Life's Passion is Life's Purpose

Keep A True Lent - Day 2

2012-02-23T16:58:00.000-05:00

LIVING THE PRINCIPLES
Keep A True Lent 40-Day Process

Beloveds,

As we continue our daily Lenten process, here is some additional information that will support you over during this sacred time as we prepare ourselves in consciousness for the resurrection of the Christ.

This process is one that is practiced in Unity churches around the world. Here are the suggested guidelines from Keep a True Lent:

Unity believes that we can keep Lent best by denying ourselves not "things" but negative thoughts and feelings. And, through prayer and study, we can contemplate the victorious Christ and attempt to be more like Him.

How to Study

1. Before beginning your day-by-day study, we suggest you read all the chapters preceding the Lenten lessons.

2. Set aside a definite time for prayer and study when you are least likely to be interrupted.

3. Read each day's assignment, beginning with Ash Wednesday.

4. Read the Bible reference given at the beginning of each day's lesson.

5. Answer the questions concerning what you have read.

6. Use the meditation given in the Study Guide.

7. Put the principles of these lessons to work in your life.

The daily Lenten Lesson and study questions follow. Remember that the reading for the day may be accessed online at:http://sacred-texts.com/nth/unity/ktl/index.htm

My prayer is that you will be blessed by what is shared and that you will, in turn share it to be a blessing to others.

Abundant Blessings,

Rev. Beverly
Founder and Visionary Director

Lenten Lesson - Day 2
Affirmation
Read Luke 7:1-17
The science of Spirit is the orderly study of truths formulated in Divine Mind according to the operation of universal law. An affirmation is a positive and orderly statement of Truth. By affirmation we claim and appropriate that which is ours. The Word is the working power of Divine Mind. One will never go down to defeat if in his hour of need he positively affirms the almightiness of God-Mind through Christ, and invokes its help in his behalf. I declare that as a child of God I am now entering the Christ consciousness of perfection. This is in itself an affirmation, the highest I can make. Jesus helped Himself into this high state of being by His use of the spoken word. He continually made the very highest affirmations such as, "I and the Father are one," "All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth." I am joint heir with Jesus to the infinite good of the kingdom, and by the faithful use of my spoken word I claim my heavenly good. Faith is the result of many affirmations. Each affirmation helps to build up a substantial, firm, unwavering state of mind, because it establishes Truth in consciousness. As day by day I repeat and courageously live affirmations of Truth, I come to know that I am opening a channel of intelligent communication with the silent forces at the depths of being; thoughts and words therefrom flow forth, and I realize an entirely new source of power developing within me. I affirm: "Through Jesus Christ I realize my divine sonship, and I am transformed into His image and likeness."

Source: Charles Fillmore, Keep a True Lent, pp.142-143

Further Study

The Lenten Lessons are supported each day by a particular reading in Keep a True Lent. The readings are available online at: http://sacred-texts.com/nth/unity/ktl/index.htm . For each reading, we will share the series of questions to support our daily practice.
Reading Assignment: "Affirmation," page 142; Chapter 10, pages 71-76 Questions:
1. What is an affirmation?
2. What is the result of many affirmations?
3. What is the highest affirmation we can make?
4. What happens when one lives affirmations of Truth? In time of need I will remind myself and declare: "I am God's child, created in His image and likeness. I am joint heir with Jesus Christ to the kingdom of God."

In time of need I will remind myself and declare: "I am
God's child, created in His image and likeness.
I am joint heir with Jesus Christ to the kingdom of God."

The Metaphysical Lenten Season - Day 1

2012-02-23T16:08:00.000-05:00

It is the Lenten Season and people across the globe are thinking about what to "give up" as a sign of their dedication to their faith. For the next 40 days, this blog will be dedicated to a new way of thinking about lent.

I'd like to invite you to join me during this Lenten season is a metaphysical 40-day Lent process. These blog posts, inspired by the daily lessons from Keep a True Lent by Charles Fillmore, co-founder of the Unity Movement and Reverend Beverly Biddle, Founder of World Epiphany Ministries, will give us the building blocks to approach this Lent season with the things we want to manifest in our lives by clearing away from things that are keeping us from our greatest good.

I hope you'll be inspired to take this journey with me!

LIVING THE PRINCIPLES

a transformational ezine

Keep A True Lent 40-Day Process

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the traditional beginning of the Lenten Season. Many people all over the world take time from their normal course of living to imitate the forty days that Jesus withdrew into the wilderness prior to the beginning of His public ministry.

Lent was established by the Early Christian church as the 40-day period preceding Easter Sunday (not counting the six Sundays). The custom has been to abstain from foods, festivities, habits/vices, or other activities. Many have also used this time to engage in a devotional discipline. This has been a time of reflection and taking stock, and, perhaps rededication of oneself to God or Godly pursuits.

Despite the spiritual significance of the season, many have approached Lent as a demonstration of physical endurance through fasting or abstinence from something that may be mildly addictive. As metaphysicians, we have the opportunity to look at Lent as Charles Fillmore, the co-founder of the Unity Movement, did:

we must learn to fast from all unworthy thought and feast on the good and the true

observe Lent according to the spirit rather than the letter

fast from criticism and condemnation and feast in brotherly love

fast from false beliefs in lack and limitation and feast on the truth of God's bountiful good will

Keep a True Lent, p. 5

Each day, we will share the Lenten Lesson from Keep a True Lent . The Unity Institute (formerly the Unity School of Christianity), and Unity Books has not copyrighted Mr. Fillmore's writings. In addition to standard publication, they are freely available over the internet.

These lessons are being shared to support the WE Ministries family in exploring the wilderness of our consciousness -- our hearts and minds, in order to free ourselves of the multitude of "undisciplined and uncultivated" thoughts and beliefs.

My prayer is that you will be blessed by what is shared and that you will, in turn share it to be a blessing to others.

Abundant Blessings,

Rev. Beverly

Founder and Visionary Director, World Epiphany Ministries

Lenten Lesson - Day 1

Read Matthew 5:1-16

Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is so-called from the ceremonial of ashes. Ashes symbolize repentance. John the Baptist came, saying, “Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Repentance means denial; it is a relinquishment and should be made without too much vehemence. Therefore, I deny out of consciousness old error thoughts, as if I were gently sweeping away cobwebs, and I affirm positively and fearlessly that I am a child of God and that my inheritance is from Him. As I follow this rule I find that I am letting go of old mortal beliefs and the Divine within is flaming higher and higher. Its pure white light is infusing all my surroundings with a delightful spirit of wisdom, dignity, and peace. I realize more and more the law of righteous thinking that is bringing me into a consciousness of my perfect dominion. In Christ it is not difficult to eliminate belief in strife and contention. If petty quarrels, jealousy, uncharitable thoughts come into my life, I overcome them by a quiet but positive denial made in the realization that no error has any power or reality in itself. I turn away from the belief in negation, and my thinking changes. I rid my consciousness of limited thoughts that have encumbered and darkened my understanding. I break down mortal thought and ascend into a spiritual realm, the kingdom of the heavens. I the spirit of divine love I affirm: “Forgetting the things that are behind, I realize I am strong, positive, powerful, wise, loving, fearless, free spirit. I am God’s perfect child.”

Source: Charles Fillmore, Keep a True Lent, pp. 141-142

Further Study

The Lenten Lessons are support each day by a particular reading in Keep a True Lent. The readings are available online at:http://sacred-texts.com/nth/unity/ktl/index.htm . For each reading, we will share the series of questions to support our daily practice.

Reading Assignment: "Denial," page 141: Chapter 9, pages 63-70.

Questions:

1. What is denial?

2. What should follow denial?

3. How should denials be made?

4. How are quarrels and uncharitable thoughts overcome?

Bad Times Will Lead You To Your Good

2012-01-02T16:00:00.000-05:00

What where you doing this time last year? Did you make a list of New Year resolutions? How did you do with them? As 2011 washes away and becomes a memory, what will you do differently in 2012 and what lessons have you learned form the past that you will carry over into the new year? I don't believe in New Year resolutions but I covered that in a previous post. Instead of revisiting that topic again (gotta keep it moving) I wanted to explore lesson's learned from years gone by. I'm hoping something I went through will resonate with you and that we all can share our common experience for our greatest good.

In the new year we often look back on where we were and look ahead to where we're going with visions towards a better year. This is a good exercise in self-evaluation and self-exploration. We all need to do some spiritual housing cleaning from time-to-time and the start of the new year is a good time to do just that.

I decided that this year I didn't just want to look back over 2011. Instead, I wanted to take a trip back in time... oh, about three years. Ok... here we go... let's enter the time machine. The year is 2008 and life is really good... for a while.

A little over three years ago my life was a lot different. My television show was canceled and my job as an Executive Producer had come to an end. I was forced to move out of my apartment and to make plans to move into my unrenovated home. A home that had no heat, water or electricity. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my house. My house has been in my family for over 100 years. My great-grandfather gave it to my grandmother, my grandmother sold it to my father for $1 dollar and decades ago my father sold it to me for $1 dollar. My house sat deteriorating for about twenty years due to two major fires and no home owners insurance (don't ask... that story deserves it's own blog post). Thanks to the gentrification of my neighborhood, once a drug and gang infested area, moving into my house became very desirable and I looked forward to settling in. My intention was to move into my house fully renovated and fully furnished. That, however, did not happen.

In the midst of all the changes I was going through, the renovation project went south with a corrupt project manager at the helm. While I tried to work out all the details to finish up the renovations on my house, our family home in Pennsylvania was in the process of being sold, and the bulk of my furniture and belongings that was being stored there had to be moved out. So, I had to move myself, my furniture, and all my worldly possessions into a house that had nothing more than a subfloor and construction dust EVERYWHERE.

Because this test was apparently not enough, while I was making all these plans, my father, my rock, my love, passed away. I was left with a house that was almost... almost done... lacking, lights, light switches, water, appliances, framed windows, toilets... oh the list goes on. There were boxes everywhere along with all my furniture that needed protection from the renovation process. I had to dump every penny I had (and some I did not) into moving into this shell of a house. There was no time for mourning, which was difficult for me because I was and I will always be a Daddy's girl. No, I had to keep it moving. I was reminded over and over, "yes, this is difficult, but you can change your circumstances. Some people have no home. Some people will never have electricity or clean water. This is not the way you wanted this to unfold but this is the way it is." I was challenged to show up and to let the Universe know what I was made of.

As I look back on where I was then and where I am now, I realize that all those challenges and bad things were actually leading me to my good.

Out of the challenges I leaned:

People want to help you and will help you if you are open and receptive
The Creator will give you everything you need but the timely may seem off (know that it is NOT)
We can live on less, with less and I, for one, do not miss the "more"
Miracles happen every day... every... single... day
Faith is real, necessary, and builds you up when you're feeling "less than"

My Dinning Room 2008

When I moved into my house I found out the construction company who had done the first round of renovations not only did a crappy job but had also gone out of business. I dumped every penny into getting the house in some type of order so I could live in it. I mean EVEY penny, I was literally going through change purses. I shut down half the house, lived out of three rooms, cooked on a hot plate, and worked room by room to make the house a home.

Side note: I am forever grateful to my friends who got me through this time:

My relator girlfriend who, instead of selling my house (as a I asked her to do), told me to suck it up, move into my unrenovated home and take my time bringing it back to life. But more than telling me to "not sell" (lots of people said that) she actually got me in touch with contractors who helped me with basic renovations
A life-long college BFF and my big sister who put basic appliances in my house
An ex-boyfriend who but sweat equity in getting my house livable and who me a contractor to get the lights and water hooked up at little to no cost
A very good friend who paid for my architectural plans so the city wouldn't fine me
My life-long college BFF how filled up my little mini fridge
The Master Plumper who gave me... gave me a hot water heater
My very good friend who allowed me to stay in her home while I worked on getting mine ready to move into

Coming back on the other side....

By July of 2009 I landed my dream job. It's the one I have now as a Social Media Specialist using social media for social good. It has taken two years for me to get back on my feet. But here I am today, stronger and happier than I've ever been. I've learned a lot through this process, things I forget when I'm in the heat of the moment and caught up in life's challenges. When I'm at my best this is what I know for sure and this is what I will carry through 2012:

Patience - What ever we are going through is temporary. Change is coming and we must hold on, stay strong in our faith, surround ourselves with people who will help uplift us to our higher good and eventually, everything works out for the best of all involved... this I promise.
Going through the fire - In the moments of perceived adversity our true character is revealed. We can play the "woe is me" record - and even that's OK for a while - but eventually we have to show up. We have to put on our big girl or big boy panties and do the hard work to move past our perceived experiences of lack into our good. I use the word "perceived" because all lack is really an illusion, although in the mist of the fire it feels very, very real.
Being still - When you don't know which way to turn, turn within. In the midst of the silence so much is revealed. Spend time thinking, dreaming, imagining your good. Slow down and get in touch with what you really, really want and focus on this in moments of meditation. Then sit still and be open to what is revealed to you.
Looking toward the future - The past is over, done, finished, and it cannot hurt you. Leave past hurts, pains and "what ifs" behind. Know for sure/for sure that you can have any type of future you want and the Creator wants only the best for you. Imagine your good in your mind first, hold on to the image and don't look back.
Keeping the end in mind - Focus on your end result and on the small steps it will take to get there. Sometimes the task is so big we get overwhelmed with how to get there. Keep reminding yourself of the end result. Take one step a day towards your goal and soon you will arrive at your destination. When I was sitting in a cold house with no heat I saw myself in my beautiful home, safe, happy and warm. I kept focused on that image and it helped me while I was shivering in the cold eating off of a hot plate. I imagined throwing an amazing party for friends in my newly renovated home and it made me smile. I saw the end in my mind and it became my strength and eventually a reality.

My Dinning Room at my Christmas Party 2011

Acceptance - We have to be open to change for it's a coming whether we like it or not. It's hard to let go of ideas and ideals we have of ourselves and others. We get stuck on who we think we should be or what we think we should have. Look, life ain't always easy and there are some real life challenges that can knock us off our mark. But, if we can accept where we are and know that we are all doing the best we can with what we've got, then we can cut ourselves a break and say "it is what it is"... now... whatcah gonna do about it?
Dreams - "Dreams can come true, they can happen to you." Everything the eye can see was once only a dream. The computer you are reading this post on was once just an idea in someone's head. The creators of the personal computer were told there wasn't a market for PCs, yet here we are, living their dream. There is nothing you can think of that the Universe will not provide for you. So, dream... dream often... DREAM BIG!
Faith - The belief in the unseen and yet the knowing... the know and belief in yourself, your vision and your determination. There were times when I was overcome with loss. I couldn't believe I lost my financial security, my father, my "stuff", my lifestyle and I was in a dark, dark, place. Eventually I realized the one thing that I did NOT have to lose was the belief that "this too shall pass" and I could choose to be happy and choose to believe the best is yet to come. Look, here's the thing, you can hold on to gloom or you can hold on to your faith that it will all get better. Why not choose the positive way out. If it doesn't work out for you, the gloom will be there whenever you want to go back to it (but don't go back, OK?).
Gratitude - Being grateful for your good even before it appears is the key that unlocks all doors and holding on to a grateful heart helps your good continue to manifest. When things turned around for me, and again, it did NOT happen over night, I so grateful my heart was over flowing. My heart is still overflowing! When you walk through the fire and come out even better than when you stepped on that first fiery coal, trust and believe, you have no choice but to be grateful. Hold on to that feeling. It will keep you humble in times of prosperity and remind you of your good in times of adversity.

In the end... all the so called "bad" simply leads us to our "good" and I wish you all nothing but good in the coming year!

Looking how far I have come I'm will continue to dream and to DREAM BIG! Because I know how I got from

.... here... to .... here....

My Living Room 2008

My Living Room 2011

In this New Year, what can you claim as your good... regardless of how it is showing up right now?

Passion... a Calling and a Lifestlye

2011-09-08T22:05:00.000-04:00

I've been struggling with the concept of actualizing my purpose in life. I have made a habit of talking to other people about what their purpose could and should be, but I've been having a hard time locking down my true calling. I've been praying, meditating, journaling but I haven't been able to zero in on what I should be doing with my life. Recently, in a meeting with a PR friend of mine, I finally dug deep into my subconsciousness to realize my true passion which is... well.. passion.

From Wikipedia- Passion can be expressed as a feeling of unusual excitement, enthusiasm or compelling emotion towards a subject, idea, person, or object. A person is said to have a passion for something when he or she has a strong positive affinity for it. A love for something and a passion for something are often used synonymously.

Why follow should we even concern ourselves with following our passion? If you do, you would certainly be happier and as a result you would:

Be motivated to start each day with joy and enthusiasm
Trust your instincts
Turn a hobby into a profession
Feel peace and joy
Be able to reinvent yourself into the best that you could be
Do what you love and the money will surely follow

I don't know where this journey in life will take me but I know that no matter what... my passion will lead the way. I'm still zeroing in on the details now... you know... the who, what, when, where questions that I learned in journalism. It may take me a little while longer but I'm confident I'm getting closer to the answers. What about you? What are you passionate about? Or asked another way, if failure wasn't an option and money wasn't a factor, what would you be doing with your life?

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Black Women Bike: DC Bike clinic

2011-07-05T20:31:00.000-04:00

Sneak In A Workout

2011-05-13T13:47:00.000-04:00

I originally did a post of this title there years ago. I'm happy to say that I'm still biking all over the city, walking every chance I get and living a healthy lifestyle... without really trying. I will also admit that my body has gotten use to the biking and walking and I've once again started to pack on some unwanted pounds. But, I'm dedicated to knocking off the weight because I know that losing 10% of your body weight -- or less – can have big payoffs for your health.

I've included my original post to give you ideas on how you can sneak in a workout and in addition, here are five tips for you:

Keep Your Car Parked. With rising gas prices now is the time to figure our how you can do without your automobile. You'd be surprised what you discover in your neighborhood by simply walking to the story rather than jumping in your car.
Think Like A Child: Remember when we use to bike everywhere, jump rope, play ball? Well, you're never to old to do any of these activities again.
Pump Up The Volume: Turn on your favorite upbeat music and dance, dance, dance... like no one is watching.
Make Use Of Your Time: While standing in line at the grocery store... do standing abdominal. When taking a break from work do leg lifts at your desk. Yes, people will stare, who cares! You're goal is to sneak in a workout
Make The Weekends Count. You could go on a walking tour of your neighborhood with friends. Walk to your local garden district and then plant a garden. Explore your cities historical offerings... on foot. Discover a bike trail. Just get our there and MOVE!

I’ve made my commitment to getting fit by simply “sneaking” in a workout into my everyday life. I’ve decided to pretend I live in New York City and I walk everywhere I go. To solidify my commitment… I recently sold my car. I live in an urban city and don’t really need a car. Between sky rocketing gas prices, the cost of my garage and car insurance going up I decided that for the first time since I was 17 years old I would no longer have a car.

Now, I didn’t just jump right in there and do this. Three years ago I started riding a bike to and from work. I soon started using my bike to get all around the city. I actually have two bikes, a café bike to ride around the city and a hybrid to ride on bike trails. Living in the city is great for me. I don’t have to deal with getting a parking ticket and finding a parking space is a breeze. Also, since I’m ALWAYS late for church being able to pull up right at the front door really helps ☺ Oh, and I LOVE the look on the Meter Maid's face when they are placing a ticket on a car and I roll right up and park my bike right in front the church.... such wonderful revenge for all the tickets I've gotten over the years! By the way... what do you call a male Meter Maid???

A while back I took a job that required a long car commute and I actually started to hate to drive. So, on the weekends I would park my car in my garage and refuse to move it. When that job ended I went back to riding my bike everywhere. Soon, I was driving my car less and less. Now, I’m totally car free.

I’m lucky, my city has one of the BEST subway systems in the county. Plus, I have several banks, super markets, health food stores, bars, restaurants, museums, hotels, salons, spas, pharmacies, pet stores, workout studios, theaters, art galleries and movie theaters all in walking distance from my home. What isn’t walking distance from my place is a short bike ride away (of course “short” is relative but for me I’ll ride all day long if I have to). I recently got tickets to a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and guess what… I walked! It took 40 minutes but it was a nice night outside and I got a great workout in. A friend of mine said, “You could have just jumped in a cab”. Yes, I could have but that would defeat the purpose of trying to sneak in a workout now wouldn’t it?

Of course, there are times when I absolutely do need a car. If I’m going away for the weekend or if I need to haul something from a home improvement store I need four wheels. So, what do I do? If I need a car for the whole weekend I have two rental car agencies within walking distance from my house to chose. Also, my city we has Zipcar, a car-sharing company that let's you rent cars of all makes by the hour or day, seven days a week, 24-hours a day. Check to see if there is a car-sharing option in your city.

I know my lifestyle won’t work for everyone, but I challenge you to try to incorporate more walking and bike riding into your lifestyle where you can. Ask yourself “do I really need to drive to such and such place”? Can you walk the 30 minutes or so to your destination to pick up a few things? Why not purchase a cart to carry groceries home? You’ll shop more often but you’ll always have fresh fruits and vegetables and you’ll waste less food because you won’t over purchase (since you won’t be able to drag all those things home when you’re walking home with your cart). Meet friends at local areas of interest in your neighborhood and WALK to greet them.

Invest in a good bike that is easy to ride around town. It should not have many gears and I'd suggest it doesn't have to go up to more than eight speeds. Save your racer bike for the trails. Oh, and don’t tell me that can’t ride a bike, are too old or are afraid to ride in the street. Just think back to the time when you where young and your bicycle was the only form of transportation you had. I think my generation may be the last ones who actually got outside and rode our bikes everywhere. Why did we stop doing that? How did our getting older increase our fear? Decide now that you are not going to give into that fear and just do it.

Look around your neighborhood and find places where you can “play” with your friends. But above all, before you jump into your car, think about being kind to yourself, your wallet and the environment by parking your automobile and getting out to walk or bike to your destination.

Have fun out there this summer... remember... it's as easy as riding a bike! And in honor of Women's National Health Week... we especially need to get out there and ride.

A Birthday Celebration for my Godson

2011-05-01T01:53:00.001-04:00

I've loved my Godson, Aaronn, from the moment he was born. His mother and I have been BFFs since we were students at Howard University and have remained very close over the years.

I recently had the chance to spend some time with my Godson in celebration of his birthday. Now that he's a grown man, I wanted to take a look back and celebrate this momentous occasion. It's so wonderful to have friends who are more like family!

Living Your good

2011-04-16T19:54:00.000-04:00

We’re all in transition — always. Life is a moving target. However, life doesn't have to pass you by. You absolutely can create your own good.

Now, I've said many times that seeing the glass as half full does not come easily for me. I work on it all the time. But what I know to be true is, our thoughts create our reality. That's often hard to hear. We are quick to take credit for the good in our lives but we don't want to admit that we are also responsible for the perception of the opposite of that good. Notice, I did not say we are responsible for the "bad" that is showing up in our lives. I like to claim it "all good" because those difficult, challenging moments in our lives are often the times that bring us closer to our spiritual side and sometimes, closer to our true selves.

This does not mean bad things don't happen. They do. This does not mean you "made" these bad things happen. You did not. However, stay with me on this one... you may have created an act that would teach you a lesson to bring you to your highest good... if ... you're open to learning from the experience. Have you ever heard someone say an illness or disease was the best thing that ever happened to them? Why would they say that? How could they say that something like the big "C" was a good thing? Well, it's in those moments when you realize you could lose your life... that you come to appreciate life even more. Or, what about the person who lost their job and as a result have had several financial setbacks. Well, those who are able to bounce back have often been able to also reinvent themselves and earn a living doing something they've always wanted to do in the first place. You may hear them proclaim, "getting laid off was the best thing that ever happened to me."

The lesson here is to keep it moving... keep it positive... keep living your good. It's never to late to be your best you! Here's some inspiration for you:

Follow Your Dreams - If you don't love your job... do something else! If you're not jumping out the bed on most days of the week with reckless abandonment and an excitement about your day... do something else! Make a commitment to follow your dreams. It doesn't even have to be your career, although that would be great. It could be a hobby that you enjoy. Just do it!
Give Back - Lose yourself in the service of others. Not only will it make you feel good, the Universe will give back to you all that you give. Plus, often seeing how difficult life is for others will humble us and remind us of how good we may have it.
Make Connections - While I love connecting online, there's nothing life real-life connections. Spend time with people who help lift you up and who will see the best in you. It will make you feel good and it will make them feel good also.
Be Good to Yourself - Many of us have gotten really good at listening to the negative recorder in our head that tell us "I can't". Well, turn that off and hit the "repeat" button on "I can do anything." If you don't believe it right away, that's OK. Eventually it will creep into your subconscious and you will become that which you desire.
Tap Into a Higher Power - I'd never tell you what to believe in. I'll just encourage you to believe. Studies show that people who are in direct connection with a belief system that supports a higher power are happier and live longer. There's even science to support that belief in a higher power is an evolutionary asset that helps human survival.

Finally, and I can't emphasize this enough, unplug, dis-engage, get quiet and spend time doing nothing. You can call it getting into a meditative state but I know the thought of having to go through the motions of meditation frightens some people. Instead, I'll ask that you just make time, each day, to sit quietly and ask the question "how can I live my good". Concentrate on this one sentence. Soon it will be revealed to you. When it is, follow your dreams, give back, make connections, be good to yourself, tap into a higher power, get quiet and repeat.

You deserve to live your good!!

Your Inner Fire

2011-03-25T16:24:00.000-04:00

In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ~ Albert Schweitzer

visualfunhouse.com

Isn't it wonderful to know that life has it's seasons? There's a time to speed up, slow down, regroup, fast forward and remain still. Isn't it even more reassuring to know that when needed, we can lean on our support systems to help us through. Sometimes just having someone see our situation through new eyes will give us just what we need to help jump start our cycle of growth and evolution.

I am grateful to all those who keep me inspired and uplift me throughout this thing called life. There are too many people to thank individually... you know who you are... I just want to send it out to the Universe that you all are appreciated.

Ed4Good - Using Soical Media for Social Good

2011-03-08T23:25:00.000-05:00

Today I helped kick off the Dell Education for Good (Ed4Good) social media initiative in Washington, DC at Thurgood Marshall Academy in S.E. The initiative is part of Dell’s SXSW outreach effort in Austin, TX later this week. If you don’t already know, SXSW is a five-day event that brings together the best and brightest minds in technology, social media and innovation. The goal for Ed4Good is to have those of us attending SXSW “bring a little of our hometown with us, doing something great with social media and a local school, while also supporting our community”. In preparation for Ed4Good coaches like myself are teaching social media classes to students across the country to not just show them how to use their web interactions to entertain and engage with friends, but to also “connect, collaborate and build support for important causes”.

I taught my class to an eager group of students taking an elective course on Digital Media Literacy. It seems fitting to use Thurgood Marshall Academy for this particular Ed4Good program. The school’s mission is to prepare students to succeed in college and to actively engage in our democratic society. They serve 390 students in grades 9-12K and you may have seen the school featured on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric in a piece that highlighted their 100% college acceptance rate for graduates from the school.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

As the DC coach for Ed4Good, it was my job to not only teach a social media class but to also help the students develop a strategy to raise awareness for a cause of their choosing. After much deliberation, the students decided we would put our social media efforts behind a campaign against animal cruelty called “UnFURgivable” as in “it’s unFURgivable to be cruel to animals”. Our goal is to have the students and their supporters do enough Tweets, blog posts and Facebook comments to trend across the social web on March 10, 2011. We’ll be working hard to make a difference over the next 48 hours. Then, on Thursday, March 10, just one day before the start of SXSW, Dell will use their new Social Media Listening Command Center to aggregate and monitor all of our community Internet efforts across the country. Dell will use its social media monitoring and measurement tools to identify the best local effort by the nationwide teams and reward the school with the most traction on the web up to $10,000 dollars in prizes.

Here’s where you come in:

Please help our cause by following @unFURgvble on Twitter. Then, on Thursday, March 10, 2011 please RT @unFURgvble as often as possible using the hashtags #WDC and #ed4good to identify our Washington, DC Education for Good efforts.

Spread the word:

Please tell as many people as you can about the unFurgivable efforts within your social networks (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.).

Participation is about:

Students using social media to do good in their community.
A fun social experiment allowing social media folks to play, teach, learn, do good and give back to our community.
Supporting social efforts that interested you.
Knowing you helped students gain bragging rights that they create a trend across the social web.

The students have already started their Twitter social media initiative… see what they’re saying!

Compasion Leads to Forgiveness

2011-02-13T23:32:00.000-05:00

It's easy to love when others are being loving. But can you love when you have perceived that you've been wronged? That's really the challenge isn't it? In a church sermon today I heard something that resonated with me. We are all the same. All of us. If this is true, and I believe that it is, than I should be able to put myself totally and completely in the another person's shoes and love them no matter what. I should be able to forgive them, love them, and release them to the Universe.

Here's a little experiment. What if we put ourselves in another's shoes at the time the hurtful act occured? What if we thought about the feeling that person who "wronged" was going through rather than what they did to us. In fact, forget the act. How did they feel when they acted out? Was the person afraid, insecure, lonely, needy or simply just being self centered? Have you ever felt that way? Come on, be honest, have you? Maybe you would not have responded as hurtful or inconsiderately as the person who hurt you did but you have felt similar emotions haven't you? If you answered yes, then can you have some compassion for the other person?

I have to admit, there is someone I've been angry with for over a year now. I thought I was over it but just recently I found out this person was telling some untruths about me. I thought back to the original offense and then to the most recent one and here's what I found. At the time this person acted out they were feeling neglected and betrayed. I've felt neglected and betrayed before. When they were telling their untruths about me they were actually trying to save face and present themselves in the best light. I've attempted to save face and present myself in the best light. We are not that different, my adversary and I. Knowing that, I'm willing to forgive... really forgive. Now, don't get me wrong, we won't be hanging out buddies and they will never be let back into my inner circle, but I forgive this person because we are... all of us... all the same.

What is Your Vision for the New Year?

2011-01-06T23:11:00.000-05:00

I've noticed the emergence of many "Vision Board Parties" lately. I've been invited to a couple but haven't had the opportunity to attend one yet. Still, I'm so glad that the idea has caught on. I've blogged about the need to use a vision board to help manifest your dreams in a previous post. A vision board is a simple yet powerful visualization tool that activates the universal law of attraction to begin manifesting your dreams into reality. It is a collage of images, pictures and affirmations of your dreams and desires. To get started, you can go through magazines, catalogs, or print articles from websites that support your dream. Start cutting out photos, sayings, and words that support your dream or goals. You can also write your own sayings or take your own photos to add to the board. You can add color, glitter, ribbons and get as creative as you need to stimulate your vision of the reality you want to create.

Once you have a collection of the items that support your dream post them up. I like to use a large poster board that I’ve covered with sayings and photos that support my dream. Originally I placed my vision board in the hallway. I passed it every day, several times a day but soon I stopped "seeing it" and by that I mean, I stopped focusing on the meaning and intent of the entire vision board. Once I moved my vision board into my bedroom, where I could see it upon falling asleep and upon waking. things started to really change for me. However, I've heard stories of people starting a vision board and at some point putting it away, forgetting about it, only to have the things on the board materialize in their lives much later. I'm not sure that is as effective as focusing on the vision of your dream each and every day so I'd encourage anyone who wants to start a vision board to apply focused attention on it's content.

Whether you find a "Vision Board Party" in your area where you can share the creation of building your dream with others or whether you create one on your own, here are some things to keep in mind:

Decide the theme of your vision board - Are you visualizing your career life, personal life or spiritual life? Each one of these aspects of your life could have a very different theme.
Post images that support your dream - Cut them out, print them our or make them yourself as long as the images sure support your dream.
Place your vision board where you can see it - You want to commit your dream to memory and have it become a part of your subconscious so put some place you can focus your attention on as often as possible.
Look at your vision board daily - Focus on the theme, the pictures and maybe more importantly, the feeling the images bring to mind as you see your dream on paper.

Eventually you will see some of the things on your vision board start to materialize. Oh, and don't be afraid to make changes to the board as the year progresses. Take away or add things as your dream for yourself becomes clearer and more focuses.

Here's a snap shot of my vision board that I'll be building on this year. What will you be adding to your vision?

Two Years of Happiness Work Coming Our Way

2010-10-21T11:07:00.001-04:00

I’ve been taking a “Life Mastery – Preparing for 2012” class at Unity of Washington, DC. With all of the dire predictions and the doom and gloom surrounding 2012, we at Unity are working to adopting a positive approach, a way to help ourselves awaken and be more spiritually conscience. We are working with the book Choosing Happiness: Life and Soul Essentials by Stephanie Dowrick. It’s been interesting soul work and after just one week I’ve learned so much about myself. Mostly I’ve learned that I have to pay closer attention to my dominate thoughts. You can’t pray and meditate on abundance and than go through your day living in fear. In this brief time I’ve also learned that you have to pay attention to how you are showing up, for yourself and for others. I’ll be sharing some insights on my blog as I go along but if you’d like to join us you can follow the 2012 Life Mastery or join the Unity of Washington, DC Facebook page.

Some background on the class from our teach and spiritual guide on this journey, Rev. Sylvia Sumter:

Many of you have heard theories about the Mayan Prophecy that speaks of a world of peace and unity that takes place on December 21, 2012. We at Unity of Washington, DC believe this prophecy indicates a dramatic shift in consciousness that will elevate the human race to new levels.

To prepare us for this change, I am presenting a Life Mastery Course: Choosing Happiness. This course is designed to help you enhance your capacity for happiness and also make an immediate and substantial difference in the way you respond to complex, difficult or painful situations.

We will experience community through daily call-ins, blogging, Facebook, seed meditations and journaling.

Rev. Sylvia

2010-10-14T10:05:00.001-04:00

"Trust yourself as a source of happiness" ~Stephanie Dowrick from Choosing Happiness

Getting to Happy

2010-10-13T11:10:00.002-04:00

Wikipedia defines happiness this way: "a state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy". It sounds so blissful, does it not. Who wouldn't choose to be happy then? Yet, many of us search all our lives for this thing called happiness.

We often think material things, the right zip code or the right job will get us the bliss we so desperately seek. It takes a lot of living and a few good old life challenges to know nothing outside of ourselves, not even a beloved, can bring us true happiness. Happiness is our own responsibility.

I'll be taking a two year course at Unity of Washington DC on Happiness. Today is our first course on "Life Mastery - Preparing for 2012". We are working with the book "Choosing Happiness" and will be having in-person classes and online discussion. I'm excited to see what these next two years will bring. You can join us at http://ping.fm/BF7DD

Let's claim our happiness!!

I'm So Grateful!

2010-09-21T15:47:00.000-04:00

I've been doing a great deal of "gratitude" work lately. I've decided to be grateful for my life, regardless of what was showing up. Trust me, everything that was showing up was NOT all sunshine and light. Strike that, it WAS all sunshine and light I just wasn't perceiving it that way. In any event, I decided I would claim whatever was presenting, good, bad or indifferent as "all good". Keep in mind, this is not a natural state for me. I come from a long line of women who worry about everything... be it real or imagined. Yet, when I changed my mind, changed my perspective, my life started to change... just like that. I started simply with being grateful. Wikipedia defines gratitude as such:

Gratitude, thankfulness, or appreciation is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive. The experience of gratitude has historically been a focus of several world religions.

An Ex of mine use to say "perception is reality". It really is. So, what is your reality made of?

History of the Sky: Beautiful Time-Lapse Montage

2010-09-21T15:33:00.000-04:00

Have you stopped to look at the sky today? Have you taken time to marvel in it's creation over the past week or so? If you answered "yes", then you are in for a treat. If you answered "no", you are in for an even bigger treat. In this amazing project, one man photographed the sky every 10 seconds over 146 days and compiled each day into a video this image. Take a moment to take in the greatest of the Universe and in the words of Earth, Wind and Fire, "Keep Your Head To The Sky!"

A Quote To Live By

2010-08-12T17:33:00.001-04:00

God grant me the serenity to accept

the people I cannot change,

the courage to change the one I can,

and the wisdom to know

it's ME.

~Author unknown, variation of an excerpt from "
The Serenity Prayer" by Reinhold Neibuhr

Letter To My Younger Self

2010-08-09T23:35:00.000-04:00

I recently read a blog post about why it's a good idea to write a letter to yourself and specifically your younger self. The premise was to think of what you would want to share with yourself, should there ever come a time when you got a "do over". What hopes, fears, secrets and resolutions would you tell the child of your youth? After reflecting back on the things that took up so much of my energy but really didn't matter, I decided to write my own letter. It's a simple little note of things I'd tell little Danielle.

Dear Danielle,

You are growing up so fast. This time, slow down and enjoy the ride and remember these tips as you go along the way

Stop taking everything so seriously. It's not always about you and even when it is, it's OK because whatever it is you are going through will soon pass.

Do not waste your time with anyone who does not have your best interest at heart.

Learn to love people from afar when they no longer serve your highest good.

Everyone is not going to like you, understand you or want to be your friend and that is their loss, not yours.

Stop worrying so much. Everything, every single thing works out for your greatest good.

Continue to value your friendships, they will be your rock and strength throughout your adult life.

Never apologize for your passion, your intelligence or your drive.

Be more patient... with yourself and with others.

Forgive all and when you don't think you can forgive, forgive some more.

You are talented, focused and creative, never doubt this.

You will always, always, always have to have exercise as a part of your life.

People would do better if they knew better so cut folks a break

Finally, when you break all these rules, and I know you will, dance like no one is watching, sing like you are on center stage, love from the bottom of your heart, laugh out loud, cry when necessary, pray often, take care of your body and dream big!

Stop Apologizing For Who You Are

2010-07-26T16:13:00.000-04:00

I ran across the article below on Intent.com and I had to share it with you. It highlights the practice of being kind to ourselves, even with all of our deep, dark, dirty faults, and loving ourselves regardless of our shortcomings.

Lately I find that I'm often apologizing for the old version of who I use to be. You know, the Danielle that was way too aggressive, opinionated, unyielding, singularly focused and unable to admit I was wrong. I could give you excuse after excuse why I was that way but the simple truth is, I didn't know any better. At least then I didn't. I've grown a lot over the years and I've done a look of "me work". But when faced with people from my past who haven't witnessed my evolution, I find they can only relate to me the way I was 30, 20 or even five years ago. I often beat myself up about it even though I know that if I knew better I would have done better.

Then I ran across this article that tells us there is nothing inherently "wrong" with any of us. I think this is very true and powerful statement. We are all children of God and we are all doing the best we can, where we are, with what we've got. With that, I'm cutting myself a break. Hopefully others will do the same because I'm still a work in progress. If not, that's OK also because my life's journey is about being the best me I can be... not trying to convince someone else of my worth. I am a Child of God and I Am Worthy... period... end dot.

Being able to take responsibility for our impact on others, acknowledge and own our mistakes and shortcomings, and restore trust and connection with the people around us (i.e. what authentic apologizing is all about) are essential aspects of living a fulfilled life and creating healthy relationships.

However, many of us devalue, disrespect, and do harm to ourselves and those around us, by apologizing for who we are in a shame-based way – which usually comes from a place of shame (feeling as though we're not good enough or there's something inherently wrong with us).

Apologizing authentically is about taking responsibility for our actions, our impact, or our results, as an adult. This is called remorse - wishing we hadn't done or said something, and taking actions to address and rectify the situation within ourselves, with others, or both.

Apologizing for who we are is often about us thinking or saying some version of, "I'm bad, it's my fault, or don't hate me," as if we're a child looking for validation or approval. This is a specific example of how shame shows up in our lives. And, no matter how much we might "apologize," when it comes from this insatiable, shame-based place, we're never able to shake the feeling of something being wrong with who we are.

The more we notice that we're apologizing for who we are, the more opportunity we have to look deeper - acknowledge, feel, and express our shame, and in the process begin to heal ourselves in a real way.

While we all have "issues," "flaws," and "challenges" in life - at the deepest level, there's nothing inherently wrong with any of us. Most of us, myself included, spend and waste way too much time judging, criticizing, and being mean to ourselves.

Treating ourselves in this critical way never works - it doesn't help us become better people, it doesn't give us access to more love, power, or talent, it doesn't make us more available for those around us who we want to support - it simply keeps us stuck in a negative story about who we think we are and what we think needs to be "fixed" about us so we can then live the life we truly want to live.

What if we stopped doing this to ourselves, stopped apologizing for who we are, and started honoring, valuing, and loving ourselves in an authentic way?

2010-07-22T00:07:00.001-04:00

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. ~Confucius

2010-07-17T22:50:00.001-04:00

Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching? ~Dennis and Wendy Mannering

Do YOUR yoga on Your time

2010-07-16T21:58:00.001-04:00

Do your Yoga,' not just any Yoga but your Yoga, your participation in your own opposites. Elevate asana to the extreme religious priority, non-obsessive spiritual responsibility and practical means that it is. ~Mark Whitwell

I've been beating myself up because I've slacked off of my daily yoga practice. I've been working out but I've been hitting the snooze button in the morning instead of starting the day with my morning yoga pick me up. I've noticed the difference. I'm not as even tempered as I use to be (which isn't hard for me... I can go off the edge in a heartbeat). My guilt from staying way from the practice has kept me away even more. Crazy little cycle, right?

Mark Whitwell, often talks about not practicing yoga obsessively. I like this idea. It's a hard concept to grab in our more is better society. But I like the idea of focusing on the lessons that are to be learned from yoga and not going through the motions just so we can brag about how often we practice or good we are getting.

I'm going to let myself off the hook and slowly get back to my daily practice on my own terms. Maybe it won't be fist thing in the morning. Maybe I can do an evening practice. I may do yoga every day or five days a week. Either way, I have to let go of my ego and let the benefits of yoga be the focus, not the amount of times I practice or how long I practice. After all, that's just the ego talking and that, of course, is not the true nature of yoga.

2010-07-09T15:38:00.001-04:00

Some people want it to happen, some wish it to happen, others make it happen. ~Anonymous

Waiting In The Silence

2010-06-15T11:39:00.000-04:00

I'm not one to hold my tongue but I've been trying this new thing called patience. Well, new for me anyway. I've decided to wait on my good and not force something that I want to happen to come to fruition. I've decided to pray, meditate and let God's will be done. But, truth be told, I am a control freak and I want... what I want... when I want it. Believing that my abundant good will come to me with ease and without any manipulation on my part I am releasing the outcome to the Universe. This is what I believe we call "faith" is it not. I know I have to power to will things to happen... we all do... and I often find myself marveled at what... in time... actually shows up. So, I sit in the silence now, I release the outcome, I release my attachment to events and I wait. I patiently wait.

My Prayer: "Creator, you know my heart and you know what is best for me. I ask you to take my desires and use yield them to your will. I know things will turn out for the highest good for all involved. And so it is. Amen"

My Affirmation: "My abundant good is all around me and I will yield to my highest good"

My Intention: "I intent to wait for the Creator to show me that which is mean for me, no matter how long it takes and enjoy the silence as event unfold for my highest good"

Everybody should have his personal sounds to listen for - sounds that will make him exhilarated and alive or quite and calm.... One of the greatest sounds of them all - and to me it is a sound - is utter, complete silence. ~Andre Kostelanetz