If you want to make the world a better place, you need to first start with the Man in the Mirror. If you desire positive changes in life, you have to start with yourself. Your reality or immediate environment is reflecting the thoughts you hold in your subconscious. It holds the very life lessons that your soul needs in order for you to evolve.

In akashic record readings for clients, I have found that many of their major life lessons center around opening the heart. The life lessons can be about healing through forgiveness, expressing gratitude or practicing unconditional love. Each requires the client to correct the imbalance around the heart chakra.

Your heart needs to be open if you are to grow. Love is unrestricted, free flowing and pure. You are compassionate and forgiving. When you open your heart, it is an act of courage. It may mean having to confront past traumas, embracing your fears and forgiving yourself and others of mistakes made.

Love is Channeling Universal Life Force

Love is the emotional energy that fuels your human spirit. When you love unconditionally, you become connected to the divinity from within. You channel life force not only to yourself but to others as well. Your positive energy uplifts those around you.

“Consciousness expresses itself through creation.
This world we live in is the dance of the creator.
Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on.
On many an occasion, when I am dancing, I have felt touched by something sacred.
In those moments, I felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists.
I become the stars and the moon.
I become the lover and the beloved.
I become the victor and the vanquished.
I become the master and the slave.
I become the singer and the song.
I become the knower and the known.
I keep on dancing and then, it is the eternal dance of creation.
The creator and the creation merge into one wholeness of joy.
I keep on dancing…until there is only…the dance.”
—Michael Jackson (MJ), in Dangerous.

Unconditional love is the sustenance of healthy, beautiful and inspiring relationships internally and externally. While it was obvious that MJ was able to channel loving energy through his music, he was not able to love himself adequately. He was One on stage; but elsewhere, he was not functioning well.

Keeping Your Heart Closed To Yourself

The root cause to all your dissatisfying relationships begins self. You cannot expect to enjoy truly rewarding relationships with others if you do not first have a good relationship with yourself. You cannot completely love, trust or forgive others if you cannot heal internally.

Your heart is bolted with locks that distance you from feelings. Your defense mechanism kicks in because you have previously been subjected to excessive pain, suffering and fear. In protecting yourself, you now put up a shield. You pretend that everything is fine, hiding the intense pain you feel inside. You put on a mask.

When your heart is shut, it is difficult to experience warmth. Your energy is dense, heavy and cold. A look in the mirror reveals a closed appearance. Your eyes show no joy, your arms are folded and your behavior is contrived. You are disconnected.

Breaking Free of A Closed Heart

If you can understand your true self, you can understand others as well. From their reactions, you understand that they are acting out of a fear-based ego self. You begin to see what they are experiencing is pretty much the same fears, concerns and worries that you have. You no longer feel hurt by external responses but seek to nurture yourself from within. Losing yourself to find yourself is the first step towards personal transformation.

To break free of a closed heart, you first need to practice forgiveness. It is about accepting yourself unconditionally, freely, wholly (If you haven’t done so before, read The Story of the Cracked Pot!). You no longer hold on to blame, guilt or shame. You do not allow yourself to be manipulated by ego. Being in the fifth perceptual position or viewing things from the perspective of Higher Consciousness can provide you with a doorway to breaking free of your limited thought patterns. You now perceive the world through the lens of your soul rather than through your ego.

Releasing yourself from judgment and criticism, towards self and others, you experience a lightness to your being. The dense energy for the negative emotions gets lifted. Opening your heart also does not mean that you do not allow yourself any form of protection when you are being attacked, traumatized or hurt. To stay receptive, ask for divine support and assistance.

Love the Man in the Mirror

“Mirrors are ice which do not melt: what melts are those who admire themselves in them.”
— Paul Morand

Loving yourself is not about being selfish. It is about listening to your heart’s inner guidance for self healing. Opening your heart wholly does not merely mean getting involved in a romantic relationship. It is about an outpouring of an all-inclusive and expansive Universal Love channeled through you. Love is neither conditional nor selective. Your love is not just extended to your family members or friends alone, or dependent on whether there is a reward or benefit from your giving.

It is also amazing that practicing Divine Love brings assistance from unexpected sources from the Universe. You draw more power in resonance to the positive state of your Being. The more attractive you are, the more you are able to draw resources to overcome your obstacles.

By opening your heart, you choose to no longer allow your ego sovereignty. Your Higher Self is the guiding force instead. You have every trust that the intuitive impulses you tune into can best assist you in navigating the terrains of life. You make decisions based on Oneness at all levels, rather than on the feeling of separateness.

And it all begins with Loving the Man in the Mirror!

Related Readings:

1) The Masquerade Play of Life

2) Lose Yourself To Find Yourself

3) The Story of The Cracked Pot

What Do You See When You Hold Up A Mirror?

Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror.
— Kahlil Gibran

Do share what you see when you hold up a mirror to yourself in the comment box below!

If you have not done so elsewhere, do post a tribute in loving memory of MJ and his song “Man in the Mirror”.

Love in Abundance Always,

I thought I would like to share the mind-body-spirit measures that my family and I are taking in preventing flu caused by the H1N1 virus with you today. Over the four weeks in June, not a day would pass without a front page article in our local papers about the swine flu. While the virus is not as lethal as once feared, the number of confirmed cases continued to climb. Concerns heightened even more as kids were due to return to school this week.

I have been compelled to make a few changes in my kids’ schedule, that in turn caused a disruption in my publishing routine to this blog. In coming up with a preferred approach for preventative flu measures, there were a number of factors that we took into consideration. You may like to consider the same too!

Conventional Western Medicine?

Firstly, my husband and I are not too keen on the idea of taking flu vaccinations. Flu vaccines are cocktails of heavy metals and synthetic chemicals. Consuming excessive drugs reduces the body’s defense system. It lowers your immunity. In the long run, your vulnerability to viral attacks also increases.

I prefer to adopt approaches that are holistic for the purpose of strengthening the immune system, rather than on relying on short term measures. Furthermore, there appears to be no guarantee that taking a flu vaccine can fully prevent a H1V1 viral attack.

Mind: Emotional Stress

If you have been following reports in the news diligently about the swine flu, it is not unexpected that you will become alarmed. News about the H1N1 virus hogged headlines every single day in June, or at least in our papers. As a cosmopolitan and pretty open country, we have visitors and tourists flying in from many parts of the world everyday. The fear was importing the virus from an affected country, which eventually became a reality.

What is perhaps most toxic of all, in my opinion, is creating and thriving in an environment of worry and anxiety. Most physical breakdowns have a root emotional cause. Too much worry and stress can wear down your body’s resistance. You also bring about ill health, when you focus on your fears. How healthy the emotional state of your mind is has an impact on your well-being.

Physical Body: Food

1. To fight flu, Vitamin C is vital. If you suspect that you are not already having an adequate supply of Vitamin C through your food and drinks, consider the option of taking additional supplements. Please check with your doctor on dosage and recommendations, before doing so.

2. Drink lots of water. Add a drop or two of fresh lemon juice into your water.

3. Instead of coffee which is dehydrating, switch to herbal teas.

4. If you are brave enough, consider consuming raw garlic cloves. Garlic contains selenium, a natural immune system booster. Alternatively, add lots of garlic into your cooking. Or consider taking garlic supplements.

Physical Body: Herbal Supplements

I paid a visit to my Naturopathic Doctor for a health update last week. As a specialist in the natural health field, he has always espoused the philosophy of using drug-free options. I ended up purchasing a whole range of products including some organic formulations that were mixed specially on the spot.

So that you can check them out at retail stores, here are two ready-to-buy herbal products and supplements that I bought:

1. The Hildegard’s Flu Powder. This “magic” potion contains the anti-viral, anti-parasite and anti-bacteria herb pellitory. What is wonderful is that we can easily sprinkle the powder over our meals. My picky kids do not realize that there has been anything added to their food.

2. MEDIHERB’S Andrographic complex. The supplement is to be taken if you experience the first or ongoing symptoms of flu, sore throat, infection and fever. The pre-mixed herbs are all anti-viral. MEDIHERB’S Andrographic complex is also great to carry with you prior to an overseas trip.

You may, on your own, check with your local practitioner for some recommendations on anti-viral herbal supplements. While good quality supplements may not be cheap, I consider the money spent as an investment to good health. It beats paying expenses for hospitalization or flu vaccinations, if the untoward happens.

Physical Body: Others

The following tips are already widely known but are nonetheless helpful in the overall prevention strategy to the H1N1 virus:

1. Practice Good Hygiene. Wash hands thoroughly after bathroom use. Refrain from sneezing openly but blow your nose with tissue paper.

2. Avoid Crowded Places. I doubt that it is possible to avoid going out altogether. Life still needs to be carried on!! However, it is best to avoid crowded places especially if we are ill. I have no problems with following this guideline since I pretty much do not like crowds. For as long as I can remember, I am not able to last long in shopping centers as I can feel energetically drained.

3. Regular Exercise. Stay healthy through regular exercises. Although my recent vacation was meant to be a relaxing one, I was not merely spending time lounging by the swimming pool. I did aerobics, yoga, table tennis and kayaking during my Club Med holiday last week.

4. Improve Respiratory Health. To combat flu, you may also like to use exercises that improve respiratory health. I am currently looking into the practice of Qigong, an ancient Chinese art form that involves directing the flow of “Qi” or life force energy through breathing techniques and slow graceful movements. The benefits are improved circulation, balanced health and a closer connection to Universe/Source.

Mind-Body-Spirit: Aromatherapy

Burning essential oils for air purification or adding them into your baths are excellent ideas that you can adopt. Oregano, cinnamon and lemon are great for boosting the immune system. They are antiseptic, antiviral and antifungal. Eucalyptus is known to be good for the respiratory system.

Using essential oils can also be great for calming your soul. Light some white candles and play some relaxing music to go along.

Spirit: Shields of Protection

My friend, Nat, reminded me the importance of shielding ourselves with spheres of protection before going out for the day. Nat is an NLP coach and a clinical hypnotherapist who always has a wealth of ideas to share whenever I call him. He suggested using protective shields against swine flu. I thought that it was a good suggestion to teach my kids too!!

There are many ways of visualizing protective shields. A shield in the form of an egg-with-reflecting-mirrors is one that Nat recommended. It will be fun and easy for kids to apply as well. In case you are interested, here are the steps:

1. Take three deep breaths.

2. Visualize that you are in a shield which looks like an egg or a sphere. Your shield is completely sealed.

3. Visualize that the egg or sphere has protective mirrors all round. The mirrors are one-way. You can see the outside from where you are but energies on the outside cannot penetrate in. In fact, with the mirrors, all negative energies are reflected outwards. Hence, all viruses will not be absorbed.

4. Call up this shield at any time by having the focused intent of “I am placing a shield of protection around me”.

Summary and Conclusion

Prevention is the best defense. The preferred approach I am taking is a mind-body-spirit one, that includes using energy work and totally drug-free. In summary, my tips include:

- Reduce Emotional Stress;

- Boost with Flu-prevention foods;

- Take Anti-viral Herbal Supplements;

- Exercise to Improve Respiratory Health;

- Practice Good Hygiene;

- Avoid Crowded Places;

- Use Aromatherapy; and

- Protect With Energetic Shields.

Of course, always stay home to rest if you are coming down with a flu, fever or infection.

Should we be called to action only when there is a threat of an outbreak? Well, taking care of our health is something that we ought to be doing on a daily basis. If anything, the spread in swine flu is a firm reminder to us about not neglecting our bodies. All small measures count towards overall health!

Share Your Tips

What are your thoughts about using flu vaccinations?

Any thoughts to my suggestions?

Do you have any tips that you would like to share on protecting ourselves against swine flu?

I will be off on vacation for the next one week! After a few changes in travel plans, I finally confirmed all arrangements for my family two days ago. My attempts to make travel plans came with affirming lessons on paying heed to intuitive guidance.

I had initial plans to fly to Austria with my two kids to meet my husband, who was there on a business trip. It would be perfect to follow up with a vacation for him, we had thought. However, I kept getting repeated intuitive signs not to make a booking.

I decided to pay heed to these impulses, even though the prospect of traveling to Salzburg again was highly appealing. The last time I was in the lovely picturesque European city was some ten years ago. I had sworn that I would return some day!

(photo by abhijeet.rane)

What do you know??!! My husband was subsequently called up for another series of meetings to attend back in Singapore the following week. Had we booked on Austria, we would be forced to cut short our trip and face a multitude of cancellation charges.

Holidays with happiness appear to be a theme that I have an affinity to. In June last year, I went to Thailand on a Buddhist retreat plus holiday, known as the Happiness Retreat. I wrote one of my best posts on meditation as a result of the vacation. (Readers to my blog would also remember that I went to Hokkaido Japan in December but it was an extended family decision.)

This June, the tagline of the exclusive tropical resort - located in a South East Asian country near Singapore - that we are finally booked on, reads “Where Happiness Means the World”.

Wish me joy, adventure, fun and laughter whilst I pack my sunglasses, swimwear and sunblock for my summer holiday!

Let’s chat when I return, shall we? Comments will be closed till then!

Before I proceed with any further discussion, let me embed the video here for your viewing. (I highly recommend spending the next 9 minutes viewing it :-))

Here are some of my thoughts from the video:

“We are all energetic beings.

We create through conscious thoughts -
Taking delight in the most meticulous of details.

Life is breathed into the delicate folds of a flower -
Love is what inspires us!

Sometimes, illusions are no more separate than reality;
And reality no more separate than an illusion.

We discover ourselves in the Universe we create,
And the Universe discovers itself in us.”

—

Share Your Movie Review

Like it? What is your interpretation of the story?

Update: Oh My….I have just realized that I have forgotten to turn the commenting function on for some discussions on the movie!! Let’s hear it from you, folks!!

Now that you have recognized that perhaps some of your difficulties thrown onto your path are part of a Divine curriculum (from previous posts such as Master Your Life Lessons), you may put yourself in a state of review. In your analysis, you may be tempted to perceive yourself as a complete failure in all your “tests”; especially if you have not managed to transcend the repeated patterns.

Before you proceed to beat yourself up, consider this often quoted Neuro-Linguistic Programming supposition: There is No Such Thing as Failure, Only Feedback.

Success Stories About Failure

What is failure anywhere? Failure is commonly said to be the lack of success. However, this definition offers a narrow, limited and negative perspective. More practically, failure is about giving up and not trying. If you think about it, failure often comes before the success. It is very much a part of the success journey.

Trials are not construed as failures by those who have succeeded. In fact, they are opportunities to get things right. They are stepping stones to success. Learn from the likes of Donald Trump, Abraham Lincoln, Robert Kiyosaki, Michael Jordan and Thomas Edison; amongst others.

Real estate mogul, Donald Trump, had in the past repeatedly filed for bankruptcy. Abraham Lincoln went through multiple business and election failures before he was elected as President. Once extremely poor, Robert Kiyosaki now teaches people worldwide on how to multiply their wealth.

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” — Michael Jordan - greatest basketball player of all time and businessman.

“I haven’t failed, I’ve found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” — Thomas Edison - scientist and businessman - when inventing the first commercially practical light bulb.

Each had picked themselves up and continued trying until they have made it.

How you respond to your challenges can impact your ultimate results. Failure is not about having no success to boast of. Failure is staying down when you trip or stumble. It happens when you give up, shut down or check out. It is when you allow yourself to be called a failure, whether by yourself or others.

“Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it’s not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won’t. it’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.”
– Barack Obama

Have You Really Failed?

When you call yourself a failure, you are essentially judging yourself. You are saying that you are not good enough. If you can take a step back or two, you will realize that it is not true. Engaging in self criticism is the doing of your ego. Ultimate freedom comes when you lose attachment to your ego-centered self and embrace your situations with plenty of love, grace and patience.

Trails present not to hurt you. They are there simply to help you grow. An understanding allows you to realize that your perception is just a representation of the actual situation. Your internal map is not the world. And perceptions can very well be flawed, when your mind is clouded and cluttered and your ego, inflated or deflated.

Obviously, it is not possible to rid yourself of your ego. Your ego is what has been bestowed on your soul for its advancement. Hence, you need to recognize the ego for what it is – essentially a tool or an aide for classroom learning in the school of life.

Rather than living a largely unaware existence, your intent is to create the life you want. It is about making conscious choices. You choose to put your Higher Self in charge rather than let your ego rule. You take the lessons for what they are and move on. If you give in to the ridiculous demands of your ego, life becomes an endless game of fear and survival.

Life As A Journey of Feedback

It is your reactions to your endless trials that help you develop a deepened consciousness about life and who you are at source. Your responses to the life situation at hand provide a good gauge of what your strengths and weaknesses are. You lose your resistance, indignation and fear.

If a major catastrophic event presents itself, then understand that it is because your soul is ready for the next level of growth. So, you respond to the situation with grace. You meet your most difficult trial-to-date with courage.

A lightened perspective to things is also helpful. You laugh at the idiosynchrocies of life. You go “aha” when you catch yourself (or more rightly your ego) acting out in melodrama yet again! You smile knowingly of how you are being nudged by your spirit guides to look into specific areas for spiritual growth that you have overlooked previously!

Conclusion

I love this quote by Oscar Wilde….

“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”

It helps me put a positive reframe to my perspective of my challenges. There is no such thing as failure, only feedback. We learn as much from failures as we learn from successes.

(a photo shot that I took at Jacob Ballas Singapore Botanic Gardens)

Each trial in life is a lesson towards a greater evolvement of self. Each crisis is an opportunity to practice more love, compassion and care. Each of the exercises is placed on your path for a chance to be your Divine Self. Our major lessons revolve around living harmoniously with every moment of life, with temperance of the ego.

“Love the moment. Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed.” — Corita Kent

Lastly, it helps to know that you are never alone when you go through your so-called trials. You can always call for spiritual assistance. Your call is made with an awareness of your Divinity. Your guides and angels are always available to help you. Be open to receiving with open arms, when Universal support comes.

Share your Feedback

Any thoughts about the topic of “failure”? Do you have any personal inspiring stories to share?

“The Warrior of Light does not worry that, to others, his behavior may seem mad.

He talks out loud to himself when he is alone. Someone told him that this is the best way of communicating with the angels, and so he takes a chance and tries to make contact.

At first, he finds this very difficult. He thinks that he has nothing to say, that he will just repeat the same meaningless twaddle. Even so, the Warrior persists. He spends all day talking to his heart. He says things with which he does not agree, he talks utter nonsense.

One day, he notices a change in his voice. He realizes that he is acting as a channel for some higher wisdom.

The Warrior may seem mad, but this is just a disguise.”

Except from Warrior of the Light: A Manual by Paulo Coelho, author to the million-copy bestseller “The Alchemist”.

It is the start of the June school holidays. I have been taking the opportunity to meet up with some of my old friends, with kids in tow. Over coffee chats, I suspect that some of my friends think that I have gone insane, when I update them as to what I have been up to.

They would ask with an incredulous look on their faces. Their questions: Akashic readings, what’s that? You actually clear negative entity attachments?

Other typical responses: Can you make money from readings? Is it enough to pay you compared to taking up a full time corporate job? Surely, the way to making decent money is by working hard in an office right?

And then of course, short of telling me upfront that I have gone insane, they say: It’s hard to believe all these woo-woo stuff!

Well, here are my views about insanity….

1. Madness is a matter of perceived reality.

“Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.”
— Angela Monet

2. Madness is about not being in the present.

“It is not the experience of today that drives us mad; it is remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.”
— unknown

3. Madness is when you choose to ignore your intuition.

“Intuition comes very close to clairvoyance; it appears to be the extrasensory perception of reality.”
— Alexis Carrel

4. Evolvement is about doing things differently.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
— Albert Einstein

Have an Insanely Awesome June!!

When life is demanding, it can be difficult to adopt a perspective that is wise. Your life situation takes center stage. You are more likely to be preoccupied with thoughts on how to deal with the ongoing drama. You are identified with your ego-centered self. You cannot help but blame everything and everyone for the situation that you are in. Yet, it is in the trials – big and small - that life presents you with the greatest opportunity to evolve.

Recognizing Life Lessons

To name a few, trials can be in the form of disappointments, betrayals, abandonment, or upsets. They usually present to help you understand about your ego, to develop an awareness of your spiritual aspect and/or to live harmoniously with the natural laws of life.

However if you have been pretty much unconscious, you may fail to recognize that there is a lesson when life presents you trials. You put up a struggle. You remain obstinate, unwilling to concede that you need to take a step back or two to view the reality of the situation you are in.

Repeatedly ignoring the patterns can also set you up for a bigger life lesson to go through. Often enough, realization that you are out of balance strikes with a major event such as a life threatening health issue, a bankruptcy or any disaster. It has been proven again and again that many physical symptoms have a history of emotional built-up. (More about this later in a future article).

Trials Big and Small

It is also ironical that many of us choose to respond more favorably when life present a global crisis compared to a personal one. Humanitarian efforts are organized immediately to provide assistance. Groups come together for healing prayers. Hearts open, compassion flows. Everyone bows their heads and hold hands regardless of race, nationality or color, in acknowledgment and surrender to a Higher Order.

However, needed classes for your soul development are not always on a grand scale. In fact, the ones that are most challenging are the ones where your personal ego is at stake. It is the smallest things in life – your daily irritants, frustrations and upsets. You may not realize it but these are all the small little “tests” presented for your soul development. Your emotional reactions are indications that you are not in alignment with your true Being. But really how many of us use our reactions to examine ourselves?

It is also possible that you have been doing all the “right” things and yet are made to encounter a negative major event. Say for instance, you have been eating healthily and attending Sunday School for years. However, a recent diagnosis show that you have a severe medical condition. At this point, you may experience a sense of injustice. You complain bitterly. You may be tempted to lose your faith. God, it appears, has forsaken you!

Yet, it is precisely because you are at an essential point in your sacred learning curve that life throws in an unexpected challenge for you. Consider how it is like in any class that you take. There can be difficult questions to make sure that you have thoroughly understood the lessons involved. It is the same with the school of life.

Learning As A Series of Progression

Your soul evolves in progression, as you transcend over your trials, irritations and frustrations.

What if there someone holds up your time by his or her unthoughtful gesture?

What is no one holds the lift for you even though you are carrying bags of grocery?

What if the waiter keeps getting your order mixed up?

Ok…what about the example of a driver who cuts into your lane without prior proper signals?

I was looking for stories for inspiration when I came upon this testimonial in a book that I was reading. The testimonial was submitted by a man who confessed to once being a person who cursed and swore; and had no qualms about tailgating other drivers should they make the mistake of cutting onto his path. His soul progression was clearly illustrated by what he wrote…

The way I react to things has changed, too. Over time it’s all changed. Looking back on it I realize it’s been a progression.

At first, I’d be driving along and someone would cut me off and I would still call them a name but I wouldn’t make as big a deal about it.

Then, as time went on, someone would cut me off and instead of shouting at them I’d say “Well, maybe they didn’t see me,” when I knew they did.

Then it became, “Well I hope they don’t get in an accident.”

And then, instead of getting upset, I’d send them a blessing and say to myself, “I hope they get where they’re going safely.”

— Ho Jun Kim, Houston, TX from Born A Healer by Chunyi Lin.

In a singular situation, Jun Kim demonstrated how he grew from being an angry and vindictive driver to a driver who understood unconditional love, compassion and oneness. His sending of blessings to anybody who has “wronged” him is certainly inspirational, don’t you think?

Any Case Studies To Share?

Where do you draw your life lessons from? Do you have any examples of soul progression to share? How did you evolve from the angry, bitter and negative person that you once were to the peaceful, loving and compassionate person you now are?

The Warrior of Light views life with tenderness and determination.

He stands before a mystery, whose solution he will one day find. Every so often, he says to himself: “This life is absolutely insane.”

He is right. In surrendering to the miracle of everyday, he notices that he cannot always foresee the consequences of his actions. Sometimes he acts without even knowing that he is doing so, he saves someone without even knowing he is saving them, he suffers without even knowing why he is sad.

Yes, life is insane. But the great wisdom of the Warrior lies in choosing his insanity wisely.

The above except comes from a book Warrior of the Light: A Manual written by Paulo Coelho, author to the million-copy bestseller “The Alchemist”. “Warrior of the Light” contains short messages that translate to lessons on handling difficulties, embracing life and rising to your destiny.

Who is the Warrior of the Light?

You may then ask, who is a Warrior of the Light? Here is the description from the book…

You can recognize a Warrior of the Light by the look in his eye. Warriors of the Light are in the world, they form part of the world and they were sent into the world without saddlebags or sandals. They are often cowardly. They do not always act correctly.

Warriors of the Light are wounded by the most foolish things, they worry about trivialities, they believe themselves incapable of growing. Warriors of the Light sometimes believe themselves unworthy of any blessing or miracle.

Warriors of the Light often ask themselves what they are doing here. Often they find their lives meaningless.

That is why they are Warriors of Light. Because they fail. Because they ask questions. Because they keep looking for a meaning. And, in the end, they will find it.

Hmmm…..Recognize yourself?

Peace,

]]> http://www.attractionmindmap.com/life-lessons-by-warrior-of-the-light/feed/ http://www.attractionmindmap.com/life-lessons-by-warrior-of-the-light/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/attractionmindmap/~3/aZf_PZwZRwc/ http://www.attractionmindmap.com/master-your-life-lessons/#comments Mon, 25 May 2009 12:17:44 +0000 Evelyn http://www.attractionmindmap.com/?p=1508
(photo by Avolore)

Your soul attends lessons in its physical incarnations. One such school where lessons are held is Earth. If Source is Divine Love, your soul can only know itself through experiences of joy or even pain and suffering. Your soul evolves when you are able to master your human experiences. In the physical form, you grow from being an ego-centered, limited and negative individual to one who is spirit conscious, free and divine in your expression.

Earth is a place where souls come together for a journey of experiences. It is where you and I can serve each other as teachers and students. It is a wonderful plane to be in. It is where you can obtain feedback about the choices you have made. If you have made unwise choices and not managed to learn from your life experiences, your soul returns lifetime after lifetime to go through essentially the same lesson. (Energetic information about your life lessons can also be obtained from your Akashic Records since they contain every word, thought or action.)

School Curriculum on Earth

Prior to incarnation, you decide on the “subject” you hope to learn. From the time you are born, you will draw learning experiences to yourself to enable you to progress through your chosen life lesson. If you get “stuck” and are not able to progress, you will find yourself having experiences of the same lesson repeatedly.

Earth is known as an opportunity school. You get chances over and over again to retake the same tests. Sometimes you may not be able to recognize these tests because they are presented in different forms. However, they essentially revolve around the same learning that you need to gain mastery over. It is also possible that you carry forward a specific life lesson into future lifetimes, if you are not able to complete what you need to learn in one.

Findings are also often that your soul will also choose to incarnate with those with whom you have been facing challenges with. In client readings, it is not uncommon to find records of betrayal, abandonment and trauma across lifetimes. Where lessons are mutual between two souls, roles can get switched for different lifetimes for the same class. The betrayed in one lifetime can also be the one who betrays in the next. The hurt becomes the bully in the next. The victim becomes the attacker. Or, it is also possible that both souls betray, hurt or abandon each other in the same lifetime.

Lessons are completed when souls graduate from the said class lesson in the physical dimension. Completion with just a “pass” grade in one lifetime may mean that you need to sit the test again but at a secondary level in your next lifetime. In short, a primary lesson becomes a secondary life lesson in the next. As you move up the ladder of consciousness, your soul evolves.

Passing Life Tests

Passing life tests starts with realization. You realize what your life lessons are about, in the challenges that life poses. You ask yourself what repeated patterns you see that are played out in your various life aspects: family, relationships, career, play, health and physical environment? What is the similar theme? Is it about abandonment, betrayal, shame, guilt, loss, rejection, struggle, etc?

Awareness is critical in understanding the truth and the reality of your experiences. Your awakening is the key to shattering your previously tightly-held false beliefs, perceptions and ideas. You realize also that you are not your story. Your essence lies in what-is-not.

In simple terms, you no longer react badly to difficult life situations. Your reactions move from negative to neutral and then positive. Previously viewing a negative event as a difficulty, you now perceive it as a challenge. Finally, with an even deeper understanding, you are able to use the event as a valued opportunity to learn important life lessons. You experience a change in paradigm.

You understand that your school tests are probably mirroring the thoughts you have inside. If it is fear that you hold inside, it will be a test that teach you on courage. If it is about a sense of rejection, then the test will be a lesson on unconditional love. If your thoughts are about struggle, then the test will be teach you about divine abundance. Through your state of Being, you constantly adjust your energetic vibrations until you are able to experience more and more positive outcomes.

You are no longer the life story that your ego has been saying you are. You give up the drama, the role of the helpless, traumatized and miserable victim that you have been playing up to. With continual practice, you get better and better in dealing with difficult situations. You now live in grace, peace and harmony for all there is. You are on top of your life lessons. You come tops in your school exams.

Graduate With Flying Colors

Ultimate life lesson mastery is when you do well in your school curriculum. You graduate at University Level with a PHD. I believe that the certificate awards you with an “enlightened” accreditation as well. Your certificate is kept in your Akashic Records. The truth of your Being is available for all to come to know. The entire Universe is in cosmic celebration with the mastery of your soul.

Graduating with flying colors involves living your Highest purpose. Your purpose on Earth is one of carrying out unselfish acts of serving humanity. You serve meaningfully. Through embracing your spiritual self, you embody the highest human potential to everyone else. This means that you are in total alignment with Divine Love, Light and Truth. You are at peace with your every moment of now in the physical dimension. You are the living expression of all of Divinity.

More On Life Lessons

I am moving on to writing a series of articles on life lessons, after my posts on ego. My thoughts are that adopting a bigger perspective to your current life situation allows you to choose your reactions differently. You are in better charge. Life becomes less of a struggle and more of a joy to live in.

My questions to you are: What is your current life situation about? Notice any repeated patterns? What classes are you currently taking?

Peace,

Now, Dragos has a tremendous zest for life. His fire has never failed to get me up and going!! I stand to attention every time I receive an email from him. I am therefore most honored to do a special feature today written by him about starting a business. Who else to learn from but from someone who has successfully set up a business, sold it and then bought his own freedom? He has lessons that we can all benefit from in terms of energy, focus and authenticity.

This article is part of a series about the 7 ages of a business, an entrepreneur perspective, initially published at Dragos’ site. The remaining 6 articles are published as guest posts on other 6 fine personal development and business blogs. You will find links to them at the end of this article.

Everything Is Possible

The enthusiasm stage of your business, the first and most spectacular, is the stage in which you think everything is possible. You don’t give too much attention to cash-flow, clients or strategy, all you do is enjoying the fact you’re starting it up. You are happy because you’re your own boss.

The bright side of this is that you will be full of energy.
The down side of this is that you will be full of energy.

Ok, let me explain: being full of energy will make you extremely available. You’re ready for anything. You’re up to any challenge. You’re eager to implement your ideas. During my first weeks of entrepreneurship I barely remember how it was to sleep. All I remember was a continuous flow of euphoria.

But being full of energy also meant I had a hard time releasing it into a coherent strategy. I thought that that flow of jubilation will be enough for making things happening. Which was not the case, I assure you. You need much more than enthusiasm to create a business, although enthusiasm is a key ingredient for this pie.

What To Avoid

During this stage your business is quite fragile. A bad decision, a wrong move or even a risky expense could ruin your future development. Here’s what you should avoid:

Starting Too Many Things At Once
It’s so easy to get caught in the carousel of “I can do this too”. Don’t. Stick with your initial ideas, and if you need alternatives way to get to it, restrict them to the minimum possible. Example: if you want to create a network of websites but you need money to buy hosting, content and pay your staff, you can start a side business for web programming. But don’t expand too much in this, just use it to pay your bills in the beginning and be ready to quit anytime your network will be self sustained.

Overspending
You have no idea what your business will cost you in the beginning. You can make projections, scenarios and assumptions, but none of them will work. So, keep a low budget on everything. Don’t buy expensive equipments just because somebody sell them. Don’t overpay you staff just because you’re afraid to lose them. The first period of your business will need little if no cash at all, from my experience.

Getting Burned
In the first age of your business, the excess of adrenaline will make it difficult for your body to assess its real level of fatigue. Being fueled with enthusiasm will make you believe you can run forever. I have a news for you: you can’t run forever. You have to closely watch your body and acknowledge its signals. Sleep, eat well and don’t double your work hours just because you think it will make your business grow faster.

What To Do

There are several things you can insist on during this age, things which will help you in the next phases, if carefully done.

Day Dream
Might sounds strange but it’s very important to keep a clear image of your goals during this stage. Allow yourself to day dream, to picture in your mind your ideas, to visualize your outcome. The more you’ll do it, the more you’ll free your energy from outside distractions. Day dreaming about your business goals in this phase proved to be one of the key factors of my success later on.

Research
Try to channel your extra energy into research. Read about your niche, find similar business on the internet and try to learn from them. Meet new people and start conversations about your topics of interests. The initial enthusiasm of your business can be tricky in the sense of giving an unreal feeling of knowledge. No, you don’t have business knowledge yet, but you can acquire it.

Assess
Keep a journal. That’s the easiest way to assess your success. Being caught in the initial flow of your business processes can become draining. I remember I wrote about 5-6 large paper word books in the first months of my business. Reading them years later was an enlightening experience. Keeping a journal to assess your progress is the simplest and most effective message you can send to your future self.

From Enthusiasm To Naivety

Speaking of your future self, there will be many phases for your business. The next one, the naivety business age, is also one of the most interesting. But before getting there you must consume your initial phase. How much it will take? Difficult to say. For me, the enthusiasm age was about 2-3 months, but I saw other fellow entrepreneurs who did it in a couple of weeks.

I don’t think this phase - as any of the other phases described in this series - is good or bad in itself. Nor is any phase better than other. From my personal experience, you have to go through all of them to get the most of your efforts. And each one is rewarding in its own way. I keep a very warm memory of my initial, enthusiastic business phase, although I made a lot of mistakes (including the ones I told you to avoid in this post).

You can find the next 6 ages of your business on these fine personal development and business blogs:

The Naivety Business Age
The Attention Business Age
The Maturity Business Age
The Expansion Business Age
The Leadership Business Age
The Exhaustion Business Age

Thank you, Dragos, for giving me the opportunity to publish the very first post of your 7-part series!

Abundance always,