Recent family events have got me thinking about what it means to live compassionately. It’s not my story to tell so without going into specifics of the situation a long-standing issue with a family member has come to a head. Over the years I’ve flitted between feeling sympathy, making excuses, irritation and frustration. Overall my stance has been one of compassion/sympathy after all everyone has a story behind who they are today and not everyone is awake enough to break free of their story. I believe everyone can but obviously, not everyone does.

Seeing a character on screen going through a similar situation, I noticed my reaction was completely different to my family member’s. The emotional distance allowed me to have a different reaction. If I’d have reacted this way to my family member I’d have thought I was being hard, cold and callous, which interestingly enough, I do feel about some other family members’ reactions.

Then it dawned on me, like everything compassion has a feminine and masculine side. We often only think about compassion from the feminine side but there is a masculine side as illustrated in Big Mind Big Heart: Finding Your Way

In the book Genpo Roshi tells a story of a young horse that is sick and not getting any better. The Mum tends to the horse, comforting and nurturing it – this is feminine compassion. One day the Dad picks up the oung horse, takes him to edge of the wood and slams him down on the ground killing him instantly – this is masculine compassion. Truely grounded compassion contains both sides.

Tough love, assisted suicide and putting an animal down are practical instances of masculine compassion in the world. I’m sure it will come as no surprise that I am not very comfortable with the masculine side of compassion, and in fact have a little lump in my throat writing down the instance of masculine compassion!

I see it at home with my Son and the different ways me and my partner deal with his accidents. I’m much more of the rescuer (my poor baby had fallen after all!), while his (cold, hard – only joking) Dad is much of the “get up”, “I told you not to do that” type. It was an adjustment to accept that we bring something to the table, not right or wrong but different, and for the best chance of balance, my Son needs both.

Regarding the family situation things are not going as I’d like them to AT ALL but there is little I can do. Maybe the most compassionate thing I can do is trust the process of Life and let it unfold without my interference.

“You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. You must learn to see the world anew.” Albert Einstein.

How many times have you had a problem to figure out that you mulled over and over in your head, only for it to be solved when out walking the dog, going for a run, watching TV or my personal favourite, doing yoga?

Getting yourself unstuck is a counterintuitive process. What will help the most is the thing you least want to do. It’s a bit like someone who is stuck in quicksand, the urge to fight your way out is strong but the more you struggle the deeper you sink.

You think you have to do something to get yourself out of the situation, you think it’s all down to you and what you can do right now to get unstuck – unsurprisingly this causes you tension! It’s this thinking that has you in your own way and got you stuck in the first place, so by Einstein’s quote, it’s not that same thinking that will get you unstuck. It might seem appealing but it’s a myth.

It’s also all a little egocentric, after all a fair bit happens in this world without your conscious input. The sun manages to comes up every day without fail; night falls every night and so on, all without your assistance! Things can be worked out without you controlling it AND in a much better ways than you could ever come up with.

A problem created by worry cannot be solved by worrying.

By the time you’re feeling stuck, your head’s done such a good number on you that most of its suggestions are just going to get you even more stuck. The solution is often right there but kept out of your reach by solution-repellents such as pushing, desperation, impatience, control and worry.

We live our lives as slaves to our minds, believing and jumping to its every whim and believing it to have the answer to everything. Let’s not forget that once upon a time humankind thought the Earth was flat and then we found out it is was round. The whole time the Earth didn’t change, only our minds did!

Your mind is an amazing tool but it’s not a tool that can comprehend everything, nor is it supposed to. When you’re feeling stuck, chances are that the problem started with your thinking which means the solution doesn’t lie in your thinking. The consciousness that got you stuck will not free you so do me a favour, get out of your own way and stop acting out of what you already know, leave some space for inspiration and new ideas.

I know your mind will be screaming at you, telling you that you’re crazy, that you’ve got so much to do in so little time yada yada yada. But getting out of your own way means to stop being a slave to your mind and start using it to serve your spirit.

Charlene M. Proctor, Ph.D. is an ordained Minister of Spiritual Peacemaking and a “Deeksha” facilitator trained by the oneness guides from Fiji and India. She is the bestselling author of Let Your Goddess Grow! 7 Spiritual Lessons on Female Power and Positive Thinking and The Women’s Book of Empowerment: 323 Affirmations That Change Everyday Problems Into Moments of Potential. Her Midwestern sensibility and spiritual approach to self-empowerment has helped thousands awaken to their Divine magnificence within.

Author Charlene M. Proctor, Ph.D. has written a new book that brings us back to the Essence of true spirituality. The book, entitled The Oneness Gospel: Birthing the Christ Consciousness and Divine Human in You, is a rich mix of science, spirituality and mysticism that transcends the boundaries of religion, and uplifts the reader to that place of Oneness. An ordained Minister of Spiritual Peacemaking and a Deeksha facilitator trained by the oneness guides from Fiji and India, Charlene’s mission in life is to help awaken to their Divine magnificence within all humanity.

Yesterday, Charlene visited Edee Conrad at http://edeeconrad.com/virtual-interview-with-charlene-proctor, where they talked about “The dark night of the soul,” ancient mind and increasing awareness.

Today, I’d like to share with you a recent interview I had with Charlene when I got to ask her some questions on her story, divine human and emerging the authentic you. I hope you enjoy it.

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Me: Tell me a little bit about your back story and your motivation for writing this book?

Charlene M. Proctor: With any family there is always some suffering. I experienced that with my son. Carrying burdens of magnitude, such as illness or the disease of addiction, and watching a loved one spiral into a personal hell is not easy. In our home, there was emotional suffering for all involved, and as a mother, I took that on as our own. That is how my back injury arrived. The back is all about support. Emotional trauma takes a physical toll on a human being and consequently, we carry that in our energy layers, our koshas, and it perpetuates disease. I looked for any tools to help me release emotional charges, and I was intrigued with a process that could do it.

I became interested with the idea of deeksha as a means to release emotional trauma from the energy layers in the body. I received this blessing and energy from Sai Maa and Amma Amritanandamayi many years ago. These were my first introductions to deeksha and darshan from holy masters. I experienced what it felt like to release suffering and open my heart and to feel being loved unconditionally.

Studying the works of Yogananda and going back to the New Testament made me realize that truth is universal. God’s grace arrives in uncountable forms and is always available to everyone. It’s free. In the Oneness community, grace is seen as a means of healing.

In the past, deeksha was given only by masters, but now human consciousness is rising to point that we are all able to “tune in” and project this grace with a healing intention to others. I like this idea and pursued it for several years.

During my research, I discovered the Oneness teachings as given in India. They originated in Sri Amma and Sri Bhagavan, two people who consider themselves one unified, avataric consciousness. They are God-realized and were initiating the collective force of unified consciousness in the form of something called the Oneness Blessing. It’s actually deeksha, but the difference between them and all who have gone before is that they are teaching everyone how to give it. They are interested in creating individual change through this neurobiological event, which they say happens through grace. Once you invite that energy into you, it’s there to stay. I thought this was a wonderful idea. It helped inspire the material and lessons in The Oneness Gospel.

After I discovered the teachings in Fiji and India, I noticed their congruence with the teachings of Jesus. They are simple, interfaith, and universal. Given the polarized society we live in today, these unity-oriented lessons on personal transformation are very exciting.

I enjoyed traveling to Fiji and India and meeting Bhagavan and all the Dasas who were teaching the material. The experiences I had with the blessing were extraordinary. The spiritual training I received with people from all parts of the planet was exceptional. It helped me personally awaken to a new and enriched way of living.

Me: I love your term the ‘Divine Human’. What is this? How do I become one?

Charlene M. Proctor: The Divine Human is one who knows their True Self. The Divine Self, or the antaryamin (Divine Indweller) is the higher self, or the god or realized self. It is the knowledge that we are unlimited because we can never be outside of All That Is. When we open up to this, we expand our potential on many levels: in work, in our relationships, in our ability to love and be joyful.

We can never understand or experience God through someone else’s eyes, nor experience the same self-development path of another individual. All humans will be on their own individual path to this knowledge, in this lifetime or in other lifetimes. All truth is developed through individual insight. However, the following principles will help guide your path, and help you to be more authentic and at ease with life during your process. These principles speak to universal truth and the essence of what it means to lead a spiritual life:

1. First understand yourself and your relationship to the Divine.

2. Know that the journey begins where you are, not where you want to be. Consider life as it is and accept it. See reality clearly. Put your spiritual development at the top of your list.

3. Revere the Divine. Live with awareness of your inner God. Place the creator where he belongs: in you.

4. Love God with your heart and soul. Feel the freedom and joy of doing so.

5. Seek truth everywhere, and don’t limit yourself to one faith or wisdom tradition. Read. Question everything. Come up with a version that works for you.

6. Invite God’s love. Ask for grace and know you are never alone.

7. Be authentic. Learn to be at ease with yourself. Authenticity lays the groundwork for self-love.

8. Be a spiritual peacemaker. See yourself as the change you wish to see in the world. Be peaceful and open to forgiveness.
9. Choose to live in the energy of unconditional love and abandon your judging mind. Learn to love the experience of life, free from conditioning and negativity.

10. Adopt spiritual practices that make sense to you and understand their meaning. Pray with passion and clarity. Meditate often.

11. Use auspicious language and don’t allow your thoughts and words to turn into negative stories and illusions.

12. See God everywhere. Mention God often. Talk about God and say “God” with gusto.

Me: I know from my work that breaking free from past conditioning and old programming allows something that is a much more authentic YOU to emerge. I also know this is most people’s biggest struggle! What tips do you have for people really struggling to move past old non-serving patterns?

Charlene M. Proctor: A step toward personal growth is a willingness to release the past and chose the present moment, to a life that is filled with joy and awareness of what is.

Affirmations are positive present day statements that bring awareness of WHAT IS. Remember, all conditioning is negative because it takes away our awareness of what is. We resolve it by being aware, seeing, asking for grace. So, be willing to look at any conditioning that alters your view of reality.

In India, there is a process called Samskara Shuddhi. Shuddhi is a Sanskrit word that translates as ‘cleansing or purification.’ Indeed there are many types of purification. There is physical cleansing that can be achieved through techniques such as nadis shuddhi, alternate nostril breathing. Samskara Shuddhi is the practice of cleansing past impressions, experiences or relationships (samskaras).

You enter a fairly intense process of self-examination during which you are offered the opportunity to see yourself from many facets, including the deep, dark and ugly. You see and clear your emotional issues, your negative conditioning and childhood patterns, and let go of the fixed ideas that have held you in suffering for so long. You then move along into a process of emptying, through which you see “through” the self, and thereby free yourself from the self. From this new state of being, one is prepared for others phases of awakening.

Of course, if you cannot go to India, or attend a process where this type of cleansing can be done, then pray and meditate regularly. Be blessed by others. Adopt affirmative thoughts that are powerful and positive in all areas of your life. Practice forgiveness. Open your heart to someone, no matter the circumstance. The greatest spiritual masters all taught these concepts … they are nothing new, so put them to work!

© Charlene M. Proctor Ph.D. The Oneness Gospel: Birthing the Christ Consciousness and Divine Human in You. All Rights Reserved.

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I hope you enjoyed this interview with Charlene M. Proctor and that you’ll check out her book The Oneness Gospel: Birthing the Christ Consciousness and Divine Human in You at http://onenessgospel.com/book-launch/pages/pre-launch.html

Here’s why:

When you sign up for a reminder, you’ll receive:

• A FREE pass to attend Charlene’s inspiring “Your Journey to Joy Webinar” taught by Charlene and presented by best-selling author Lynn Serafinn. On this uplifting and informative webinar, Charlene will talk about how we develop our belief in separation and suffering, how those beliefs get stored as trauma in the body, and how to change your inner reality so you can experience JOY in every aspect of your life.

THEN…When you buy The Oneness Gospel on Tuesday April 24th, 2012, you’ll also receive:

• The MP3 download from the “Your Journey to Joy Webinar” AND

• An invitation to “Twelve Principles for Becoming a Divine Human”, a special online discussion with Charlene AND

• A complete library of beautiful, downloadable gifts from authors, speakers, coaches and other enlightened professionals from around the globe.

To request a launch reminder so you’ll remember to pick up
The Oneness Gospel on Tuesday April 24th,
and receive all these beautiful gifts, go to:
http://onenessgospel.com/book-launch/pages/pre-launch.html

Thanks for reading! As usual, please feel free to share your comments and thoughts below. I love reading your feedback.

AND… be sure to follow Charlene tomorrow when the next stop on the Virtual Blog Tour is Andrea Hylen, who will be interviewing Charlene on connecting with Oneness, one mind and grace. To visit that “stop” on the tour, go to http://www.healmyvoice.org/Enwaken-Project.html

Ever wonder why you keep getting stuck? Or are you not bothered about that and just want to be unstuck?

As tempting as it is to just want to move on past this yucky feeling of stuckness, I think knowing why you’re stuck in the first place can really help you figure out how to get unstuck more easily.  I wanted to write a comprehensive post on this important subject, but it just kept growing and growing. Eventually throwing my hands up in the air, I surrendered to the fact that what wants to be written is a blog series and this the first part.

I’d like to start off with some semantics. The definition of being stuck is “to be unable to move further”. Now as much as this might feel like what’s happening to you, it’s not. You may feel as if you are incapable of moving further but you so can, so I prefer to use the term feeling stuck as that’s a truer reflection of what’s going on.

*Sharp exhale of breathe* now I feel better getting that off my chest, let’s get you feeling better too…

So I’m assuming you’re feeling stuck because despite trying really hard, where you want to be, what you want to do or have continues to elude you, right?

Well let me tell you something you’re probably not aware of that’ll help you give yourself a break. You’re actually feeling stuck because you’ve not been equipped with the skills (mental/physical/emotional) you need to live the life you want, so now you need to learn how.

For example, I was equipped with the skills to live the life of a good, conforming girl living a conventional life. This may be fine for some but it certainly wasn’t for me. When I’d done building myself a life based on this, I was left with a great big gaping hole in my life.

Why?

Because it wasn’t what I wanted, I being my spirit, my True Nature. I wanted to be happy, entrepreneurial and me, regardless of whether that fitted into anyone else’s box or not. But I’d not been equipped with the skills to let myself be individual or unique; I’d been conditioned to fit into a box and to go along with other people’s expectations of me.

You’d think on this realisation letting my unique light shine would be a matter of flicking a switch. I wish it was! But it’s not that simple, years of hiding the light of my individuality under a bushel meant it became second nature to me and letting myself be me in fact felt unfamiliar and strange. The urge to go running back to the comfort of my comfort zone was strong and always waiting for me when I wasn’t fully awake or present.

Many of us choose to do something, work towards it and if it doesn’t work, make it all about us. In some ways it is all about you but not in a self-flagellation kinda way! It’s your responsibility to use what’s there for you to move forward in your situation. You may not have been equipped with the skills to live the life you want but YOU CAN LEARN.

“It is the desire to walk that creates the path ahead” Paulo Coelho

What you know how to create is what you’ve already created, if you want to create something else, get help. The first and biggest step to getting unstuck I’ve found is recognising and admitting that you need help. The rest is pretty much a doddle….

Your turn

What mental, physical and emotional skills do you need to learn to be able to live the life you want?

* If you’re sick of feeling stuck and ready to live the life you really want book a FREE Unstoppable YOU Breakthrough session with me and find out how I can help you with this.

Italian born, Gaetano Vivo is one of Europe’s most experienced and sought-after Reiki Masters, practicing in the UK, the US and Italy. He is a member of the Complementary Medical Association of Great Britain, the International Council of Holistic Therapies, the International Association of Reiki Professionals and the Noetic Association of America. From a young age he has experienced the ‘calling’ of ‘others’ who wish to pass on teachings and wisdoms in order we may make lighter work of our time here on Earth. Although, due to being brought up in a strict Catholic community, he was forced to ignore this information, he never forgot what he had received. For decades, Gaetano has been treating clients from all walks of life, regardless of faith or creed, believing that the healing power of love is open to all of us. When not touring he divides time between his homes in England and Italy and takes great delight in his garden.

Gaetano’s new book Messages from the Angels of Transparency: Powerful Words from Gentle Souls addresses the questions, “Could wise and wonderful beings contact us from beyond this world and unveil our true potential? Would knowing that we really mattered enable us to uncover the truth behind our reason for living?” This fascinating book offers answers, spiritual practices and comprehensive meditations by teacher, healer and author, Gaetano Vivo, which have the potential to strengthen, heal and transform lives and bring hope and inspiration. It also clarifies the true nature of Reiki as a simple, yet profound tool for accessing and accepting the power of universal energy—what we might call ‘love’ or ‘God’—and touches on our fundamental dilemma: Who are we and why do we exist? More than 20,000 people have already enjoyed Gaetano’s earlier offerings in both English and Italian. This book offers the reader a chance to digest messages from ‘higher beings’ for greater understanding of our own personal evolution. Anyone seeking to live a happier, better life, and has felt the desire to undertake life with greater confidence and self-worth, will relish this book.

Yesterday, Gaetano visited Charly Leetham where they talked on the subject of cutting cords, inner child and transparency all with the focus relating to business.

Today, I’d like to share with you a recent interview I had with Gaetano when I got to ask him some questions on his message, reiki and inner child work. I hope you enjoy it.

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Me: Behind every book is a message that the Author wants to convey. What’s the message behind this book, what did you want people to know?

Gaetano Vivo: This is a book of hope, transformation and love. The messages the Angels have for people in these very powerful and changing times are not to be worried or scared or preoccupied about their future. The Earth has to go through this detoxification and expurgation to let out all the debris, in order for us to live in a more enlightened and peaceful Planet.

Me: I studied Reiki to Master level and it helped me massively with my spiritual development. Although I never wanted to become a hands-on Healer, I benefited so much that I believe everyone should at least do their Reiki I. What are some of the benefits you find people get from learning Reiki, regardless of what they do with it?

Gaetano Vivo: From my recent trip to Pakistan where I taught several Reiki workshops, I learned that those people that know little about Reiki were working massively to get rid of depression and anxiety. These two are the most important illnesses that people nowadays can heal with Reiki. Reiki helps all sorts of ailments but mainly it works with peoples’ minds. If your mind is relaxed, peaceful and calm then your body will also be relaxed, peaceful and calm and will never get ill. Reiki is only Love…

Me: Your book contains a lot of information and practices including meditations that help people access and stay connected to their Higher reason for living. You also include work on healing the inner child. Why is the inner child work important to our spiritual development?

Gaetano Vivo: Our inner child is the part of ourselves that we have completely forgotten in our busy lives. I, myself a few years ago, stopped teaching Reiki because I knew that there was something that had to change in my teachings. I realized that my inner child was unhappy about some situations and decided that he would have to become a priority for me and so it was. Once I healed MYSELF, the book came to life. The Angels of Transparency are children angels who are on the Planet today to help us heal our inner child and in so doing heal the world. It is very important because our inner child is like soil, the more we nurture it and feed it the more it brings us fruits, starting from the seeds that we plant in our hearts and the plants that then it becomes…so the more we heal him the more we lead a better life.

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I hope you enjoyed this interview with Gaetano Vivo and that you’ll check out his book Messages from the Angels of Transparency: Powerful Words from Gentle Souls at http://www.gaetanovivoblog.com/book-launch/pages/pre-launch.html

Here’s why:

FREE GIFTS!
When you buy Messages from the Angels of Transparency: Powerful Words from Gentle Souls on Tuesday March 20, 2012:

1. Author Gaetano Vivo will give you over 4 hours of MP3 audio downloads from the Accessing Higher Dimensions Telesummit recently held on March 13th, 14th & 15th, 2012
2. PLUS, Gaetano will send you an invitation to attend a special 1-hour “Inner Child Meditation” led by him in April.
3. AND FINALLY… you’ll also receive a complete library of beautiful gifts from authors, speakers, coaches and other enlightened professionals from around the globe.

To find out how to buy the book and receive these free gifts, go to:
http://www.gaetanovivoblog.com/book-launch/pages/pre-launch.html

Thanks for reading! As usual, please feel free to share your comments and thoughts below. I love reading your feedback.

AND… be sure to follow Gaetano tomorrow when the next stop on the Virtual Blog Tour is Angela Penn, who will share her recent interview with Gaetano on his story, Reiki and Angels. To visit that “stop” on the tour, go to http://littleburstsofinspiration.wordpress.com/.