Journey of A Spirited Strider

Appreciating Contrast: Results from My Facebook Poll

2012-01-16T09:26:00.158-05:00

Last month, I asked a "Question" on Facebook designed for deliberate creators. The question was this:

"The fastest way to get what we want is to appreciate where we are right now. What contrast (something you don't want) is the most challenging for you to appreciate?"

The choices were:

World Events
Health
Money
Relationships
Other

I was surprised by the "results." Granted, only a dozen people answered my question but the responses are quite revealing: HALF of the responses said that WORLD EVENTS were the most challenging "contrast," with HEALTH and MONEY tied with 1/4 each of the votes and RELATIONSHIPS with ZERO (0) votes!

I personally checked HEALTH because I find it to be the most challenging for me to divert my attention from when I'm sick or my body aches. If what I hear from people or read out there is any indication of how people feel, I was surprised that RELATIONSHIPS didn't score any votes. MONEY is often a very common one, and I did expect that to have more votes. Of course, one could argue that what I'm "seeing" out there is a reflection of what I'm attracting, so I'm not going to elaborate on that.

Still, WORLD EVENTS coming in as the #1 most challenging? The good news is that's easy to shift to a better feeling place. I personally read internet stories where GOOD NEWS is reported. It helps to put a perspective on what's really going on around the world, as opposed to the overwhelming majority of negative coverage we see, read and hear everyday in the mass media.

Natural disasters happen and it seems like wars are always going on somewhere, but letting that determine whether I have a good day or a challenging day is not my cup of tea! Perhaps people are telling the story of "The economy is bad," too. I watch that coverage from an "observer's" point of view- IF I watch it at all! If it doesn't feel good, I don't watch or tune in. It's all speculation and I'd rather speculate that things are improving, that there are many people thriving, that we've gotten out of situations like this before and we'll do it again!

In fact, I'd suggest that people who are bothered by the contrast of world events turn off the TV and focus on something that feels better! And if sending in your donation to provide relief for someone who is less fortunate than you feels good, be appreciative that you are feeling good, celebrate the abundance in your life that makes your donation possible and send it in! Don't dwell on the "details" of how bad it must be for the victims. No amount of you feeling bad will improve the situation for them. In fact, law of attraction will bring more "feeling bad" to YOU if you focus too long on that!

Unless you're right smack in the middle of some awful world event, or you have a loved one who is, it seems to me that "World Events' contrast" is the easiest "contrast" for deliberate creators to control. You're not personally living it now, and you can control how much attention you give it by flipping the channel, turning off the set, and focusing on something that feels good instead.

While it doesn't matter what I think or feel about this, I would be interested in hearing your comments. If you didn't vote before in my "poll," feel free to add your comment here (or) go to my Facebook page and vote. My Facebook Page You can find the "poll" on the left by clicking on "Questions."

Irregardless of which contrast is the most "challenging" for us individually, we all know that appreciating the contrast is a useful tool in deliberate creation. So why not appreciate that we have so many types of contrast in our lives which allow us to fine-tune our desires and expand in beautiful, exciting ways?

Remember: With contrast comes expansion and often it takes a very creative form in our manifestations that we never before dreamed possible: if we allow it, that is. So pay attention to your contrast and if it's bringing you down because you've got the whole world on your shoulders, take that globe off! See if you can find ways to shift how you're feeling about it by choosing something different. It may be as easy as changing the channel on the remote!

When Things Suck: A Glimpse Into "Allowing" A Break-Up

2012-01-07T16:35:00.001-05:00

I know we've all had times in our lives when we feel as if things "suck." I'm actually going through that now as it pertains to my relationship with someone I love very much. We have apparently broken up. I say "apparently," because I'm still feeling shocked by it all and in disbelief. We had a great relationship. We always had so much fun! We loved each other passionately, joyfully, playfully and the feelings were alive. We could be who we are, without judgment, and allow each other the freedom to be ourselves and love, play, laugh and live life well! That was how I felt about "us." This is how God (or Source) sees each and everyone of us everyday.

Yet we're human, and neither of us is seeing each other as God would see us right now and I'm certainly not seeing myself as Source sees me. When things don't go the way we want them to in a relationship, (which recently happened in our case), it's easy to place blame, point fingers at the other person, throw out accusations about how the other person didn't act the way you wanted them to act, and judge. We judge our partner and each other. We judge ourselves. That is not a loving place to be in, yet why do we continually do this to ourselves? Why do we set ourselves up for disappointment by making what our partner does or doesn't do, says or doesn't say, the object of our happiness?-- Can someone say "attachment" anyone?

We set ourselves up for disappointment by buying into that "ideal relationship" that many parts of society paint (or at least the part of our head or heart that imagines the 'ideal' relationship) and what happens? --The other person always disappoints. They disappoint because we can't control other people: we can only control ourselves. They disappoint because we are different individuals who see and feel things in our own unique ways.

No one person is like you in every way! If I were involved with a guy who was exactly the same as me, I'd probably get bored really fast! So why would I expect someone else to act, be and approach the world in the same way as me? I don't. Yet, in relationships with a partner, we often do expect the other person to react the same as we would!

Differences can be a good thing: they keep us growing, expanding and exploring this beautiful world in which we live. So if you're complaining that your partner doesn't see things your way, be glad that you've got someone in your life who contributes to your personal growth expansion by providing you with another point of view! I'm very appreciative of this man in my life: he has enriched my life in so many ways, and often because of our differences.

Yet appreciating those differences can be a challenge during a "break-up," "a fight" or otherwise while not understanding each other so well. It's the differences in how we react to day-to-day things that often start disagreements and arguments in relationships. When that happens, things can really suck! We can spiral into a series of accusations, judgments, arguments and may use hurtful words. Then we run off to talk to our best friend and re-tell the story, over and over again, igniting the fire of the hurt, blame, judgment and sadness feelings even more. Now we're really on a downward spiral, because we keep telling the story over and over again. And if you're not one to talk to others, you probably have re-told the story over and over again in your mind, so your heart definitely feels it.

I'm reminded now of my all-time favorite quote from Abraham-Hicks: "My happiness depends upon me, so you're off the hook!" I love that quote and I know in my soul that it's true. I am in charge of my own happiness. I get to choose. I choose to appreciate this contrast (the break-up that I don't want) and use this situation to align with my inner being and have the best year yet!

Yet right now, my relationship with the one that I love very much sucks. Yes, it sucks! It sucks because I disappointed him, and then he disappointed me and now it apparently is over. You see? We both bought into that "You have to do ________(Fill in the blanks) to make me happy" mentality. In fact, because I didn't do ________, he wasn't happy with me and because he didn't respond to me like __________, after I explained why I didn't do _________ when he wanted me to ________, I wasn't happy with him.

See how ridiculously funny this is? Haha! Seeing it as a "fill in the blank" exercise illustrates just how silly we are to think we can control someone else. I can laugh about this but the truth is I miss him. I miss him because in our relationship, the love that flowed brought out the best in me: fun, caring, kind, loving, passionate, silly, playful, engaging, creative, inspiring, present and connected. That is worth appreciating.

Yet I'm not feeling that way about me right now. Can someone say "attachment" again, please? I have to "allow" me to be ME: all those qualities that our love brought up in ME. I have to allow those in again, without the NEED for the relationship. Tricky stuff.

I write this here because it feels good for me to do so (and I know that following my "feel good" is the way to aligning with my true self!) I intend that readers who are drawn to read my words will find benefit from it. While I am a person who helps others with tools and tips for living a more positive, joyful life, I am having a challenge being joyful about this break-up. It's not what I want, so I'm determined to use the tools that I know to get myself into a "feel better" place as I go through this. I am intending that I'll get so good at appreciating this contrast of breaking up, that I can love him and myself by "allowing" the break-up: no need, no attachment to outcome, and whether we reconcile won't matter anymore because divine love will be what I feel and appreciate in this situation. In other words, if I see myself, him and our relationship as God or Source sees us, then I've paved the way to seeing us as we truly are: magnificent beings living a life that's supposed to be fun and filled with love: with or without each other as a "couple."

What I know will serve me is this: releasing the need for this relationship in my life, the attachment to him specifically as my "way to happiness," the "need" for his love: and the more I can allow, the better I will feel! Will we get back together? Perhaps....Perhaps not.... But letting go of the attachment of our relationship as the key to my happiness IS the key to my own happiness! I can be happy by myself, thank you!

Abraham-Hicks says that when we are so conscious of "what is" and when "what is" doesn't feel good, it is helpful to get more generally negative about the situation to move ourselves into alignment to a better feeling place. So that's why I'm calling this post "When Things Suck: A Glimpse Into 'Allowing' A Break-Up." I'm moving my vibe more generally negative (as opposed to re-telling the specifics of what happened). So here's my rant:

This really sucks! I hate when things suck. It sucks to feel this way. This whole situation sucks. I don't like it at all because it sucks! Yet I've had other "sucky" situations before and they didn't stay "sucky" forever. Things did get better in the past so they can get better now. This won't always suck. Not everything in my life sucks. In fact, many things in my life don't suck at all! Eventually this situation will move from "sucky" to "hopeful." I know what to do - I've done it before.....but right now it sucks and I'm not liking it. My future is filled with all kinds of goodies and here I sit, sad about this situation. If only I could find my way to turn this sucker around! What if I knew exactly what to do with this sucker?

LOL Ok, that made me laugh. :-) There's hope in this sucker afterall...

Celebrate 2011 and Into 2012 We Go!

2011-12-31T13:00:00.001-05:00

It's the last day of 2011 and a perfect time to look back at all of your successes, joys and celebrations of the year, while enjoying an excited anticipation for what's to come! I have a lot to celebrate this year but the most important items are my relationships and my health. I'm healthy, I'm feeling great and I love my kids, my significant other, my friends, colleagues, my Facebook and Twitter friends and everyone else who came into my life in 2011! This year has been magical in many ways and you all have been a part of that magic for me.

And to all the people who I don't personally know, but who have inspired me, I say "Thank you!" I applaud you! Today I had an encounter with an inspiring cashier I don't know in the Hy-Vee grocery store in Iowa City. The cashier was such a friendly young man (as many Iowans are), and when he told me to have a great day, I really could feel he meant it.

You know how sometimes people say things, but it feels like they're just hitting the "repeat" button and they don't really mean it? (That's always a sign for me that I need to slow down and be present.) Well today was not one of those days. In fact, I'd say that when I'm in Iowa, most of the time people in the service industry feel present, genuine and authentic to me. I love Iowa. I miss it sometimes and I'm celebrating that I get to spend 2011 into 2012 here!

This is not to say that there aren't authentic people everywhere in the world. I believe there are, and often I am delighted by friendly, helpful people who do kind, caring things in places that have a stereotype for not being friendly (e.g. big cities). We can find loving people everywhere: it really is a matter in how we choose to look at people and things. If we look for the positive in people, the positive will often show up. We get what we expect. So let's expect good things!

Since I was feeling particularly happy, joyful and relaxed, I attracted others of the same vibe. If people around me are not particularly happy or joyful and I can quietly "observe" them, rather than internalize those feelings, I know I'm on the right track to joy. And when I don't (and let others become the object of my own happiness), it's an opportunity for me to look inside at what I'm feeling, so I can shift those feelings into appreciation. When I do, it's easy to practice sending love and seeing others happy, joyful and relaxed, too.

So I encourage everyone to take a little time today and find those celebrations in your life! It just feels good and sets the tone for this next year. You'll be expecting celebrations, appreciating "what is" and attracting more of that back at you! And if you practice this everyday, guess what?- It might just make you happy!

Happy New Year, everyone and into 2012 we go! Woo Hoo!

Warmly,
Barbara

Make Everyday an Appreciation Day!

2011-11-24T12:25:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I just made some delicious banana bread that I'll take over to a friends for Thanksgiving. While I had planned on being with family today, it didn't work out. But rather than be sad that I won't spend this day with my kids, I'm choosing to appreciate all things and people in my life that fill my world with joy. My kids, my friends, my family, the cats that have made my back yard their home, invitations to spend Thanksgiving at someone else's home, the Iowa Hawkeyes, college football, my clients, other coaches who give so freely of their time and talents, the fact that I don't have to cook a whole lot today, the beautiful sunny sky, the fresh air, my car that is so reliable, my job, my home, and Laughter Yoga! And that's just a short list!

EVERYDAY is an opportunity to appreciate - not just today. So let's make everyday an appreciation day!

Imagine! Can you?

2011-10-09T18:48:00.000-04:00

Today I'm reminded that it is John Lennon's birthday. He would have been 71 years old. In what is one of my favorite songs, "Imagine," John envisioned a world that lived in harmony and peace - where the world would live as one - a brotherhood of man...

Can you imagine? I know I can! What dreams are you imagining and creating? Don't stop imagining! Imagination is such a beautiful and useful tool in deliberate creation. (And a whole lot of fun, too!)

The Freedom Within Us

2011-09-11T02:30:00.001-04:00

Today marks ten years since the 9/11/01 terrorist acts in New York and Washington D.C. While I had moved to New York earlier that year and could tell my story of where I was on that day, what I saw, how I felt, etc., that's not what this post is about. I'm choosing to focus instead on the freedom I have within me to just decide that I'm going to focus on the positive about this situation because I want to feel good today: especially today.

It's a bit challenging here in New York every September 11th not to re-tell the stories, see the images and feel the pain that people felt that day. The ceremony at Ground Zero is broadcast every year on television here, people talk about it around the city, and there are numerous reminders on a day-to-day basis about "remember 9-11" on bumper stickers, t-shirts, posters, newspapers, and the like.

But I don't want to remember the horror of that day. I can remember in a way that feels softer, more gentler, and kinder to me: as in looking toward the future, finding the positive that arose out of all of this contrast of that day. Did it make people appreciate their loved ones more? I think it did. Did it bring people together in ways they probably wouldn't have come together? It certainly did. In fact, even people who gather to tell those stories that I'm choosing not to focus on now are coming together in a way that connects them: and that's a good thing.

We all have freedom of choice about how we react to any situation, what we say, how we think and how we feel. That's liberating! Isn't it wonderful that the new tower is called the Freedom Tower? It's a perfect symbol of how we've re-built from the tragedy, creating a beautiful structure that symbolizes one of this country's core values as well as our individual freedom of choice.

I recently took a couple of photos of the new Freedom Tower last month with my phone, on a rainy day while passing by Ground Zero. I also had another shot on an earlier day in August from the Staten Island ferry on a more gorgeous day (on my way to a NY Yankees game!) You can see the Freedom Tower shining!

I decided to post those photos here as a reminder that we all have the freedom of choice: it's within each and every one of us. YOU have a choice in how you live each day. YOU have a choice on whether you see the glass as half-empty or half-full. YOU have total freedom of choice in how you feel. YOU have a choice in how you react to everything in your life, including how YOU feel this day. No one, no event, no situation can be the "cause" of how you feel. YOU choose. Granted, many of us blame others for our happiness, yet someone like Viktor Frankl who spent years in concentration camps recognized that his attitude was HIS choice in his Man's Search for Meaning: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way."

So when you look at the new Freedom Tower, can you smile knowing that you, too, can be just as tall, shining and brilliant as YOU choose to be? Isn't that liberating? That's freedom, indeed!

Following My "Feel Good," College Football, The Iowa Hawkeyes & Law of Attraction for Fans

2011-09-04T22:19:00.003-04:00

People who know me and/or who follow me on Twitter and Facebook know that I'm a huge college football fan and that I'm crazy about my favorite team: The Iowa Hawkeyes. While I've written about how I Love My Iowa Hawkeyes, I thought it was time to address a little football here, from a law of attraction perspective.

I normally don't pay too much attention to the news that's on tv, radio and the newspapers, unless it feels good to me. When it comes to news on college football, however, I'm an avid regular reader of blogposts, news stories, message boards, websites and viewer of football TV shows. I have a passion for my team and love the excitement of a new season, with all the possibilities it brings.

With that said, I have noticed that lately I wasn't feeling so good about some of the writing and press that surrounds college football. I'm sure that it isn't just unique to college football, but since that is the sports news that I've been following, that's what I'm writing about today. I write this to provide perhaps a different perspective when looking at college football: one that emphasizes the positive, appreciates the fun, and looks forward in excited anticipation (as opposed to looking back on past 'mistakes'). I know in my soul that following your "feel good" creates more to feel good about! What you focus on, grows and what you resist, persists. So here goes...

Pre-Season Predictions: When the pre-season favorites are selected by the various media folk, coaches and fans, I have these observations:

1. Everyone has a favorite.
2. Most people don't predict the teams accurately.
3. There's a lot of emotion wrapped up in the predictions.

From a law of attraction perspective, there are interesting analogies from these 3 statements:

1. Everyone has a favorite = setting an intention for the outcome you want.
2. Most people don't predict the teams accurately = The intention didn't manifest, so there was not aligning to the "feel good" about the situation and allowing the success in.
3. A lot of emotion = a lot of passion for the outcome, which means you really, really, really want your team to win. This can show up as "resistance" because all those emotions get in the way about how badly you want your team to win (e.g. disappointment, fear, worry, etc.)

Many fans will say that pre-season predictions mean nothing as there are usually so many changes from the beginning of a season to the end. Yet, pre-season predictions abound in the college football sports world: from fans, expert analysts, sportswriters, bloggers, and probably from your next door neighbor! Emotions soar, tempers rage and frustration abounds when one's team isn't "picked" in the pre-season favorites. Expectations rise, confidence abounds and pressure mounts when one's team is picked to finish high. There's a lot of emotion wrapped up in those pre-season predictions! (And I admit, I love reading who the favorites are!)

While the "experts" like to think of themselves as predicting accurately the outcomes of the games each season, I don't think there are many (if any), who actually get it 100% "right." And while it's not important to get it "right," I do find it amusing that many "experts" get paid a lot of money to give their opinions and to provide expert analysis of the games---all for OUR entertainment. When their predictions don't line up with what manifests in that week, they come up with a new set of predictions (and explanations as to why it turned out the way it did).

From the way most of the sports people report, write and convey their predictions, .I bet they love their jobs! That's great if they do, because it doesn't matter if they get it "right," as long as they're happy. Now THAT'S my idea of ideal work!

The fans are something else! Depending on where their team is picked, fans complain, rejoice, speculate, stew, argue and boast about the experts' predictions. If it weren't for the fans, the "experts" wouldn't have jobs! Fans are what makes the passion in college football so sizzling hot. Fans are fun to observe and fun to be! Yet I am surprised at how many college football fans actually intend for their favorite team to fail. If you were to ask a fan of any team, "Do you want your team to fail this season?" I'm sure all would say "No!" And they would think that I've asked them a very silly question, too! Of course they don't want their team to lose--that's why they're a fan!

But if asked how they think their team will perform this season, one finds all kinds of responses: undefeated, one or two losses, 9-2, 6-5, lucky to have a winning season, they're "worried" about a particular game, etc. are sample responses I've read way too often. To all fans out there, I ask you, Where's your faith? Where's the expectation that your favorite team can rise above the "experts" predictions (which are usually wrong in many cases, anyway)? Do you think that the players have these same expectations? How would you feel if you knew the players on your favorite team felt the same way? It wouldn't feel good, would it?

Does it feel good to you to consciously intend for your favorite team to fail? I bet it doesn't! So why not intend more deliberately? It certainly will feel a lot better! And it might produce better results, too! Wouldn't it be nice if we could all have the childlike optimism about each and every game: because we know that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE? In the game of college football, anything is possible! In life, anything is possible. You get to decide what's possible when you set your intentions for your favorite team! Does it feel good to predict your team to lose? Heck, no! BELIEVE! All will turn out "right." Let's choose our emotions that feel good. Even if your team doesn't win, you will have had fun in the process and it won't really matter. (Because it doesn't really matter who gets it "right," afterall.)

I have a lot more tips, techniques and examples I could write about this (afterall, I AM passionate about college football and the law of attraction)! But in the intention of making this a blogpost, rather than a book, I'll conclude right now, as I write from Iowa City, Iowa - home of the Iowa Hawkeyes (who are now 1-0!). I realize that my post is typical as a Hawkeye fan: optimistic, hopeful, excited about the season and loyal to my team- win or lose - but always with the excited anticipation for a new season, each Saturday, a bowl game and more! Why not? Anything is possible! Go Hawks! May the force of "feel good" be with you!

Preparing for Hurricane Irene "Just in Case" & The Law of Attraction

2011-08-27T16:15:00.000-04:00

As I write this on Saturday afternoon, some hours before Hurricane Irene will reach here, I'd say I'm ready. I've listened to what one needs to do to prepare for a hurricane. Having never been through a hurricane before, I admit I was a bit nervous. As someone who understands how the law of attraction works, "nervous" is not a vibe I intend to keep for very long, so I knew I had to figure out a way to shift my vibe surrounding this whole experience (or I would end up creating a whole lot of things to be nervous about)!

In the days leading up to today, "being prepared" felt like a "just in case" feeling to me. Our Mayor Bloomberg was saying, "prepare for the worst and hope for the best." That wasn't feeling so good to me because it felt like a wishy-washy vibration: a "just in case" feeling on the one hand, believing all will be ok and on the other hand, trying to control the way it goes--just in case (which isn't believing at all). Yes, it's a vicious cycle, which is what I went through yesterday wondering if I would go to New Jersey with some friends or stay here in New York. So I was a bit "stuck" and had little faith and definitely did not "know" what to do. I wasn't listening to my inner guidance but the contrast of it all definitely helped me pay attention.

While that is how I was feeling, for others, the "just in case" feeling might be a feeling of relief, so that would work very well for them. When we reach for a feeling of relief, we move up the vibrational scale and we're on our way to better feeling thoughts, feelings and situations. Yesterday I wasn't in that place and nothing was feeling very relieving so I knew I had some work to do. So it was time to shift how I've been feeling about this hurricane named Irene who may be visiting.

In thinking about being prepared, I was reminded about my days of being a Girl Scout, as our motto was "Always Be Prepared." Thinking about my experience with Girl Scouts was a better feeling experience. So prepare is what I've done! I listened and read about how to prepare and have done the best I can. And I've shifted how I'm feeling about it. It's not a "just in case" feeling anymore, but one of feeling more relaxed in the knowing that I've got all that I could ever need. It's also a feeling of appreciation for my government officials, offices, the media and family and friends who've offered suggestions on how to be prepared in this situation. It's wonderful there are so many resources out there to assist me and others who knew nothing about preparing for a hurricane. I do appreciate each and everyone of them!

Remembering the Girl Scout days had me thinking about camping, friends, playing the guitar and singing around a campfire and eating S'mores! What great memories! That led me to inspiration of "preparedness a la Spirited Strider": in addition to the usual stuff, I added extra phones in case my battery on my current one runs out (I do love to talk!), 2 iPods for listening to music and meditations, plus a journal and pen to write or doodle if I feel so inspired!

So now I've found myself chuckling a bit. And I know THAT is a very good thing! So am I nervous? Nope. I'm good and I know all will be well with me.

I just learned that the worst of Irene will probably start here around 10 pm, through the night and into Sunday morning. I'm intending a restful sleep while she visits. I'm ready and I'd be just fine if Irene decided to sleep, too!

On that note, I think it's time to sing! In fact, maybe I'll get my guitar out and personally sing Irene a lullaby to go to sleep and out to sea! Good night, Irene, good night! This is Johnny Cash's version. Go ahead and sing along! Let's serenade Irene to sleep!

Opportunities in The Midst of Political Chaos

2011-08-06T12:37:00.000-04:00

Photo Courtesy of www.pdphoto.org

I spent a bit of time this past week watching the news. I usually don't regularly watch the news anymore, as it doesn't always feel good to me. In fact, I'd say most of the time, it doesn't feel good: the stories of robberies, muggings, fires, and murders seem to escalate from one story to the next. Each negative "story" creates a bit of tension in my stomach, and often gives me a heavy heart. I take those reactions quite seriously as I know that energy is not good for me.

Granted, the news occasionally throws in a lighter story that might even inspire or make me giggle, but it's often sandwiched within the 30 minutes of making even the sports' news dramatic: with gossip, speculation, highlights of brawls and so on. And we all know how the weather report can bring us "news" of heavy storms, droughts, devastation and a long list of other possible scenarios. Yet I personally find getting out in nature as one of the most peaceful, conscious-raising and spiritual experiences.

But "the news" doesn't usually choose the opportunity it has to enlighten us, make us feel good, to cast the day's stories in a positive light and to make a difference in world at the same time. Granted, it's not their job to make us happy, as we each must make that choice ourselves. So we have a choice in whether we watch the news or not, how we choose to feel about what we watch and how we choose to react to all this negative and "alarming" vibes that are often communicated.

So this past week or so, I watched our U.S. politicians talk a lot about money, our debt ceiling issue and I saw: fighting, pushing against, accusations, pointing fingers, anger, pride, failed communication, rigidity, fear, and anxiety, to name a few things. (There were more!) It left me with a feeling of disgust and frustration. But it also reminded me that this was my opportunity to shift how I was reacting to it all and intend a world a whole lot better. After all, I know how the law of attraction works!

The world is not coming to an end as a result of all of this. We are all still here. That's a good thing. This is an opportunity to learn from this experience. Rather than worry about the U.S.'s new, lower credit rating and what that means, casting blame at how we got there, repeating stories of whose fault it is and creating a fear and panic about where we're going, this is an opportunity for us to unite toward solutions that feel better. We can do that by finding things to appreciate in this situation right now.

Is there anything to appreciate in all of this? Sure there is! For those who didn't vote the last election and to those who did, this is your opportunity to either continue to support your favorite candidate or choose someone else who is more aligned to the issues that are important to you. This is an opportunity to appreciate our democracy in so many ways: the freedom of the press, the fact that different opinions can be voiced at all publicly, and the freedom of a "checks-and-balances" system that is required before laws are passed. It's an opportunity to appreciate our relationships (and especially when we witness such contrast as in the extreme 'combative' behavior by our elected officials)! This is an opportunity to cherish our present moments with each and every person who is near and dear to our hearts. There are endless ways to appreciate in all of this extreme contrast.

I don't claim to have the answers to what you choose to appreciate or how to get to a place that feels better than this. I only know that I don't want to get "sucked in" to the drama of what feels like endless debates in politics and on the news. So I'm turning the channel again! Besides, I can't escape "the news." I hear it from people around me, when I sign onto the internet, from Facebook and Twitter notifications and I don't live in a cave! But I do choose not to internalize all of this: this is an opportunity for me to know what I really want for me, my life, my community, my country and my world.

So I'm recognizing the opportunity in this to set some "feel better" intentions on this topic: intentions of peace, harmony, prosperity, wellness, love, fairness, cooperation, hope and most of all--CHOICES. We all have a choice in this. The politicians have a choice in how they behave, interact, communicate and vote. This is our opportunity to make a different choice than the ones made leading up to this past week. I wonder if our leaders will seize this moment and see that they can start anew? I will intend that they do!

19,106 EMAILS!

2011-07-23T11:25:00.001-04:00

Have you taken a look at your email inbox lately? I have! Yesterday I had 19,106 emails in my GMail account and by the end of the day, I had reduced it to 11,664. While that number left may seem high, I am so excited and relieved to know that I cleared out 7,442 emails, all in one day! It feels really good to clear out a big chunk of that "virtual clutter," and now I've learned some useful tools to continue to clear away the rest.

What does clearing out emails have to do with spirituality and why am I writing about it here on my blog? Isn't it just an example that I'm disorganized?

A lot has been written about clutter and "getting organized." There are professional organizers who assist people in clearing and organizing their "stuff." There are shows on television that help people "get organized." (The hoarder shows are dealing with deep, psychological issues, so I'm not including them in this list.) If you look around, you will find many articles and magazines usually giving space to "getting organized" or "decluttering." So it's clearly a topic that most can relate to.

Yet when we buy into the idea that we are disorganized and need to "get organized," we run the risk of not loving ourselves. There is nothing wrong with becoming more organized, but too often I've heard people criticize themselves over their lack of "organization" of their physical clutter. So there's often a lot of self-hatred going on associated with clutter and the notion that we are "less than perfect" when we don't know how to "organize" it. So if you're feeling a sense of "I'm not good enough" (or) "There must be something wrong with me" associated with your need for "organization," that's a clue to be easy on yourself and more loving.

So I decided to share my journey with clearing my inbox publicly so that others can see that they are not alone: that there is nothing wrong with them that needs to be "fixed," and that the clearing process is really an act of self-love. Once you start to feel that shift toward doing this as a way to honor and love yourself, you can more easily shift and accept tips from "organizers," too.

One can be "organized" and still have "clutter" in their lives. What physically appears "organized" may actually be draining your energy if you no longer love it, for example. Clutter is not always about our physical "stuff," either. Clutter can show up in our relationships, our minds, our bodies, in our energy and in our inboxes! I've been learning a lot from Sue Rasmussen, a life coach whose motto is "Making Room for What Matters." As part of her "Clearing Out Day" for July (which is part of a larger 12-month program called Streamline Your Success), we focused on virtual clutter. I chose to work on my Gmail account.

It was my first Clear Out Day, so I was excited. I actually had organized many of my emails into folders and could easily find the topic and the email threads I was searching. Did I have time to read all that came into my email box? - No! Had I spent a lot of time lately not bothering to read most of what came into my email box? -Yes! So these were signs to me that my Gmail account was no longer serving me, I no longer loved it and the entire thing felt "heavy" and "overwhelming" to me, so I knew it was time to clear it out.

While I go to my Gmail account often and knew I had a lot in there, I didn't realize how "cluttered" it really was until I did this exercise. I felt a bit embarrassed to see 19,106 emails in there (and I wasn't even using the "archive" function!), but I quickly got over that, because I'm doing this for me: to make room for more joy in my life, to rid myself of background clutter that doesn't serve me anymore, to clear the energy so that I can allow more love and joy in. In essence, it is part of my personal development journey-part of my journey as The Spirited Strider and totally related to loving myself. In clearing clutter, I can more easily be me.

Since I had so many emails, I decided to go with Sue's "fast pass method" which is a quick scanning of items and quickly making decisions about them. I wanted to feel better fast, so this worked for me. (I have become quite good at this lately, as I recently cleared out my mother's storage unit and had limited time to do so.) For the items that I couldn't make a quick decision about, I utilized Sue's filing system to label them to peruse later. I quickly realized that I was subscribed to way too many ezines and newsletters so I began by labeling them into a folder that I returned to at the end of the day. At the end of the day, I had 53 items in that folder, and went back to "unsubscribe" to 34 of them already. So that folder is now down to 19 items that I will make decisions on over the course of this week.

Deciding to unsubscribe from newsletters is not always an easy task. I have connections with many of the people, but honestly, I had way too much clutter to actually read their work! So I made a decision to only keep a few: those that I always read at this current time. I attracted Sue and her "Streamline Your Success" program into my life and her newsletter is one I'm keeping! While many of other newsletters I used to read, I had way too many to read them all now. I can always go back and change my mind again. I am of the mindset that if it is beneficial to me, it will come back to me and if I'm inspired again to subscribe to it, I will. Besides, by that time, I may find that my list of "newsletters that I always read" may change. But now I have the tools I need to feel good about my inbox and clear it more regularly so that it doesn't pile up like it had these past few years.

What was really revealing for me was the amount of emails I had from forums at my favorite online places to hang out: GoodVibeUniversity and Facebook. Most of those emails were notifications from forum threads I had "subscribed" to or from Facebook email notification settings. I had long ago changed my Facebook settings and this past week or so, I changed the GoodVibeUniversity forum thread subscriptions. What I had NOT done was to go back and delete all those emails, however. Thus, there were many, many emails in there that were easily cleared.

I discovered the easiest way to find these emails was to do two searches using "notification" and "notifications" in the "Search Email" tab on GMail. Hundreds and yes, thousands of emails appeared when I did that! You can quickly scan to be sure there isn't something you want to keep (as other notifications may appear there that you want to keep), but it was very fast and easy to clear when I realized it half-way through my Clearing Day.

When we clear the clutter around us and within, one can feel the energetic shift. While I felt a bit in shock at the initial site of 19,106 emails, I quickly shifted that to excitement that I was going to feel a whole lot better after this exercise--and feel better I did! I felt like a weight had been lifted and I felt quite inspired to share with others. This process is empowering!

I also found that I was really tired at the end of the day: not only because I was at the computer doing repetitive work, but also because I had cleared a lot of clutter energy that had been weighing me down. I had made some decisions to rid myself of virtual clutter that I previously I had no time for, yet had been very aware that it was there. So listening to my feelings about my inbox let me know that I needed to feel better about it by clearing some of that clutter out. In essence, that feeling of "I have to get around to reading that" was gone and that was a huge relief and I'm feeling excited to clearing more.

Abraham-Hicks knows the power of reaching for a feeling of relief to feel better. When we reach for a feeling of relief, we are moving up the emotional scale and raising our vibration. That's exactly how this process felt to me: each round of Clear Out Day felt like moving up the scale toward more relief, more relief, more relief...and then feeling really good about the day in general.

When we feel better, we attract more things and people that make us feel better. So while I have 11,664 emails to go, I'm feeling great about 7,442 that are gone and from what I've learned from this process. I now have the tools to work on the 11,664 that remain and can't wait to make room for more excitement and joy in my life!

Please feel free to share your own insights, comments and suggestions for others on this common type of clutter or how you regularly reach for a feeling of relief!

Beauty in a "Weed"

2011-05-15T14:06:00.000-04:00

I remember when I was a child, I used to love to pick dandelions and bring them home to my mom. They were beautiful flowers to me. I've never really understood why so many adults find them so annoying as "weeds" and why they use chemicals to kill them on their lawns. Herbalists consider dandelions to be very valuable, both for culinary uses as well as for medicinal purposes.

A few weeks ago, the dandelions were rampant in the college campus lawn where I work and I stopped to take some quick photos before going into the rest of my day. I smiled as I took them, remembering how it felt as a child to pick them as "flowers" even though I wasn't particularly fond of their smell. I smiled because I was reminded that I have a choice in how I react to them, as I do with all things, situations and people in my life. I appreciate these dandelions because they are beautiful for me, in their vibrant yellow splattering across green grass areas. It's also a lot of fun to blow away the seeds when they reach maturity, too!

In seeing the beauty of dandelions, I'm reminded that I like knowing that I have a choice. We all do. So I don't see dandelions as a weed, but I do see their beauty. It's just like seeing a glass as half-full versus half-empty, or to having a good day versus complaining your way through a bad one. It's all about the choice that we make and we have total freedom to decide how we experience each moment. Seeing dandelions as beautiful flowers feels so much better to me than seeing them as weeds. It's important for me to feel good so I'm sticking with my choice!

So I ask you: Do you see the beauty of these flowers (or) do you see a nasty weed?

Springing Forward and The Beauty of Spring!

2011-03-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

Here in most parts of the U.S., tonight we set our clocks ahead an hour before going to sleep. Many complain and say we're losing an hour of sleep, but we gained one last fall when we set them back an hour, so isn't it even? :-) I like to think of it as springing forward in anticipation for the beauty of spring!

So I'm posting just a few photos of flowers at springtime I took a year or two ago while spending a Sunday in the New York Botanical Garden. Can't wait to see all the flowers in bloom again soon!

2011 World Tapping Summit Begins Tomorrow!

2011-02-20T21:54:00.001-05:00

You've may have heard about the 2011 Tapping World Summit from others by now. Just in case you haven't, it really is a special event and it's free! Starting tomorrow night, February 21st, you can listen to free EFT audios online for 10 days from many different practitioners.

Last year 130,981 people attended this event without paying a dime and received unbelievable information. And this year there has already been over 200,000 new people register for the event which starts on February 21st.

EFT is a powerful technique that can have a life-altering impact on your life. These videos are worth watching! To learn more and to sign up, click on the information below.

Are You Happy?

2011-01-16T12:32:00.000-05:00

Are you happy? Do you know it? Are you showing it? I know I am! If you're not feeling so happy, then I challenge you to make the choice RIGHT NOW to feel happy for some moments with this song!

In the last two weeks, I've thought about this old children's song, "If You're Happy and You Know It." It kept coming up for me, so I've been singing it a bit here and there and it always brings a smile to my face (and often lots of chuckles)! While the song is "allegedly" for children, I'm loving it (and do remember singing this loudly and clearly as a kid).

It's playful, joyful, silly fun! And that means one thing to me: it's a FEEL GOOD song that can raise us up along the emotional scale toward happiness!

So here's my challenge: Listen to the two versions I found on YouTube and choose the one that feels like the most fun to you. If neither of them do, choose one anyway and MAKE THE CHOICE to try one anyway. Then sing along to the video and music and dance with it! Check in with yourself on how it makes you feel.

Are you feeling silly? Playful? Are you laughing? I know I am! Sometimes the simplest things can bring the greatest joy! Enjoy!

Love Begins Within

2011-01-06T11:19:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! Let's start the year off with some love, shall we? Here's my newest video.

You Can Do Anything!

2010-12-05T20:24:00.001-05:00

This weekend's inspiration resulted in my newest video. It's a little over 3 minutes long and designed to get you to feel good (which is really practicing the "Art of Allowing" in Abraham-Hicks language!) Hope you enjoy it!

Inspiration vs. Motivation

2010-11-30T18:51:00.010-05:00

Today marks my last day of blogging everyday for a month as part of the National Blogging for A Month contest. I decided to do this from a place of inspiration and was so inspired that I decided to blog on two of my blogs everyday for the month of November! I'm happy to report that I did just that. Granted, the "requirements" were that we post something--anything--everyday for a month, so each post didn't have to be a work of art.

For me, while the idea came to me in an inspired moment to blog everyday, in actuality I found that I was not always inspired to write everyday, so I began "motivating" myself in the name of the commitment I had chosen for myself--to blog everyday for 30 days. That's not actually very "law of attraction-like" as I was definitely not practicing the "art of allowing" in letting the ideas flow from a place within (which leads to inspiration). Instead I was pushing and trying to motivate myself to write something. And when you push against something (in my case, the deadline of not enough time), you get more of what you don't want (not enough time).

So I would have been better off, letting go and allowing the ideas to flow on those days. To give you an idea of what I mean, here's another way to think of it, from Abraham-Hicks, "We want you to be inspired into the Vortex, rather than outside the Vortex trying to motivate your way in."

My blogging was sometimes done from that "motivating myself" place and it didn't feel good on those days. Why not? Because I was trying to motivate my way into a place of inspiration (in the Vortex) instead of just feeling good and relaxed, to "allow" the inspirational ideas in.

So now I'll go back to my "blogging when I feel like it" mode and just be happy!

Joy on the Basketball Court

2010-11-29T21:36:00.001-05:00

With the basketball season underway, I'm reminded of the story of Jason McElwain, also known as J-Mac for short. I find his passion very inspiring and the support from his teammates, coaches and the crowd very uplifting! Now THIS is how we can move mountains, when we celebrate truly from our hearts the success of another! It's joy on the basketball court! Woo hoo!

The Abundance Book

2010-11-28T19:54:00.000-05:00

All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them and ye shall have them- Mark 11:12

While this quote is from the Bible, I'm putting it in this blog post because it's one of the many Biblical references used in a book I'm reading called "The Abundance Book" by John Randolph Price. I love to read and find that my interactions with people tend to lead me to the next book I'm reading. I first learned about this book from Nancy Barry-Jansson while connecting on GoodVibeUniversity. The book has many powerful insights.

If you are a interested in the law of attraction and attracting abundance into your life, this book may be for you! I wanted to write about it because I believe there's some deep material in it that will say much of what is already said about attracting abundance into your life, but from yet another perspective. The book comes with a CD called The 40-day Prosperity Plan that accompanies the book. I haven't tried it yet, but I soon will! I plan to blog along as I do, too.

So stay tuned...!

Karate, Anyone?

2010-11-27T20:23:00.000-05:00

While I've seen this video before, I still get a chuckle over this kid. He really makes me smile! Enjoy!

Appreciating What Is and Loving It for Change

2010-11-26T20:00:00.000-05:00

So many teachers remind us of the importance of love and being loving if we want to better the world and ourselves.

Here are a few:

"Step number one for changing the entire world, is falling in love with it as it already is. The same is true for changing yourself."
Mike Dooley

"Be the change you want to see in the world. "
Ghandi

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

How are you seeing the world you're in right now? And what words do you use to describe yourself in all of it?

If you want more friends, be a friend to someone. If you're wanting more abundance, start appreciating the abundance that is already in your life and give generously, without expectation of a return. When you operate in a state of love, joy and appreciation, you cannot help but attract more joy and love in your life.

So what kind of change are you seeking to see in the world? What kinds of changes do you want to make in yourself? Find that place in love and joy by appreciating what is (both in the world and in yourself) on a regular basis and you'll see your life change.

T-H-A-N-K-S-G-I-V-I-N-G

2010-11-25T09:38:00.000-05:00

T-H-A-N-K-S-G-I-V-I-N-G

Totally
Humongous
Appreciation
Nationwide
Kindheartedness
Salivating
Goodies
Intrinsic
Value
In
Newfound
Generosity

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Dance With Dolphins

2010-11-24T17:25:00.000-05:00

I found this beautiful acoustic guitar solo to share. I play guitar and really do appreciate guitarists like these from which music just flows! (And who doesn't love dolphins?) Enjoy!

The Exam with Mr. Bean

2010-11-23T19:51:00.000-05:00

This is a funny video from Mr. Bean. I find him really hilarious.

I'm dedicating this video of Mr. Bean to all students who are taking a break for Thanksgiving vacation, but who probably have some studying to do for exams that will await them when they return to campus. Take a break and enjoy the humorous side of the nervous endeavor of taking an exam and wondering if you studied the right thing!

"Intending" in General Terms

2010-11-22T23:41:00.003-05:00

The last two days, I've had the pleasure of seeing both Wayne Dyer and Mike Dooley speak here in New York on separate occasions. Both of them spoke about manifesting. I will write more at another time, but wanted to share with you something that Mike Dooley spoke about tonight and also recommends in his newest book, "Manifesting Change: It Couldn't Be Easier."

Mike's newest book involves a matrix he's developed to guide us in setting our intentions, taking baby steps and just allowing the good stuff in. While I just got the book and haven't yet read it, I have listened to his audio version of the same topic.

Many law of attraction teachers will tell you to get very clear about what it is you want. Mike suggests we get more general. Without getting into a big review here tonight (as it's late and I have 35 minutes to write two blog posts as part of my "blogging every day on 2 blogs for the month of November!"), suffice it to say that this really resonates with me.

When we get more general and focus on HAPPINESS, and then take baby steps in putting ourselves out there to be open to what shows up, the Universe will find ways to bring happiness in ALL areas of our lives. So while vision boards and specific clarity can be good things to get into that feeling of happiness, if we become attached to those things, it can put a wrinkle in what the Universe has lined up for us. In other words, use your vision boards on specific things to get into the feeling place of what the consequences of happiness will bring, but don't insist on that specific car, house, job, relationship, etc. Remain detached to HOW it will show up.

For law of attraction fans, what do you think? I personally love it! I think it's a useful tool, particularly when it's about something we really have been desiring and it hasn't shown up yet (which can magnify our absence of it in the form of resistance). So focus on feeling good and on what makes you happy!

Here's my pic with Mike! It was a happy occasion! :-)