of overwhelmed. Ah, what a great day!

Unless - A Manifesting Mishap

How does one say “Yes” to possibilities, and still be impeccable with ones word? How does one manifest purposefully and powerfully, yet not get attached to the results? I don’t think I can answer all these questions today, but I’ll keep you posted as I work it out.

Today I want to look at one way we self-sabotage our manifestations, our intentions and dreams, by the thoughts we have upon declaration of those desires. The unconscious or subconscious thoughts that confuse the Universe about what we really want.

One conversation:

I’m going to Sedona in October with my women’s group.
(unless they all back out)
I don’t have the money yet, but I know it’s coming.
(unless it doesn’t, or I have to pay bills with it, or the car breaks down)
I’m going to hike to the vortexes in the Red Rocks.
(unless I break my leg, or get sick)
I’m going to stay in a wonderful timeshare resort.
(unless there are none available and I have to stay in a dump)

I call this the “unless” conversation that usually happens in the subconscious, but you may notice the thoughts coming up for you if you are aware and truly listening to yourself talk to yourself. This establishes the limitations even before they have an opportunity to show themselves from the unconscious part of you.

Another conversation:

I’m going to Sedona in October with my women’s group! I am so excited!
I have the money! Not in my bank account, but I know I have it! I’m so grateful!
I’m going to hike to the vortexes! I’m getting in shape now and I feel great!
I’m staying in a wonderful timeshare resort with a pool, Jacuzzi, kitchen, comfortable beds, located close to everything I want to see and experience! This is going to be an awesome trip – I feel like I’m there already!

This is a much more powerful conversation. In this conversation, “unless” thoughts may surface, but I recognize them as my own creation and let them go; release them to allow my intended creation to become a reality. And, very importantly, I maintain a vibration of feeling good, being excited, and having the feelings of already being there. In this high vibration I visualize what it is a say I want. Then I take action.

So I ask you to notice what you think when you go for it, whatever “It” is! Do you have thoughts that begin with Unless, If, As Long As? How do you feel when you have these thoughts? What do you do once you are aware of these thoughts and feelings? Let me know and we’ll pick up this conversation then. Namaste’