My Crowquill

Turned a Scrap into a Craft

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 04:44:00 +0000

The great thing about crafting is that once you start doing and then loving it, your mind opens to manifold ideas. These ideas start crowding the imagination that summon you to realize them and excitedly, you just want to do it. In the beginning you don't care about perfection. All you care is the desire to create.

Three scraps of 3/8"plywood were sitting in the closet waiting for a project to be made. Presented with a material and with the confusion of so many ideas, I had to resort to my effective narrowing crafting steps: http://www.mycrowquill.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-first-craft-was-my-first-sale.html. The plywood was a rectangular shape. I wanted to make a wooden box but I didn't have the tools, so I figured to make a wall decoration out of it. I can not paint and ply is not the right wood to carve on so I ruled them out. Instead, I thought of a useful accessory that can be attached to it.( Take note that the five underlined words described the design of my project. ) I scrambled into my available resources and found canvas totes from a previous project. The front of the totes were silkscreened while the backs were plain so I utilized the plain sides to make the accessory. With all the major materials ready for the set up, I had to pick a client that suited the project. Definitely, the person who loved style organizing his/her kitchen.

The making took two days including the drying time. Below was the procedure.

First, I made sure each side of the wood was straight. The wood was used and distressed showing off evident nail holes, rough texture and minor paint stains. These were not issues at all because the wood had to be painted over anyway plus moldings covered the holes.

Second, my boyfriend Kevin is an artist. He painted a faux finish that resembled a wood grain.

Third, I measured and cut the moldings around the plywood. Even better, included the front that served as a boarder. The tool I used here was a miter box with a saw. All angles were at 45 degrees.

Fourth, I upcycled unused canvas totes and made them into three 4" x 2" x 6" mini bags with a thin cardboard lining.

Fifth, I painted the moldings and stenciled rows of dragonflies in an alternate in/out position. I let the paint dry before I nailed the moldings to the ply. Then, I brushed the entire wood with polyurethane finish for long lasting protection.

Sixth, I designed the bags with cut utensils out of copper foil. Three different utensils were glued to each bag. I used both glue and screws, to fasten the bags securely to the wood.

Lastly, I covered the back with a brown paper and attached hooks on each side for hanging accessibility.

I was very happy with this project and made another one with a similar design (https://www.etsy.com/listing/159542780/handmade-multi-purpose-wall-decor?ref=listing-shop-header-2). With the last plywood, I made it into a mail organizer which will be featured on the next blog.

Ah! Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 19:37:00 +0000

Like a child waiting, I get excited when the clock strikes 1:00 am. Fifteen minutes prior, I change into my fave comfy outdoor clothing, jeans and tank top. I sit and relax with my mobile next to me waiting for a text that says "Hi love, I'm at Yankee". That's my cue! I get up, wear my boots, take one last look at the mirror making sure my man finds me attractive when I meet him halfway towards the train station.

Since moving to the Bronx, walking with Kev to the train station and meeting him halfway when he comes home have become a daily habit. The walk takes approximately 10 minutes. During that short period, we talk about anything from random person's silly outfit to a serious political issue, whatever thought that pops out at the moment. At the top of the train station just before he swipes his metrocard, we kiss and wish each other a good day ahead. At night, when he comes home, I meet him halfway and we talk about how the commute went and how work had been.

Everyday to work he carries the same satchel and lunch bag. But when he comes home, he carries extra, a long stemmed red rose. Once a month, he brings me a bouquet of roses. I always feel special. I feel so much love. The thought that he has to stop by the flower shop at around midnight before he walks into the subway to his transfer train, protecting my rose while standing in a packed commute, that thought makes me think, what have I done to deserve this love and what can I do more to make him feel the way he makes me feel? Growing up, I have observed how my mother and grandmother care for their spouse. They do it passionately. Their patience, being consistent with their care tells me that is true love. They have kids, work, house and themselves to attend to but they put their spouse on top of the list. Learning from them, I want to love like that. I want to love passionately and endlessly. Believe it or not since I was little, I consistently ask and pray for the same three things. To love is one of them. What I have now is an answered prayer. I don't ask for it anymore, I give thanks for it everyday and pray for it to last. By the way, I still get excited every time I get a rose. Funny thing, I notice these beautiful meek creatures also have insecurities. I'm telling later.

So recently, I'm not only getting a rose but also a delightful treat. I wonder if he is loving me more? Then, if he loves me EVEN more, does that mean I get an 8" cake three to four nights a week? Ah, those silly thoughts!! He said, it makes him happy seeing how my smile brightens when I look at the delicious treat. How fast I can finish that cupcake is remarkably outstanding. I can compete and most likely win a sweet tooth competition! I did once against three males thrice my build, I can do it again! The delightful treat that makes me behave like a little girl is the red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting. He gets it somewhere in midtown Manhattan next to the flower shop where he buys my rose. He is a regular customer there now that according to him, the week when he was sick and had to come straight home, the vendor asked where he had been. I guess he is their expected midnight customer.

Always at night on my way to meet him, I scan through the faces of people walking uphill from the train station. When I see him, I look at his face so our eyes meet. Lately, after I spot him, my eyes travel farther down to search if there is a white plastic bag hanging next to the lunch bag before I lock my sight back to his face. I'm giggling realizing how this little cake makes me feel so childish. One Saturday, Kev brought me to the bakery where he gets the cake, there were a lot of mouth watering beautifully sliced cakes but I only delight on this red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting! Another good thing is that Kev doesn't have a sweet tooth so I have no one to share it with. Thank goodness!

The Plot

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 08:45:00 +0000

At a certain point in your life, have you realized to stop walking on the path that you are promenading and start looking up towards what is ahead on the road you are trekking? Most of us enjoy the moment and cease to think about the future. When the moment feels good, we always keep that momentum. However, is that momentum driving you to the direction where you want to be or you are letting the bliss of the moment take you wherever come what may? Do you want to be in control or let the moment control you?

Today, I come across an article about 'screenwriting'. It discusses the basic 'how to do's' along with some examples on how to write a story following an outline. I could be politically wrong defining screenwriting as story writing similar to book writing that is carried out in a motion-picture. Anyway, my point here is not to be a screenwriter but the structure in screen writing described in the article is applicable to real life. If I author my book, this will be the reference of my story.

Following the basic outline from the article, I use my own story to complete the character (written in blue) and I come up with this:

Situation: While building the business and keeping a healthy and happy relationship,
Character: I
Objective: want to achieve financial freedom while keeping a harmonious and loving relationship with my partner. However,
Opponent: pride, ego and fear always interfere that sometimes
Disaster: the fear of failure and financial insecurity push me to be aggressive and innovative. Other times, the frustration keeps me from moving forward. In the
process, I redefine pride and ego by humility and self-discovery.

Above is the backbone of my story. The drama happening within the story follows a sequel of rise and fall, and the subsequent course of events become the soul of the story.

The article narrates two phases: rising phases and falling phases. The rising phases include: goal, conflict and disaster. The falling phases are: reaction, dilemma,decision. Thoughtfully, I elaborated:

Goal: Achieve financial freedom; enjoy a healthy and loving relationship; and preserve
peace of mind and happiness
Conflict: Learning the game of business through research, experiment, risk  and social organization
Reaction: Fear of risk, disappointment; failure; impatience to achieve it sooner and
becoming hopeless after several attempts
Dilemma: Should I quit and settle to what is financially convenient working for a boss,
compromise time being with the spouse and still be uncertain of the future?

OR
Don't give up, keep going and learn in the process. Work with the spouse, dream
together, encourage each other and be able to spend more time together. The
future is uncertain but taking a noble risk leads to self-discovery and the
potential of becoming great. The best part is knowing that I am not alone in this
journey.

Decision: To make the next 2.5 years in New York the most noble life changing event.

After writing down the situation, objective and conflict of my story, I realized what I want. I know that it is possible to achieve the goal and I already made my decision on how to to deal with the dilemma of the conflict. The most important task now is to face the conflict with a positive attitude. Writing these down help me understand the crisis clearly and more than it is motivating, it is also therapeutic. This journal will remind me to take control of life when problems start to take over me.

If my writing makes sense, I recommend anyone to do the same and write his own story line and work on a day to day journal.

Featured Artist

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 01:38:00 +0000

Kevin Corcoran, The Artist

The Artist's Paintings & Drawings:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HXVC0Bw4iI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM-idJg4_UY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZJawvSBox8

HER Craft

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 20:32:00 +0000

" The journey awakens the soul " keepsake chest. Its a great treasure chest to keep memories and diary of life changing quotes/poems and events that serve as a constant reminder of life's beauty and purpose. The treasure chest is a beautiful wedding gift chest for a couple whose starting a life journey as soul mates or can also be an elegant keepsake gift chest to an individual who loves to collect soulful treasures.

All naturally hand designed recipe box is hand carved on the sides, top and front. The twisted pair of spoon and fork with a curled tip design is slightly indented and burned to permanence. The label "Bon Appetit" in a cursive fashion is carved and burned in. The over all design has a homey, worn-out & antiquated feel yet possess unique elegance.

This box, however, is not only limited to a recipe box,but can also be a pastry box. It's perfect to keep your baked mini pastries to bring out to the patio or garden along with your tea or coffee. It can also be a useful gift box to put in baked treats/ candies to give to friends and family.

From exterior wood color to interior design, every detail is artistically made by the hand, transforming an ordinary wooden box into an old and rustic treasure chest. The vibrant green patterns are imperfectly hand painted to blend naturally with the dull and tarnished brown exterior of the wood. The over all theme is a Vintage Memory treasure box for old pictures, cards, love letters in any occasion from special persons.

Every detail is artistically made by the hand, transforming an ordinary wooden box into an elegant chocolate brown and gold layer treasure chest sprinkled with gold dust flower design on top. The chic design is imperfectly hand painted with a smooth shimmering finish. The over all classy wrap resembles to that of a tiramisu slice. This Tiramisu Inspired treasure case, though not limited to, is a perfect gift suggestion for a chic who loves tiramisu.

This box will make a beautiful, unique and useful gift box for your girl friend and family. Why wrap your gift if you can box it and let her keep the box as a keepsake memory box.. Make your gift special with this one of a kind wooden box.

The wood is distressed and hand carved with a picture of a nude woman decoupaged on top. It's sealed with a clear satin protective finish. The Inside top and/ or bottom of the box will be covered with your personal message which you will give to me before it's being mailed. If you want it plain, no problem. :)

From exterior to interior wood finish, every detail is artistically made by the hand, transforming an ordinary plain wooden box into a home-feel family recipe label box. The vibrant green vine leaf patterns are imperfectly hand painted to blend naturally with the earth-brown exterior.

This handmade mini journal is multi-functional: a notebook, a sketchbook, gift tag, door tag etc. Each page is detachable for various uses and can be hung in different styles.Take this with you everyday for any inspiring subject to sketch, or write your favorite quote/saying or simply use it as a journal There are different ways to use it, hang it and even bind the book leaves however you like it.

Handmade keepsake gift box for a younger sister turning 16 years of age. Sweet message is printed on top of the box that says:
" When mom told me
I'll have a little sister 16 years ago,
I was the happiest brother.
I loved you even before I met you.
Now you're a young woman,
just so you know that
50 yrs. from now,
you will still be my little sister
and I'm still your older brother!!

I love you, sweetest sister!!! "

This is a sweet and thoughtful gift from a brother to his sister. Put some memorable things you share with your sister or use this as a gift box for your gift. Either way works as a perfect sister's gift.

Thinking of a unique gift box?! Why not have yours something personal, beautiful, useful and one thing that is memorable, Another thing that can be kept and only thing that leaves fun memories that opens with a smile and closes with a laugh!

Item description:

From exterior wood finish to interior design, every detail is artistically made by the hand, transforming an ordinary wooden box into an old and rustic fun memory chest. The vibrant patterns are imperfectly hand painted to blend the faux exterior of the wood. The over all theme is a Vintage Fun Memory treasure box for a special birthday celebrant.

This beautiful handcrafted gazebo bird feeder is one of a kind. Each piece of the six window panels is delicately hand painted to appear a stained glass replica. The inspiration of the design is from the stained cathedral window panels. I'm always fascinated by how lively the colors effected me.

This piece will surely make your garden look elegant and more colorful. This will also look beautiful as an interior home decor.

Ill be happy to make matching feeders for your garden or a matching indoor decor or a special occasion accessory. This gazebo feeder has so many different uses.

Old and Classic Granny's recipe box for an elegant Granny who rocks the kitchen with poise and grace.

Item description:

From exterior to interior design, every detail is artistically made by the hand, transforming an ordinary box into a classic recipe box. The pale yellow leaf vine patterns are imperfectly hand painted to blend with the faux finish. The entire interior is lined with elegant floral design. The box is designed for precious granny's recipe collection.

Black and White 2-tier Keepsake Box is coated with a clear satin polyurethane finish for a long lasting protection . This item can be personalized upon request with a monogram in black carved on top of the small box. The smaller top box is glued and screwed to the bigger bottom box so that these two boxes is a fixed pair.

Free initial Monogram carving.

Check individual prices at www.etsy.com/shop/BellaFinesse
We accept custom orders and bulk orders at great discount.

Rugged with Classic Elegance

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 20:52:00 +0000

It was quite a stretch of time.Finally, I finished it! The design is a twisted tree branch sculpted around the body of the box. On top is a decoupaged picture of a naked woman enclosed with two stencil designs carved on opposite corners. It was quite a procedure doing this. Since it was my first sculpted box, I wanted to keep a memory of this in a blog.

The theme as always was a challenge. But, I'm glad I blogged my previous activity, I'm constantly reminded on how to begin a project. I was already sure of myself that I wanted to sculpt so I browsed on books and looked for a simple design. Walla!!! the twisted tree branch caught my attention. It looked easy yet challenging, so I began.

First, I applied faux finish around the exterior of the box. Since I wasn't able to get a picture prior to carving, let me show you how a faux finish looked like (this was actually my first faux box). It was the same procedure I applied. Instead of the brown color, I used thulian pink. I had to play with different color combination to come up with the color shade. I basically used wood stain, white acrylic, red and white oil paint.

After the faux dried, I drew the twisted branch design around the box. The drawing was my reference for carving. On the right shows my work table. You can see my Dremel 4000 hanging conveniently in place, clamp light, pencil, Dremel bits inside the blue cases, my unfinished boxes. Now here, I want your attention on the bottom box because that's how the box looked like when I started carving the design. You also notice my wood burning tool, the one with an orange handle. I didn't do any wood burning on this project, but since its in the picture, I may as well just introduce all that's seen on the table. Of course, how can I work without my cup of coffee?...... Am i missing anything?
Normally, this table is covered with wood dust when I play with my Dremel.

After I completely carved around the box, I attended to the top. I wanted to finish it with a classic, vintage appeal. I pulled one of my stencils, transferred it on the box and carved out the negative space. Nearly to finishing it, I focused on a clientele. All of a sudden, I focused on me. How would I have finished it if this was made for me? I was already in love with the carvings, the distressed surface and the color. It looked classic and vintage and generally feminine. Despite the distressed treatment , I wanted it to look soft and delicate. It was absolutely contrasting but can be done. So I picked a picture of a nude woman. I overlaid an oil paint mixture of yellow ochre, white and orange that blended with the background of the picture and softened the texture on the top. The nudity was a bold expression of womanliness and that's what I wanted the box to possess. I wanted it to make a statement if it was to be placed on a woman's dressing table. Finally, I finished it off by glazing the entire exterior with a clear satin polyurethane for a long lasting protection.

If this box is to be personified, she is a beauty with a classic radiance, shrewdly flawed with a rugged character that epitomize manly traits, however, doesn't overpower her sophisticated femininity.

LIMITLESSNESS

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 03:33:00 +0000

"What we call results are beginnings."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The final lesson you must learn as you embrace the Ten Rules for Being Human is limitlessness, for that will keep you traveling along your path long after you finish reading this book. Limitlessness is the sense that there are no boundaries to what you can become or do. You learn it when you know that your evolution is never-ending and your potential for growth reaches to infinity.

You were born knowing your limitlessness. As you grew and became socialized in this world, however, you might have come to believe that there are boundaries that prevent you from reaching the highest levels of spiritual, emotional or mental evolution. However, boundaries exist only in your mind. When you are able to transcend them, you learn the lesson of limitlessness.

When I was young, I had a teacher who understood the importance of this lesson. She reminded us every day that we could do anything we set our minds to,no matter how impossible it might seem or how strong the opposition. It is my sincere hope that there is a teacher like Mrs. Carbone in every school around the world, so that our children can know the wonder and power they have within themselves and will strive to access it.

The reason there is no end to the levels you can reach is because you already have infinite potential within you. YOur challenge in this lifetime is simply to uncover that potential by peeling back the layers and remembering this essential truth: there is nothing you can not do,be or have.All is within your reach. Know your limits, not so that you can honor them, but so that you can smash them to pieces and reach for magnificence.

There was a story in the news recently about a man named Valdas Adamkus who proved to himself and to the world that there is nothing a person cannot do. Valdas immigrated ot the United States from Lithuania and, after years of hard work, rose to become a highly decorated government official. He implemented a massive environmental cleanup plan for the Great Lakes and received the nation's highest honor for government officials from President Ronald Reagan. In 1991, Lithuania became free, and Valdas realized he wanted to go back and help his home country the same way he had helped America.

In 1998, at the age of seventy-one, when many people would be retiring, Valdas Adamkus became the president of Lithuania. When asked about his inner process that led him to run for such a demanding office at his age, Valdas replied, "There are no limits in life."

Countless others have shown us similar spirit, proving that a person can do whatever he or she strives to do. The Wright brothers created a machine that flies,despite the doubt that surrounded them. Gandhi inspired a revolution that affected millions of people.

Accomplishments need not be heroic to illustrate limitlessness. Whether it is getting an A on a term paper or putting up the kitchen curtains by yourself, you can prove to yourself that you can do anything at all even by executing the smallest actions. What is important is that you believe that you can do it and that you give yourself every opportunity to succeed.

Each lesson you learn in your lifetime will open doorways to your own sense of limitlessness. There is no limit to your compassion or patience,nor to your willingness, commitment, tolerance or any other pocket of understanding you reach into. You have infinite permission to love, to grow, and to re-remember all the wisdom within you.

WISDOM

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 03:30:00 +0000

" We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us." - Marcel Proust

The ultimate destination of your life path is wisdom. Wisdom is the highest and deepest degree of knowledge, insight and understanding. It provides you with the broadest perspective on life, its purpose, and the lessons you learn throughout your lifetime. When you find your wisdom, you are living in the light.

Wisdom is not a state to be achieved, but rather a state to be recalled. You arrived on this planet fully equipped with the boundless wisdom inherent in all humans; you only need to access that place within you that connects you to the infinite divine source in order to remember it. You are every bit as wise as the Buddha, Aristotle or Confucious - they have simply accessed places inside themselves where perhaps you have not yet journeyed.

Wisdom is not intelligence. It has nothing to do with the level of your IQ or how well you did in school. Rather, wisdom is the highest level of emotional, spiritual and mental evolution, at which you value intuition as much as information, willingness as much as ability, and inspiration as much as knowledge. It is where you synergize your deepest understanding with your everyday actions.

The most direct path to your wisdom is paved with your life's lessons. By learning the lessons presented to you everyday, you continually bring yourself closer to aligning with what Emerson called "the oversoul" and Carl Jung called " the collective unconscious." These are the universal forces that tie us all together and link each of us to the bottomless source of wisdom. It is quite simple: learn your lessons so that you may find your link to that source and remember your wisdom.

The true beauty of wisdom is that once you recall it, you will then be inspired to pass it along. You will recall the lesson of abundance and know that there is no lack or limit to wisdom. It is like love; the more you give away, the more you get back. Your capacity for wisdom increases each time you share it with another. Those who are celebrated for their wisdom are those who have shared it freely to help others grow.

Elisabeth Kubler- Ross is one who used her wisdom to help millions of people cope with the process of dying. By coupling her wisdom with compassion, she has raised others to her level of understanding and allowed them to see that how we die is as important as how we live.

It is not everyday that we encounter people who we would label as wise. A grandparent, teacher, mentor, someone who emanates a way of looking at life with a broad perspective - for some, way beyond their years. You know someone like this. It may be someone close to you, or someone famous like Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Alber Schweitzer or Jonas Salk. I was fortunate to know Willis Harman, the president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, who for me, possessed this type of wisdom.

When I interacted with him, I felt as if we took a mental helicopter trip above the earth to address conditions below. I felt blessed to be in his presence. I was inspired when he shared his points of view with me. His absence of personal agenda, his complete lack of need or want and his freedom from dependence upon material possessions gave him incredible power. His reflections gave pause from the daily momentum of life. He wrote, "... we are likely to find ourselves involved in a self - transformation that leads us to ultimate trust in the deep Self and in "inner knowing", bringing to awareness the deep sense of purpose and the source of wisdom and direction to be found there, confirming the intention to find our life work and do it..." It was refreshing to bask in his philosophical musings and stretch into the shoes of a reality that I could not yet fill. I am continually grateful for my relationship with him, because through him I experienced those principles to which I aspire.

Think of the person in your life who gave you a peek at wisdom. Ask yourself what attributes you noticed. Then see what you want to emulate within yourself. You will gain a bit of wisdom each time you view your life from a macro-perspective - distancing yourself enough to see what is really going on, beyond the apparentness of the situation.

Finding the wisdom inside you and reaching your highest levels of evolution can be one of the most selfless lessons you can learn. It is the one that will elevate you and propel you along your own path so that you may contribute the results of all your other lessons to the rest of the world.

FAITH

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 03:25:00 +0000

"Faith is a gift of the spirit that allows the soul to remain attached to its own unfolding."

- Thomas Moore

Have faith in yourself that you will remember your truth and the knowledge stored deep within your soul. There may be moments in which you cannot see your way clear to your truth - moments of darkness and uncertainty. Life can be difficult, and there may be times when you cannot make sense out of it or stay afloat. These are the moments that require faith.

Faith is the lone candle in the darkness when you feel jettisoned out into space, and the invisible net that lies beneath you when you feel as though you may stumble. It is what carries you through those patches of temporary amnesia. Faith is simply believing, without any tangible proof, that although the truth may seem eclipsed at times, it does not disappear forever. It simply lies dormant inside you until you reconnect with your innate wisdom.

Faith is what carried Maya, a thirty-eight year old mother of two,through the painful months after her divorce, when she could not recall how it felt to experience joy. It is what kept Sam, a wealthy entrepreneur, afloat after his factory - and entire life's investments - burned to the ground in an electrical fire. Faith sustained my friend Ellen during her period of fear and uncertainty when she relocated to Paris, thousand of miles away from her familiar home. All of these poeple relied on faith as a means of remembering their capability to experience wholeness during those times when wholeness seemed lost ot them. It was faith that helped them recall the wisdom stored in their souls.

There are many ways to restore your faith during the dark moments, when the light appears too dim to see and the truth seems too hazy to recall. By surrounding yourself with people who know your personal truth and who are familiar with your authentic self, you can keep yourself rooted to your truth. You can touch base with these people and ask them to remind you of the truth in your moments of temporary amnesia. Thea Alexander refers to these people as "personal evolution tutor." These tutors can provide you with the sparks of recognition you need at those times when your faith is weak.

My personal evolution tutor is my sister and soul mate Lynn, who keeps me on track. When I was in graduate school years ago, I nearly gave up many times because of all the pressure and endless work. In my darkest moments, when I could not recognize why I was doing this to myself, Lynn reminded me how much I really did want to complete that degree. My temporary amnesia almost allowed me to abort the learning process and to sabotage a dream I had formulated when I was in my right and truthful mind. Lynn, as my personal evolution tutor, reconnected me with my choice by acting as the link to my inner truth.

Another way to keep your faith alive is through touchstones. In your enlightened moments, collect things that connect you to your source.They can be symbols, or objects, or bits of writing or quotes, or anything that brings you back to the place within you that is connected to the universal spirit. In your moments of forgetting, surround yourself with them to remind you of who you are and what you are capable of.

Faith can also be reignited by engaging in any activity that centers you. For some it is prayer, for others breathing, reading, meditating, jogging, drawing or playing with the dog. These activities can act as mechanisms to pluck you out of your amnesia. What gives you spiritual energy? What acts as your life preserver? What is the motion that will pull you up when you are sinking? Spend some time while you are awake and conscious figuring out what life preserver you can hold on to to to keep you above whatever threatens to drag you down.

These are only a few suggestions. you alone know what will help you remember and reconnect with your essence. Find it and treasure it close to your heart to draw upon in those moments when you stray too far from your truth.

RULE 10: YOU WILL FORGET ALL OF THIS AT BIRTH

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 03:21:00 +0000

You can remember it if you want by unraveling the double helix of inner knowing.

You came into this world already knowing all of the information imparted by these Ten Rules. You simply forgot them somewhere along your journey from the spirit world to the physical one. Each lesson is like another stone along your life path, and as you travel and learn your lessons, some may look and feel familiar. When something resonates for you and you finally "get" one of the lessons, you are remembering what you originally knew. When you have an "aha!" moment, you are remembering. Some call it planets aligning, some call it feeling at one with God, still others call it serenity; call it what you want, but know it is a moment of remembering.

Remembering and forgetting are the dance of consciousness. Remembering is the moment when you awaken to your truth. Forgetting is the temporary amnesia that sets in when your truth is occluded. When you feel struck, you have forgotten your truth. When you cannot break through, you have forgotten. When you move too far away from your conscious awareness, you lose touch with the universal wisdom that is inherent in all humans.

We each have many cycles of remembering and forgetting in our lifetime. You may remember and know the universal truths where they apply to one area of your life, such as work, but forget them completely when it comes to love and romance.

You may remember them one day and forget them completely by nightfall.The Ten Rules for Being Human are here as guidelines to help you when you forget and remind you of everything you already know. They are not commandments, but rather universal truths that are the same for everyone. When you lose your way, simply call upon them, and the temporary amnesia will be dispelled like storm clouds burned off by the sun.

The challenge of Rule Ten is to remember your truth,again and again, and to create ways to find your way back when you forget. You do this by learning the advanced lessons of faith, wisdom, and ultimately, limitlessness. Mastering these takes you to a deeper level of consciousness and a far greater realm of spiritual expansion.

Remaining rooted in truth means giving up the bliss of ignorance. But living from within truth gives life luster. It is what brings you to your authentic self and makes life an astonishing and meaningful experience.

INSPIRATION

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 03:17:00 +0000

"In the midst of our daily lives, we must find the juice to nourish our creative souls."

- Sark

Inspiration is the moment in which the spirit within is accessed and revealed. Inspiration dawns when something in your outer world sparks a flame within you and calls forth a message. It arrives to remind you that all your answers lie inside of you, and that you alone are the wisest wizard in your kingdom.

It is often easy to miss those moments until you learn to truly hear the inner "ding!" and give it the space to emerge into your consciousness. As you move toward honoring your inner knowing, you can more easily recognize those moments of inspiration - many of which can be life-transforming.

Spending time in nature can be a wonderful source of inspiration. The natural world has an energy to it that can put you in touch with the deepest parts of yourself. Thoreau spent two years alone in the woods so he could commune with nature and access the wisdom inside him.It was there that he wrote some of his most inspiring work - much of which contains timeless wisdom that is every bit as valid and true a century later. He discovered that all his answers lay inside him, just as yours lie inside you. Swim in the ocean, climb a tree, hike a mountain, or simply take a long walk in the woods. Do whatever activity calls to you that will draw you into the rhythm of nature and draw out your natural instincts

The arts can be another miraculous source of inspiration. Beautiful poetry or literature can open your heart and soul so that you may allow your innate knowledge to flow forth. A glorious piece of music or a magnificent painting can also spark the divine place within you. Each masterpiece was created in a moment of inspiration that can lead you back to your own.

My friend Laura keeps an "inspiration box" on her dresser, in which she stores quotes written on scraps of paper and objects that inspire her. She has everything in there from a Chinese fortune that says " You are your own deepest fountain" to a sparkly blue marble given to her by her young son. Whenever she is searching for an answer to one of life's many questions or problems, she reaches into her inspiration box and draws out something to put her in touch with her own wisdom.

What would you put in your inspiration box?

TRUST

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 03:14:00 +0000

"Trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string.'"

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Once you learn to listen to your messages, you then move to the next, deeper level of growth; trusting those messages. You learn the lesson of trust when you take a leap of faith and believe that your inner knowing is guiding you toward your greater good. Trust is the attunement of your instincts to know who and what is in your best interest, so that you may rely absolutely on the validity of your messages.

The heart of my Inner Negotiation Workshop is encouraging participants to trust their messages. Very often this creates fear in them, as they cannot comprehend that it is safe within the confines of the workshop to act upon and trust whatever message they are receiving. Once they relax into it and trust, however, incredible things happen. I have seen a normally reserved corporate banker wailing away on an electric guitar. I have watched Sari, a model from New York, trust her message that she needed to let out a howl right then and there, even though she had no idea why.Howl she did, and LOUDLY. By trusting that message, Sari got in touch with a long-lost need within her to be out in nature. She kept her job in New York but now makes sure to spend adequate time out in the woods, where she feels connected and centered.

We are taught throughout our lives not to trust ourselves. Children are consistently told to do things their parents' way, "because they said so." The media trains us to look outside ourselves - in products, entertainment, or gurus - for the answers. Even most modern schooling does not encourage self-reliant thinking. We are bombarded with messages from every angle that tell us that we cannot trust our own inner directives.

During Emily's childhood, there were times when people told her that her feelings were inappropriate for a given situation. For example, on her twelfth birthday Emily was having a sad day and made no attempt to hide her feelings. Her mother reprimanded her with words like, " You should be happy at your own party. You should smile and have a wonderful day." Another time, the day Emily's grandmother passed away, Emily's mother scolded her for playing in the garden. " Stop all that laughter. Don't you know someone's died? You're supposed to be mourning."

At these and other times, Emily was criticized for being herself and expressing spontaneous feelings. Each time this happened, she felt confused, out of sync with events around her, and unable to trust her own emotions. As she grew to adulthood, she carried this self-doubt with her. With every decision she faced, she would ask other people's opinions before taking action. When someone asked her a question, she often had to answer, "I don't know," and then ask friends what they would say. Emily's major life lesson was to learn to trust her feelings, her intuition, and her choices.

At age thirty-two, Emily wanted to start a business creating and selling doll-making kits through mail order. She'd been sewing all her life, had made dozens of dolls for friends, and was excited about turning her hobby into a business.

But family and friends were afraid for Emily. The capital investment would be considerable, she had no business experience, and there were no guarantees that the doll kits would actually sell. As more friends expressed doubts, Emily began to waver. She started talking about returning to school for another degree instead. That's when a freind suggested to Emily that she see me.

After talking over her business idea and all the fears and doubts around it, I asked Emily, "Putting aside the practical considerations, and without regard for the outcome, if you could do anything in the world what would it be?"

Without hesitating a second, Emily answered, "Make my doll kits and sell them."

I sat back in my seat, looked at her with amazement,and said, "That was as clear as anything I have ever heard." Emily had even surprised herself with the clarity of her answer.

When I asked her what stood in the way of moving ahead, she confessed, "I've never done anything that my friends and family disapproved of."

There was silence in the room. "How does it feel to consider the possiblity?"

"Scary!"

"It sounds as if this is about self-trust," I suggested. "Am I right in assuming that you need to really trust yourself to take this risk?"

She stared at the floor for a long time before answering. "You're right on target. I don't know if I have enough belief in myself to go forward with no one behind me."

I had opened a door and given Emily the choice of walking through alone. She decided to go for it. Her business succeeded beyond her wildest dreams, and she did get the support of her family and friends once she demonstrated her commitment to herself.

As Emily's story illustrates, trusting your instincts and your messages is an essential step in your spiritual growth, as they are the road map for your path. They are what lead you to your lessons, and you must learn to trust them if you are to learn all that you need in order to fulfill your special purpose.

You can begin to learn to trust your message by starting with the small ones. For example, tune in and trust the simple messages like "Call your mother," or "Buy that dress," as a way to build your confidence in your inner radar. Recalling times in the past that trusting your instincts led you to the right course of action will also help. Whenever I receive a message from my inner source that sounds preposterous, I remember my "go stand on the corner" story and trust that I would only lead myself into circumstances that were for the highest good.

LISTENING

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 03:10:00 +0000

"Consciousness is nothing but awareness - the composite of all the things we pay attention to."

- Deepak Chopra

Listening is actively focusing on what messages you are receiving both verbally and non-verbally. Nowhere is the lesson of listening more important than when it comes to your inner knowing; what good is such divine knowledge if you don't tune in and hear it? You will learn the lesson of listening when you tune in to the messages your spiritual DNA is sending you, and to what you know is right for you.

There is an old joke about a religious man who had an unshakable faith in God. He prayed everyday and felt that if anything ever happened, the Lord would be there to take care of him.

One day it started to rain. The man's village flooded, and everyone hurried to escape. Some people came driving by his house in a car, urging him to come with them to safety.

His reply was, "The Lord will save me."

The rain continued to fall, until the water rose so high that the man needed to go up to the second floor of his house to stay dry. A boat came by, and the people on it urged him to climb aboard and go with them to safety.

Again, he responded, "Thank you kindly, but the Lord will save me."

The man soon needed to go up on the roof in order to avoid the rapidly rising water. A helicopter flew by and the pilot shouted down, "I'll toss you a line and we'll hoist you up."

For a thrid time, the man refuse. "Bless you", he said to the pilot, " but the Lord will save me. Any minute, you'll see, the Lord will do something and I will be saved."

Within minutes the water level rose, washing the man out to sea, where he drowned. He went to heaven, and when the Lord was reviewing the new arrivals, he was surprised to the religious man.

"You're not supposed to be here!", said the Lord. "It's not your time. What are you doing here?"

The man said to the Lord, " I believed in You. I believed that You would save me. I waited and waited and you never came. What happened?"

The Lord replied, " I sent you a car, a boat, and a helicopter. What more do you want?"

The point is that we need to listen closely to hear our messages, as they do not always sound or look the way we think they will. You need to be tuned in to pick up their frequency, or else you might miss some important clues being generated from your spiritual center.

RULE 9: YOUR ANSWERS LIE INSIDE OF YOU

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 03:08:00 +0000

All you need to do is look,listen and trust.

All the answers you are looking for are already within your grasp; all you need to do is look inside, listen,and trust yourself. There is no outside source of wisdom that can give you the answers to any of your innermost question; you alone are your wisest teacher. Deep inside, you already know all you need to know.

We all possess spiritual DNA, which is the inner wisdom that resides within us and transmits messages bout our life path. These messages are signals or directives from your inner source of intuition that guide you toward and through your authentic life. Messages are like illuminated stepping stones along your path that point to the actions you need to take in order to continue your process of growth. They flash and pop in your innermost mind, offering directions and clues, and providing you with all the answers you need.

These powerful hints are availbale to you at any time and can come in a variety of forms. They can come as a "little voice" in your head, or as an intuitive flash. They can arrive in a letter or a phone call or printed on the inside flap of a box of tea. They can sound like a whisper - like Kevin Costner's message in the movie Field of Dreams of " If you build it, they will come" - or like a distant chime. A clue that something is truly a message: It just doesn't go away, no matter how hard you try to ignore it. It reappears until you are willing to listen and honor it.

Even if you are not open to them,your true messages have a way of finding you no matter where you hide. If you shut the door, they come in the window. Seal the window and they will come down the chimney. As the saying goes, "What you resist, persists." Your truth will find you no matter where you hide. Ignoring your inner voice or closing yourself off to your inner truth only invites it to show up in other, more negative ways, such as depression, addictive behavior, or simply discontent. THe sooner you open to your truth, the quicker and farther you can advance along your path. Life flows more smoothly when we heed our inner messages.

Many years ago, when I was living in Boston, I went to dinner with several members of my staff. Three of us had arrived early and were waiting for the remaining four people to show up, and since it was a cold, snowy December night,we went inside to wait for them. They were quite late, and since these were very responsible people, I was puzzled as to where they were.

Nearly an hour later, they still had not arrived. I kept wondering what had happened to them. suddenly I became aware of a small voice in my head, buzzing like an annoying bee, that said, "Go stand on the corner." Now, I was seven months pregnant at that time, and between my large size and the frigid temperature, I had no intention whatsoever of going outside to stand on the corner. I shooed the message away and continued with my conversation.

However, like all true messages, this one simply would not vanish at my command. I kept hearing the message, "Go stand on the corner." Finally, more out of annoyance than anything else, I stood up, wrapped my coat around my huge circumference and excused myself for a moment to - yes, you guessed it - go stand on the corner. I looked and felt ridiculous.

Within one minute of my arriving on the corner the remaining members of my staff pulled up in their car. They were thrilled to see me, as they had been driving around lost for close to an hour. When they asked me why I happened to be standing out on that corner just as they drove by, I just smiled, rolled my eyes, and replied, "Don't ask." That night I promised myself I would always pay attention to my messages to the best of my ability, no matter how ridiculous they might sound. I knew then that they were my link to all the knowledge already stored within me.

It makes no difference whether your messages show up in ridiculous-sounding mandates like the one I just described or in more direct forms. A recurring message to take your dog to the park is no less important or valid than a message to leave your job at a big corporation and start your own shop. Perhaps the first message is result of your sensing that you need to be in the outdoors more often for the sake of your health, which is just as important as where you earn your living. All messages, silly or not, are powerful truth guides that provide you with direct access to your inner knowing.

IF you listen carefully, you can tune into the frequency that transmits this valuable information to you. The challenge of Rule Nine is to tune in and honor the messages and answers you receive from your spiritual blueprint. Since your mind chatters constantly, it is often difficult to hear the messages that contain the true answers. When you do hear them, however, they may sound bizarre to you if you are out of touch with your true feelings. A thirty-five-year-old highly regarded art dealer may dismiss the answer she receives from within as to why she feels alienated and unfulfilled if that answer tells her she needs to fulfill her lifelong dream of going to medical school to become a psychiatrist. Messages that do not coincide with our agenda are easy to dismiss, but still difficult to ignore.

By tuning in to your messages, however, you learn what you truly need. When you choose to honor these answers, you can live a life based on your authentic inner knowing and feelings, thus getting away from feeling " the impostor syndrome." Perhaps that art dealer really would be happier starting her life over and becoming a doctor. Only she and her inner guide can be sure.

To tune in and honor your inner knowing, you need to learn the lessons of listening, trust, and inspiration. These lessons will lead you to a place witin yourself, from which you can access all the answers you need about what will make your experience on Earth a rewarding one.

ADVENTURE

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 03:04:00 +0000

" Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." - Helen Keller

Your life has the potential to be a wondrous journey, filled with exciting moments and astonishing experiences. It can be a thrilling ride if you are open to exploring all that is available to you. Adventure is the result of your willingness to live life with a spirit of enthusiasm.

An adventure is any experience that takes you beyond your comfort level. Adventures are what make your blood race and your heart beat with anticipation as you expand beyond your perceived limitations as a human. They expand your horizons and take you into a new and exciting worlds. When you feel the aliveness of experimenting with new options and taking risks, you learn the value of adventure in your life.

Since what you make of your life is up to you, you can either create a life filled with miraculous adventures or stay huddled and safe, never experiencing the joyful rush of journeying outside your world with boldness and abandon. A life devoid of adventure may be secure, but is one that lacks texture and color. if you never venture forth, you can never expand and grow.

A sense of adventure is inherent in young children. We are all born with an innate sense of wonder that propels us to explore. Most children are naturally curious and experimental, ready to try anything. They are not held back by fears of societal disapproval or failure. As they grow up, however, the world imposes its fears and limitations upon them, and very often this sense of adventure is buried beneath years of admonishments like "don't touch!" and "behave!" The spark of adventure gets dimmed as they learn to become responsible, mature adults.

This childlike sense of wonder must be reignited so that you can remember the thrill of discovering new worlds. This spark usually shows up as a bold impulses that you may dismiss as silly or imprudent, like a sudden urge to try windsurfing or a desire to travel to Alaska. As you reconnect to this spark and honor it, however, you open the door to wonderful experiences and magical connections. You begin to take bigger and bolder steps toward living your dreams.

There was a time in my life that I was unwilling to heed that spark. I focused all my energy on being responsible and disciplined, neglecting the basic human need to explore and expand. Eventually, my life began to look so dull that I forced myself to snap out of my rigidity and reembrace my long-lost sense of adventure. I missed being the person who was open to discovering new sensations, and who took bold risks. I promised myself back then that I would always make my best effort to remain conscious to that inner spark so that I never missed out on a chance to expand. Since that time, I have been blessed with a miraculous life, filled with incredible journeys and experiences that might have otherwise escaped me if I have not woken up.

During my last trip to New York, I visited Riverside Church on the Upper west side of Manhattan. It was a clear, beautiful night in December, and I suddenly felt the impulse to go up to the top of the church so I could see the magnificent view of the city. I knew from my past experiences that that impulse was a signal that my sense of adventure was leading me toward something wonderful. Despite a mild fear of heights, I climbed what seemed like a thousand steps to the top.

As I had suspected, the view was magnificent. The twinkling lights below glittered like a million stars, reflected in the river like jewels. As I breathed in the cold night air, I experienced one of those moments of perfect joy. I felt a wave of gratitude that I had honored my sense of adventure and given myself the gift of this experience.

Think back to the adventures you have had in your lifetime. Those moments in which you took a leap of faith and expanded beyond your comfort zone are precious gifts, as they can remind you of the joy that is available to you when you embrace life with exuberance. These moments can be turning points in your personal history and inspire you to create new realities for yourself whenever you choose.

Imagine yourself at ninety years old, looking back on your life. What do you want to see? Whenever I think about that, I remember my friend in college who always used to say, " You only regret that which you don't do." I do not want to look back at a life filled with regrets. What I want to see is a life filled with magical moments inspired by adventure like the one I experienced on the roof of that church. Could you use more adventure in your life? If so, follow the words of Goethe:

" Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."

POWER

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 03:01:00 +0000

" There isn't a person anywhere who isn't capable of doing more than he thinks he can."

- Henry Ford

Power means demonstrating your ability to manifest reality. Within each of us lies a power center, and we learn to call upon this power as we set out to design our lives according to our will. Power is a natural state of being - it is a force to which we are all entitled and to which we all have unlimited access.

It is not necessary to search for your inner power, since it is already within you. It is something you were given the moment you were born, as essential to your survival as the ability to breathe. Your power is what propels you forward day after day, what sustains you in dark moments, what gives you the ability to do whatever you feel driven to do. It glows within you like a light, beamed outward into the world as needed.

In 1983, I started a nonprofit business that trained young adults aged eighteen to twenty-five to manage households overseas. I was extremely passionate about this program and dedicated to making it succeed. Our lawyer at the time was a gruff, distinguished older man named Marcus who, at 6'4", towered over me and was very intimidating. He insisted that we would never get the visas we needed to authorize foreigners to live in the United States for one year and learn in a domestic setting. Even as we stood in the hallway waiting to go in for our interview with the Immigration and Naturalizastion Service (INS), Marcus dismissed my passion and told me that I was wasting my time even applying for the visas.

In that moment, I knew I needed to call on my own inner strength in order to succeed on my mission. I took a deep breath, reminded myself that I could succeed at anything I set my mind to, and stood up to this imposing lawyer. I told Marcus that I had every confidence that we would get the visas and that I expected his full support. He and I then went before the INS, and much to my satisfaction and his shock, I stood my ground and answered all their questions flawlessly. I think even Marcus was secretly delighted when the INS approved my application.

There may be times, however, when you have difficulty seeing that light within you. You may experience "power leaks" that rob you of your ability to manifest reality. In those times,you will need to identify what is robbing you of your power and patch the leaks.

Power leaks come in many forms: intimidation, discouragement and disappointment, setbacks, rejection, or loss, just to name a few. A leak is sprung whenever your inner resiliency is damaged or your feelings of self-worth are diminished. The best way to patch these leaks is to look back at your earlier successes as a way to remind yourself of what you are capable of. Do things that let you experience your power - even little things like hanging a picture or programming your VCR - to gradually seal the leaks and rebuild your confidence.

You may need to patch leaks in your power many times through out your life, but once you groove an easy path back to the power source within you and live from within it, you will never again question the idea that what you make of your life is entirely up to you.

COURAGE

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 02:56:00 +0000

"Courage is the price life exacts for granting peace." - Amelia Earhart

Courage is finding the inner strength and bravery required when confronting danger, difficulty or opposition. Courage is the energy current behind all great actions and the spark that ignites the initial baby steps of growth. It resides deep within each of us, ready to be accessed in those moments when you need to forge ahead or break through seemingly insurmountable barriers. It is the intangible force that propels you forward on your journey.

It takes courage to embrace the idea that what you make of your life is up to you and to actually do what you need to do. You can learn how to access your courage by digging down deep inside and tapping into whatever spiritual connection sustains you. What inspires you to action? For some it is a belief in a higher power, for some it can be a meditation or inspiring music, and for others perhaps great literature or spiritual passages. Regardless of what your connection is to the divine source, cultivate it well, for you will need to call upon it in those moments when you require courage.

There are, of course, those times when you may be unable to locate that reservoir of courage stored inside you. That is when you will need to draw on the support of loved ones around you. You can borrow the courage you need from other people who believe in you strongly to get you through the phases of temporary amnesia when you forget your own abilities and tenacity.

Courage is learned in the moment that you take a leap of faith and take action. I remember learning to dive as a child. For weeks, I stood at the tip of the diving board at our local pool, trying to work up the courage to plunge headfirst into the water below. My father stood at the bottom of the ladder three Saturdays in a row, offering encouragement. He demonstrated over and over how to do it, but I still felt afraid. The fear was nameless, since I was pretty sure I would not injure myself, and failure wasn't really a concern. I suppose I was simply afraid in the way that humans often are when they stand poised ot jump, metaphorically or literally, into the unknown.

Finally, the day came when I realized that i could psych myself up all I wanted, and receive endless support from my father, but ultimately I would have to take a deep breath and just go. I climbed the ladder one more time, stood at the now-familiar edge of that board, said a little prayer and dive. It was not a perfect dive, but it was a dive nonetheless. No blaring trumpets heralded the glory of my accomplishment, but it was in that moment that I learned the valuable lesson of courage that would remain with me the rest of my life.

What fears stand in your way? Bring them to light so you can loosen their hold over you.Fears,real or imagine, only impede you. Banish them so that you may learn the lesson of courage and create the life you desire.

RELEASE

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 02:53:00 +0000

" Learn to let go. That is the key to happiness. " - The Buddha

Release is simply the act of letting go. In every situation, you can either take responsibility and attempt to cause things to happen, or you can let go. Neither option is better or worse. Every situation is different, and only you will know what is the right thing to do in each case. There are times when you will need to take responsibility for the progression of a relationship, and times you will need to just let go and walk away, just as there are times you need to fight with your boss for what you believe and other times when you need to release the situation to save your energy for more important battles. You learn the lesson of release when you begin to choose it as a conscious act rather than as a passive means to hide from responsibility.

There will be times in your life when you will need to let go of certain self-beliefs that hold you back from creating your own reality. A woman in one of my workshops named Nancy suffered from a lack of self-esteem that was limiting her ability to create the life she wanted to live. She never felt that she deserved the best of anything, and as a result, she always settled for " good enough". Nancy traced this belief back to her childhood in Brazil, in which she was always treated as inferior to her older sister. Nancy's mother always introduced her as " the second child", which created a belief in Nancy's mind that she would always be second best. Her entire wardrobe was secondhand, and all her toys had already been enjoyed by her sister. Nancy needed to release this belief so that she could enable herself to make appropriate and deserved demands in her adult life.

Another emotion that often lurks in people's minds is anger. They cling to their anger toward their parents for the way they were raised, or toward their spouse for disappointing them, or toward fate for presenting them with injustices. This anger can fester in their unconscious minds, blocking the flow of their natural power to create their lives. They focus so intently on their negative feelings that they are blind to the power of forgiveness and release.

Sometimes negative memoreies can clutter your mind and take up the space needed in order to imagine and create a life based on what you want. It is unfortuante that "bad" things happen, but clinging to the psychic debris left behind can do even more damage than the actual event. People are able to overcome and release even the most heinous of experiences if they are willing. The human heart is remarkably resilient, and you will need to trust yours in order to release the memories that stagnate you.

Other times you will need to let go of situations, like a toxic relationship or a degrading job, so that you can create a better reality for yourself. I remember consulting a few years ago with a couple who were trapped in the sticky web of a toxic relationship. Eric and sarah were practically torturing each other with criticism, anger, and inconsiderate behavior.When I asked them why they stayed together in light of their mutual unhappiness, neither could really produce a logical answer. As we talked about their relationship, both Eric and Sarah began to see that by clinging to what was obviously an impossible situation, they could both avoid progressing with their independent lives. They both admitted a fear of having to create a new reality for themselves. This admission cerated enough awareness for the need to release that union to allow them to do so.

Regardless of what emotion or belief you have lingering in your unconscious that prevents you from creating your own reality, you can learn to release it by remmebreing two lessons you already learned: awareness and willingness. Once you become aware of what stand in your way and become willing to release it, you signal the universe that you are ready to manifest the life you were meant to live.

The Blueprint of Life

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 00:16:00 +0000

A boy presented a blueprint of his life.

He once told his elder: " Elder, I want to carry my blueprint so when I live on earth, I will know how to search the purpose of life."

The elder said: " When you live on earth, you will be given a body. You ask for that kind of life, you will be born to a pair of parents who will guide you to live that life.

You ask for friends who will be faithful to you until the end, you will have siblings.

You will call your parents, your father and mother.You will honor them because I choose them for you.

You will call your siblings, your brothers and sisters. Love them as you love yourself. Protect them and they will protect you. Do not anger them neither be jealous, for a brother/sister is born for a time of adversity.

You will be born not knowing anything. Your mother will teach you how to love and be gentle. Your father will train you to be godly and responsible. You and your siblings are the strength of the family. Your family is your kingdom. Take care of your kingdom for it will only keep growing.

On earth, you will be taught how to survive. Your body will crave for the materials of the world. You will even want to acquire more than what you are suppose to have. The world is controlled by the humans who lie, fight and kill for lust, greed and power. The human race is a sinful race. But if you learn to love and be gentle, be godly and responsible and treat everyone like a brother and sister, you will save yourself from evil. If you live to learn, you will eventually find your purpose. The body that you will be born to will fail you but if you take heed, you will be able to find the direction back to where you belong, right here with me.

Take care, son. When you become a father, remember that the child you will have is being sent to your care. You are chosen to be the father of that child. Love and teach the child so he will learn to live and find his way back to me."

RESPONSIBILITY

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 00:06:00 +0000

" We have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime."

- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

To take responsibility means you admit your accountability and acknowledge your influence and role in the circumstances in which you find yourself. It means you are answerable for your behavior and you fully accept any consequences created by your actions.

Responsibility is not blame, however, and understanding the difference between the two is crucial to learning this lesson. Blame is associated with fault, whereas responsibility denotes authorship. Blame carries guilt and negative feelings; responsibility brings the relief of not having to dodge the full truth anymore and releases that guilt. Blame implies fault; responsibility implies ownership. Blame is stagnant; responsibility propels you forward and onward to your greater good.

Responsibility comes with certain rewards, but it is a lesson that is often hard-earned. I once had a woman named Mary in my workshop whose story of personal responsibility has always inspired me. Mary was born in Cuba and moved to Miami with her family when she was two years old. They lived in terrible poverty in a dangerous part of the city, where crime and drugs were part of everyday life. Mary was determined,however, even at the young age of eight, to make something of her life other than follow the expected route of becoming a maid, or a cashier at the supermarket. So she got herself to school each and every day, sometimes having to step over drunks passed out in the doorway, just so she could get an education and giver herself a better life.

Mary eventually left Miami, obtained a good education, and fostered her natural music ability. She knew it was up to her to create her own life, regardless of what hand she had been dealt. She is now one of the most well-known Latina studio singers, and her voice can be heard in countless national commercials. Mary could have given in to the life she was born into, or remained mired in blaming her parents and culture for her circumstance. She could have allowed a refusal to take responsibility for a situation - even though she was not to blame for it - to overshadow her desire. Instead, however, Mary took responsibility for herself and created a life of which she can be proud.

As a parent, I find myself trying to teach my daughter, Jennifer, small lessons of responsibility every day. I want Jennifer to grow to be the kind of person who does what she says she will do, who understands the obligations that go along with privileges, and who takes ownership of her role in whatever circumstances she finds herself. I know I have a small window of time in which to impress upon her the importance of responsibility before she sets out into the world on her own.

Responsibility is a major lesson of adulthood. If you still haven't learned the lesson of responsibility, it's not too late. Remember, life will provide you with plenty of opportunities to get it right.

RULE 8: WHAT YOU MAKE OF YOUR LIFE IS UP TO YOU

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 00:01:00 +0000

You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you.

Every person creates his or her own reality. Authorship of your life is one of your absolute rights; yet so often people deny that they have the ability to script the life they desire. They often use the excuse that they cannot do what they want to do or get what they desire in life because they lack the resources to do it. They look past the fundamental truth that it is not our external resources that determine our success or failure, but rather our own belief in ourselves and our willingness to create a life according to our highest aspirations.

You can either engage in the blame game, making frequent use of the statement, " I couldn't because..." or you can take control of your life and shape it as you would like. You can either let your circumstances, be your physical appearance, your financial condition or your family origins, dictate what happens to you, or you can transcend your perceived limitations and make extraordinary things happen. The "yea, buts..." do not produce results - they just reinforce the delusion of inability. Argue for your limitations and eventually the universe will agree with you and respond accordingly.

Joseph Cambell once said, " The world is a match for you, and you are a match for the world." By this he meant that when you fully recognize your challenges, your gifts, and your individual reality, and you accept the life path they represent, the world provides whatever you need to succeed. You, in turn, will discover how you can make your greatest contribution to the world. When you claim authorship of your life story, the world responds, and genius ignites.

Clearly, the challenge of Rule Eight is to create and own your own reality. The first moment you are able to do this is an awakening of sorts, since it means the demise of your unconscious life. I remember vividly the time in my life when this occurred. It was after I had received my three messages about what I was supposed to do with my life. Much to my surprise, rather than feeling relieved or inspired, I felt depressed. After crying for what seemed like days, with hardly any idea why, I came to realize that the phase of my life in which I could float in the murky swamp of "I don't know" was what my purpose was, I had moved out of the safety zone of not knowing,otherwise known as "childhood" into the reality of the adult world. I knew that once I began consciously to own my life, it would be nearly impossible to sink back into oblivion. I wept tears of loss, for I had passed through a tunnel of maturity and left my unconscious life behind. Though sad, I was now ready to take command of my life. When you begin to live your life understanding that what you make of it is up to you, you are able to design it according to your authentic choices and desires. You will learn lessons with this Rule, such as responsibility, release, courage, power, and adventure, that will lead you to the life you were meant to live. These lessons provide you with the essential tools you need in order to take command of your life.

SUPPORT

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 23:58:00 +0000

" There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reftlects it."

- Edith Wharton

Support is holding up from underneath. You support someone when you willingly step forward to strengthen, energize, and help her through a challenging time. Yet the great irony is that when you support others, you are also, in fact, supporting yourself. When you withhold support from others, it is usually an indicator that you are also withholding support from yourself.

When I train people to become facilitators of my workshop, the primary thing I teach them is to be aware of how much their support of the individual workshop participant mirrors their own issues. If a facilitator is having difficulty supporting a participant who is expressing rage, it is a good sign that he or she is not supporting his or her own tolerance of or personal tendency toward rage. If a facilitator cannot support someone developing her sense of inner power that is getting in the way. This is not unlike the training of psychoanalysts, in which they use their own reactions to patients as mirrors in which the patients can view themselves.

We are most often called upon to support others in friendship. One of my facilitators, Donna, told me a story recently that clearly illustrates the magic of support and its potential as an emotional mirror. Several years ago, donna had been feeling very depressed. She had just broken up with her boyfriend of two years, and she was having a very difficult time accepting the loss. She had been laid up with a knee injury for several days, and the time alone at home certainly was not helping. Her misery was only compounded by her frustration at herself for not being able to "pull it together" and stop crying all the time.

Early one morning,Donna received a phone call with some terrible news: her bestfriend's brother had been killed in a car accident. Donna had known this friend, Mary Ann, and her brother nearly her entire life, and the news was devastating. However, Donna quickly pulled herself together, got in the car, and drove to her friend's house to be there with her.

Over the course of the next few days, amidst the haze of the funeral and hundreds of visitors, Donna was 100 percent present for Mary Ann. she held her close while she cried endless tears, sat by her side as the waves of grief washed over her friend, and slept on the floor next to Mary Ann's bed to make sure she did not wake up alone in the middle of the night. During that time she hardly felt any pain in her knee at all and none of the depression she had been experiencing.

Several weeks later, when life began to return to normal, Donna realized that the level of support she had given Mary ann far exceeded any support she had offered herself during her dark time. She was able to use the support she had given her friend as a mirror for the support she had been witholding from herself. SHe realized that her own tears required as much attention and nurturing from her as anyone else's, and that if she could give it to another, she must be able to also give it to herself.

When you find yourself unable to support someone else, look within and see if perhaps there is something within yourself that you are not supporting. Conversely, when you give complete support to others, it will mirror those places within you that require the same level of attention.

HEALING

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 23:55:00 +0000

" Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity" - Hippocrates

Healing is restoration to a state of wholeness and well-being. While healing is generally thought of in physical terms, it is no less essential in the emotional and spiritual realm. Healing is a lifelong process that endeavors to unearth the issues clouding your soul and to repair the metaphorical holes in your heart.

All people have healing as a required lesson at some point in their lives. Even those who appear to have perfect lives, devoid of issues, will not be able to bypass this lesson. Life presents too many obstacles and tests for anyone to sail through completely unscathed. Fortunately, we live in a culture that is tuned in to the importance of healing, so a wide range of resources are available. Whatever method you choose is irrelevant; what is important is that you take the time to nurture yourself toward wholeness.

The journey toward wholeness can be expedited if you are willing to use your outer experiences as tools to heal your own inner wounds. Every negative experience is a chance to heal something within yourself. A male friend once confided in me that he was suffering from impotence. He was deeply ashamed about this and filled with self-loathing. He knew his impotence resulted from feelings of unworthiness stemming from when his old girlfriend left him abruptly for another man, yet he was unable to repair his self-esteem.

Eventually, my friend met a wonderful woman named Andrea who loved him unconditionally. It took many months for my friend to finally allow Andrea's unconditional acceptance of him to reflect its healing properties onto his own damaged image of himself. He gradually allowed her to act as a mirror for his own self-acceptance and, through her love, learn to love himself again. Happily, his impotence vanished along with his other negative feelings.

It is entirely possible that other people's positive perception of us can heal any damage in our self-esteem. But healing through mirroring can occur another way, as well. We can learn to heal past wounds the moment they are triggered in the present moment. This is done by dealing with the feelings that surface in certain difficult situations once and for all. The people who act as mirrors in the present can give you the gift of healing wounds from the past.

Stephanie, wanted to leave her job at a publishing house to go into business for herself as a freelance editor. However, she and her boss/mentor had been locked in a dysfunctional working relationship for nearly seven years, and she was having a difficult time separating form him. He treated her like a child, rarely allowing her to make any decisions on her own without consulting him first and keeping her on an extremely short leash. Whenever Stephanie protested or tried to assert her independence, her boss would make her feel guilty by saying he had invested many years in her and that she owed him her career.

Stephanie was feeling frustrated, beaten down, and incapable of breaking free from this situation. She expressed deep disdain for her boss, yet contradicted her venomous remarks with loving, fatherly stories about him. It was clear to me that stephanie had some parent/child healing to do and that this situation was a perfect opportunity to mirror back to her what she needed.

When I asked Stephanie if this situation reminded her of anything or anyone, she immediately told me a story from when she was twenty-one years old. She was officially leaving home for the first time, moving out of her parents' house and in with her long-term boyfriend. Her mother took stephanie's leaving home as a personal betrayal, and verbally attacked Stephanie the night before she moved out. Sitting in her room amidst her packed bags late that night, Stephanie looked up and saw her mother swooping down the hallway toward her, her robe flying out behind her like a witch's cape. When her mother reached her, she hissed at Stephanie, "What you are doing is selfish. Just plain selfish. How dare you leave like this?" Stephanie cowered, and snuck out of the house early the next morning.

Stephanie and I agreed that the situation with her boss was mirroring an old wound of guilt and recollections of not being able to stand up for herself. We both knew she was being given an opportunity to heal this wound by leaving the right way this time, with her dignity and with honor. After many rehearsals, Stephanie eloquently, graciously and with unshakable confidence told her boss she was leaving to further her own growth. Thus, the old wound in her psyche was healed.

What wounds do you carry that need to be healed?

CLARITY

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 23:50:00 +0000

" Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right "

- Jerry Garcia

Clarity is the state of seeing clearly. You achieve clarity in those moments of startling insight when you are able to shift your perspective by viewing a situation in a new light. I like to think of clarity as the result of applying Windex to your soul. As you begin to view others as mirrors of yourself, it is as if you move into a new reality in which you experience life with astonishing crystal vision. You learn the lesson of clarity in the exact moments that you accomplish this perspective shift.

I achieved a moment of clarity that day when I was sixteen, when I suddenly tuned in to the running commentator voice inside my head. I saw a woman named Elaine learn clarity the moment she realized that all her anger directed at her disorganized husband was really anger at herself for embodying that very same quality. A friend of mine experienced it when she allowed herself to see that her pattern of harshly judging men was her own fear of commitment projected outward. You may learn clarity in any random moment of your life, as soon as you open your inner eyes to what your judgments of others are saying about you.

The best way to learn clarity is to identify those times when you are not experiencing it; the moments of fogginess can be clues that the lesson of clarity is being presented. When you are focused on your judgments of others, you are not using them as mirrors, and hence are stuck in the fog. When you are focused on the way someone else has behaved, you are in the fog. In essence, whenever you are disassociated from what the situation is saying about you and your perceptions, and focused instead on what it is saying about the other person, you are in the fog.

In those moments, clarity can be achieved simply by shifting perspective from other/outer to self/ inner. Those are the moments to pause and ask yourself what you are feeling and through what personal lens you are viewing the circumstance. The moment you hold up the mirror, you begin to approach clarity.

TOLERANCE

noreply@blogger.com (life blogs) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 23:43:00 +0000

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." - Carl Jung

In Rule One, you learned the lesson of acceptance, in which you learned to embrace all parts of yourself. Tolerance is the outward extension of acceptance; it is when you learn to embrace all parts of others and allow them to be and express themselves fully as the unique humans that they are. You will need to learn tolerance in order to coexist peacefully with others. Tolerance quiets the inner critic that chatters in your mind so that you can apply the old adage, "live and let live".

When I was sixteen years old, I remember walking down 57th St. in New York City and being suddenly aware, for the first time, of a voice in my head talking to me. It sounded like a running commentary on everyone within my field of vision. I heard it broadcasting impressions incessantly, and the majority were far from kind. I realized that I could-and did- find fault with every single person I passed. The next thought that came to me was, "isn't that amazing, I must be the only perfect person in the universe, since everyone else apparently has something wrong with him."

Once I realized how ridiculous this sounded, it dawned on me that perhaps my judgements of all these people on the street were reflections of myself as opposed to some objective reality. I began to understand that what I was seeing about each of them said more about me than it said about each of them. I also realized that perhaps I was judging everyone else harshly as a way to feel good about myself. By perceiving them as too fat, short, or strangely dressed, I was by comparison thinner, taller and more stylish. In my mind, my intolerance of them rendered me superior.

Some part of me knew that judging others is a way of covering up feelings of insufficiency and insecurity. I decided to examine each judgement I heard in my head and think of it as a mirror allowing me to glimpse some hidden part of myself. I discovered that there were very few people whom I viewed as "acceptable", and the majority of them were very similar to me. Since I rarely allowed myself to relate to anyone who was not exactly like me, I had put myself into an isolated box. From that day on, I used every judgement as a gift to learn more about myself.

Making this shift meant that I had to give up judging the world. Giving up my righteous intolerance meant that I could no longer deem myself automatically superior to anyone, and the result was that I needed to take a good look at my own flaws.

I recently had a business lunch with a man who displayed objectionable table manners. My first reaction was to judge him as offensive and his table manners as disgusting. When I noticed that I was judging him, I stopped and asked myself what I was feeling. I discovered that I was embarrassed to be seen with someone who was chewing with his mouth open and loudly blowing his nose into his linen napkin. I was astonished to find how much I cared about how the other people in the restaurant perceived me. I consciously had to shift from perceiving the situation as being about him to it being about me and my embarrassment. This allowed me to use this man's actions as mirror with which to see my own insecurities about being seen with a person who was less than perfect, and how that reflected on me.

The ultimate goal of making such a shift in perception and learning tolerance is to get to the moment of saying, "So what if this person is..." and thereby taking your power back. If I had allowed my lunch partner to continue to disgust me, I would have given all my power to him. I would have allowed his actions to dictate my feelings. By recognizing that my judgement of him had everything to do with me, I neutralized the effect his manners had on me and took back my power.

Whenever you find yourself intolerant of someone, ask yourself, "What is the feeling underneath this judgement that I don't want to feel?" It might be discomfort, embarrassment, insecurity, anxiety, or some other feeling of diminishment that the person is evoking you. Focus on actually feeling that feeling so that your intolerance can evaporate, and you can embrace both your own emotions and the actions or behavior of the person you are judging.

Remember that your judgement of someone will not serve as protective shield against you becoming like him. Just because I judged my lunch partner as offensive does not prevent me from ever looking or acting like him, just as extending tolerance to him would not cause me to suddenly begin chewing my food with my mouth open. As tough and rigid as judgement and intolerance may be, it can never protect you from anything but Love.