The author collecting a wild swarm of honeybees

I loved this experience because I had to learn how to master my energy with stinging insects, prey animals, and predators in order to cultivate a healthy, balanced community of people, working animals, and livestock.

Energy Mastery of Animals

• The bees showed me how my calm, soothing presence made them feel safe around me. They opened my heart to greater joy in mindfully productive work.
• The prey animals showed me how to evoke cooperation through collaborative partnership. They opened my heart to greater joy in service to the community.
• The predators showed me how to be more calmly assertive without anger or aggression. They opened my heart to the joy of self confidence and inner leadership.
• Every creature responded best to the energy of confidence (self-love), care (love of others) and joy (love overflowing), and evoked more of this in me when I got it right. This created a positive feedback loop of harmonious productivity.

I am forever grateful for their teaching me how to better embody these Divine qualities. Their lessons have made me a better person, and a better coach. I now pass on this embodied wisdom to my clients, helping them to master their energy so they can remain centered in any situation.

All of these creatures reminded me that we humans are creatures too; that we’re all affected by each other’s energy. And, that the best results happen when we take full responsibility for the energy we bring to the mix.

May we each be more aware of our energy body so we can be a source of peace, cooperation, and upliftment to all.

Rich Blessings,  Jack (and Stacey)

Next Steps: Mastering Your Energy

If you’d like support with mastering your energy, please let us know. We’re here to help.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE DIRECTLY TO THE VERA FAMILY.

Recently, one of our Weekly Message subscribers, a man named Rafael Vera, reached out to us for help. When we learned about the dire situation he and his family are facing, we agreed to do all we can.

We are asking you to join us.

Rafael is a psychotherapist and professor and his wife is a preschool teacher, also with a masters degree. They had a wonderful life in Venezuela with good jobs, a nice home, and great kids. Then, the leadership of Venezuela made drastic changes that have plummeted the country, and the Vera family, into poverty and starvation. Today, Rafael and his son Aaron are refugees, separated from the rest of their family while they try to establish a new home for them all.

Last week Rafael and Aaron made the long journey from Barcelona, Venezuela to Guayaquil, Ecuador and are seeking housing and employment in their new country.

Rafael and his son Aaron before the Venezuelan economy collapsed.

Rafael and Aaron at the Ecuadorian border. As you can see, they’ve lost a lot of weight from lack of food.

A Letter from Rafael

We asked Rafael to explain his situation for you. Here’s what he shared with us yesterday:

“My wife and I have 4 children, 2 sons (they are adults, the 2nd one came with me to Ecuador) and 2 daughters (teenagers they are studying, one at college, the other in high school) My wife is a preschool teacher she has a masters degree too.

We were a middle class family: a house in Barcelona, two cars, a country house. I was a teacher and psychotherapist at various institutions. My wife is a teacher in a downtown preschool. We get 5 dollars a month and everything costs the same like in other countries. It isn’t possible to live with that amount of money.

We buy what food we can. Not so much. We all are very thin. There are programs that supply food sometimes, last year three times.

I came to Ecuador with my second son Aaron, we aspire to bring our family here to Guayaquil.

I came here with my papers, my son only his ID card.

A house for rent here is about US$250 and to eat a week is at least $100.

We want to thank everyone for their concern. We want everyone to know that what is happening in Venezuela is very serious. It is not a crisis, it is a humanitarian tragedy. Those who have power there are trying to hurt the United States. They are murderers without morals or feelings. Please tell everyone.”

Next Steps

We would like to raise at least $1000 through course sales and direct donations to the Vera family.

When you purchase the course, we will forward funds to the family. And, you can send money directly to Rafael and Aaron via PayPal.

Please join us in the joy of helping others who are in real need. Let’s help bring this family together!

Thank you for your support.

Rich Blessings,   Jack and Stacey

Updates

31 March 2018 Update: We are pleased to inform you that Rafael has found employment in Guayaquil this week and now has the means to make a living. It will still take some time for him to earn the funding necessary for a stable diet, reliable housing, and to bring the rest of his family to join him and Aaron. Please continue to support the reunification of this family.

14 April 2018 Update: This week we are happy to report that the well-being of the Vera family is improved now thanks to Rafael quickly finding work and the help of a few generous donors in this community.

Here’s what Rafael shared with us on Wednesday:

“Dear Jack and Stacey, my son and I are slowly recovering. We have already begun to collect our salary, although it has only served to move us to a room in a house in the city center. We have bought some things needed to prepare food and have also been able to send a little to our family in Venezuela. Today it is 22 days since we arrived in Guayaquil and we are still living with limitations. However, I can tell you that we have faith and hope. There have been very good people like you who have helped us and that is why we are on the right track. I want to thank you for the help you have given us and to all our friends in the Soul Self Living community. We receive it from our hearts. Many blessings to you and those you love. Amen”

6 November 2018 Update: Almost there! A better job and place to live. Time to reunite this family!

“Dear Jack and Stacey, I moved to a small house that I rented in a humble neighborhood. I’m almost 2 months into my job and things are going better. Next week my family, my wife and my two daughters come. That is another challenge. They will do the same route as me on a bus. I’m putting money aside for that but it has been hard for me, there are $ 500 for the three tickets, but I have faith to do it. Soon we will be together to start a new life. Thanks for your support. Receive thousands of blessings. Hugs friends.”

We are continuing our fundraising efforts to support the Vera family with half of the proceeds from A Year to Awaken Your Soul as well as direct donations and we would love for our community (you!) to help us raise the funds necessary to bring the rest of the family to Ecuador.

This is a tangible way to contribute to a world united. Will you please consider making a contribution?

Beginning this week, half of all proceeds from our online course, A Year to Awaken Your Soul, will go to support an aligned charitable organization, to benefit a family in our community that is in hardship, or toward a scholarship for those who might not otherwise afford the course.

Our first beneficiary will be The Harrison House in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Harrison House – Past and Present

Historically, when parts of the United States were racially segregated, The Harrison House was a boarding house and haven for African-American itinerant workers, holiday travelers, and even well-known entertainers including Nat King Cole, Pearl Bailey, and Sammy Davis, Jr. who were barred from staying in the Las Vegas casinos even when they were performing there.

Today, The Harrison House is returning to prominence as a community center with plans to become a showcase for sustainable practices including green building, desert permaculture, organic gardening, and natural beekeeping. The board of directors is already hosting work parties, educational events, historical tours, and neighborhood celebrations.

There’s a lot of work to be done. The house itself is over 70 years old and capital will be needed to renovate the building with sustainable improvements, plant trees and gardens, and transform the space into it’s full potential.

Soul City

Recently, as we enjoyed tea with Board member Katherine Duncan, she shared with us that The Harrison House represents the heart of Soul City – the antidote to Sin City.

It sits in the historic West Side neighborhood of Las Vegas which has numerous houses of worship, more per capita than any other neighborhood in the city. While we visited, a local pastor dropped by for a moment of connection and collaboration.

Our dialog that day was a celebration of the human story, of shared experience, recognizing that in the arc of human history all people have ancestors who caused suffering as well as ancestors who suffered.

Victim or victimizer, all of us have been negatively affected by injustice.

And, while we have inherited systems that do not serve highest good, it’s up to us to change them together.

What a joy to find opportunities to not only heal the wounds of the past but to steward a new era of unity.

There’s a palpable feeling of peace at The Harrison House that’s rooted in a clear intention of creating a brighter future through education, inclusion, and cooperation, heart-to-heart, Soul-to-Soul.

We are proud to partner with The Harrison House and invite you to purchase A Year to Awaken Your Soul. And, if you have the means, please buy another as a gift! Together, we can make a lasting difference for this community.

Rich Blessings,   Jack and Stacey

PS: Check out this segment from the local Channel 8 News > Hidden History: Harrison House provided refuge for black entertainers

PPS: You now have the option to support up to three recipients of our charitable initiative when you buy the course. Be sure to mark the box for The Harrison House on the payment confirmation page.

PPPS: When visiting Las Vegas, be sure to stop by The Harrison House for a tour. You’ll be glad you did!

Introversion is a very positive trait that is held by many people who enjoy being of service (in differing ways than extroverts). Whether they be monks, healers, spiritual teachers, gurus or you name it. In order to be of greater service to humanity, they frequently spend time alone communing with their Source in multitudes of ways, namely, meditation, prayer, yoga, contemplation, etc.

Many introverts live and breathe service, which is why they strive to better themselves. They are driven by a passion to be of the greatest service possible. Their obsession is to help change the world for the betterment of humanity. To do this they must build their energy to share with the world. Hence, the necessary alone time.

Wounded introverts can show signs of negative introversion and with very good reason. It is challenging for someone who has been emotionally and energetically wounded to be around other people. And so, they tend to shy away from human contact, fear crowds, avoid people in general, experience agoraphobia, etc.

Two Forms of Wounding

As a formerly wounded introvert and a Healer, my experience has been that there are two ways in which an introvert is wounded. (Knowing this can help one to heal. I suggest getting help from a healing practitioner of your choosing, because there is damage that needs to be repaired). The wound shows up in the energetic field at the back of the kidneys, on either side. A person could have any combination of one side or both sides damaged. The left-side signifies a tearing of the energetic field through psychic/emotional attack (causing a puncturing of the field). The right-side collapses when one has been humiliated beyond what they could bear.

The wonderful news is that one can be healed. This will not change a person into something that they are not, such as introvert into extrovert. It will just help them to express more accurately who they truly are. Most introverts enjoy connecting with others, especially trusted and loved ones. They just need more alone time than extroverts because they function differently.

When an Introvert is no longer damaged, they tend to seek out ways to assist others through some form of service. So, if you are not seeking to serve or you are having difficulty in public, ask yourself if, just maybe, you may have some wounding that needs mended. If so, by all means get to mending yourself so you can better enjoy your time here on Earth.

Next Steps

As an introvert myself, I love assisting those who need healing. This is my greatest form of serving. I understand where you’re coming from, and how to help you get to where you want to be.

If you’d like support in recovering your strength and well-being, please let me know. I am here to help.

EDIT/UPDATE: One of our subscribers asked this question of The Ancient Ones: “How do I support the healing of a wounded introvert that I love?” Read their answer here.

We love feeling close to God, and we’ve figured out that to be close to God is to BE LOVE.

We are all born from Source, we are all children of God. Each of us is a human with a Soul. In the drama and tumult of the ego-world we sometimes forget this truth. Yet, the truth of our Divine origin remains.
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It is Up to Each One of Us to Bring Forth Our Divinity

How can we do this? Non-judgment is a good place to start.

Non-judgment is essential because it dissolves the illusion of superiority. We have found that judgment can be obvious and subtle, conscious and unconscious.

It helps to examine where you’re coming from. Are you caring? Are you kind? Are you helping to bring people together in love? Or, are you perpetuating “us vs. them”, even arguing with your friends?

Are you acting against what you don’t want, or promoting what you do want? One is rooted in fear, the other in love.

Mother Teresa, illustrated this well when she said, “I was once asked why I don’t participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I’ll be there.”

When you join with others in support of a cause, are you following your Soul’s guidance or being driven by a (conscious or unconscious) ego belief? Be careful about joining into mob mentality and getting caught up in the ego game.

When people are fighting over concepts, they’ve made the idea more important than the person. This is a strong indication that they likely have judgments to dissolve.

Remember Love

Most of us at one time or another have been caught up in a storm of politics, religion, or popular opinion. If you are feeling caught up in the storm, raise your vibration. Remember that love is the answer.

Focus on the good in people. Find the deeper beauty around you. Lift your spirits so that you can lift the spirits of others. Bring your attention back to your Soul.

Our Souls always remain in the eye of the storm where love resides. To get there, be still. Open your heart and listen carefully. You’ll know it when you’ve made it back to your center when you feel crystal clear and at peace. Then, you can wisely respond with what is needed in the moment from the conviction of your Soul’s knowing.

Learn from the Good Examples of Others

Some ask, “What would Jesus do?” Jesus had a great mission. He taught and awakened Souls, chose to BE LOVE and, eventually, to surrender his life. He understood what was his to do, and he did it.

You can see how other leaders, even in modern times, remained in the eye of the storm to fulfill their role. Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 14th Dalai Lama each helped to raise the consciousness of millions of people through variations of non-violent, loving, persistent action for highest good.

Each of these leaders were and are different from each other, with different cultures and causes. What makes them similar is their dedication to their unique role in the unfoldment of highest good.

Most of us do not have a role that requires the kind of prominent leadership of these people. Yet, we all are here to contribute to the best of our ability. Every one of us is needed.

What is Yours to Do?

Each of us has a Divine part to play, a Divine contribution to the unfoldment of life’s beauty. It is up to you to find and fulfill your role.

What is your Divine guidance from your Soul? We encourage you to find out what it is and do that!

You can find great peace in knowing that when you act on your Divine guidance you naturally contribute to highest good. This means everyone “wins” because highest good is always of benefit to all, including you and those who love you, as well as those who have left love and are acting from fear. This is one way to “bless those who curse you.”

Become clear about what is yours to do. When you do, you will be pulled by a vision that is aligned in love and find the courage to do what is needed.

May you find the clarity you need to remain in love. May that love pull you forward into your unique, Divine role. May you know your part.

Next Steps

My wife Stacey and I are clear on our part. We are here to assist others, to awaken Souls, so that they will know what is theirs to do.

If you want support in finding or confirming your Divine guidance, please let us know. We are here to help.

We’ve been there and we made it through.

You can too.

There is great peace at the center of your being. There is a source of love and beauty, grace and wisdom, intelligence and determination that is inherent to you. This is your Soul. You can rely upon it above all else.

Don’t Give Up

We understand the challenge of finding and maintaining your center in the midst of hardship.

Years ago, when we were going through a very tough time, it was hard not to be angry with God and the world.

Yet, we understood that the only way to make it through with our hearts intact was to keep them open.

We had done our best in the situation, done what we felt what was highest good, and still we suffered at the hands of others. It was hard not to blame them.

It was hard not to be disappointed in humanity when we sought help and were turned away again and again.

Focus on Beauty

To keep our spirits up we kept our eyes on beauty. The loveliness of a park by the river. The friendliness of a stranger. The laughter of children.

Yes, we were gravely disappointed in those who did not help, especially those who had offered and then disappeared when we needed them most.

We kept reminding ourselves of the goodness of life, and when a door shut, to keep seeking an open one.

The smallest assistance became large to us; a small loan, a shared meal, a safe place to sleep, a shower, a toilet. The gratitude we felt for those small acts of generosity that made such a big difference to us still resonate in our hearts today.

We bumped into many invisible boundaries through this journey. People showed us what they were willing to do before it became too uncomfortable for them. Some became irritated, mean, and then embarrassed by their unkindness.

We discovered the strength of our character as well as our weaknesses. We used the experience to strengthen ourselves.

We held strong to the knowing that it is the ego that harms another, either by cowardice or aggression.

Keep Your Soul In Charge

Soul’s love. So, we kept our Soul in charge. We treasured the examples of those who had made it through injustice and hardship with their hearts open. We remembered the stories of Job, Jesus, Gandhi, Dr. King and the civil rights movement, and Mandela. We reminded each other that if they could love in the face of hatred, so could we. It was not easy but we did it.

We saw firsthand how the hatred of those that cursed us made their energy ugly, mean, and angry. We realized that to feel hatred towards them would only harm us. Then, what good could we do?

We knew the truth and the truth set us free from all hatred.

We experienced the dark night of the Soul when we felt all hope was gone. We thought we just might perish. We held strong. We kept our integrity.

We decided that we would rather die with open hearts full of love for life, for God, and for others rather than shut down and act against love’s interest; to turn dark and abrasive in order to survive.

We are grateful that we made it through and are still alive!

We had to suffer for a time until the positivity of our consciousness was enough to get us over the hump of the hardship. We suffered for two long years before we experienced relief and overcame the injustice and pain. But our hearts did not give out.

We have never found any reason, no matter how dire our situation, to curse another, life, or God. We took full responsibility for the lessons that we needed to go through. They were OUR lessons to learn.

We grew wiser and stronger. We kept going.

Keep Working and Praying

A lot of people do not know about the hardship we’ve gone through because we don’t advertise the pain. We don’t like to dwell on and publicly spread the negativity.

Stacey kept channeling messages from The Ancient Ones including one called “Hands of God” that reminded us that we human beings are the hands of God helping each other in the physical.

We continued to help others to the best of our ability. We cared for children, cleaned houses, provided spiritual support, brought neighbors together in a common cause, and continued to stand up for justice so others in the future wouldn’t be harmed as we had been.

We published two books during this time. The sales didn’t provide us much money but we didn’t stop working.

And, we never stopped praying. We learned to stand strong in the vision of our future well-being and relied on the inner guidance that helped us navigate our way through.

Understanding Brings Compassion

We sought to understand why people are the way they are, why they do what they do. We found that understanding strengthens compassion.

Today, we have deep compassion for those who are struggling and suffering. In seeing the effect of injustice on all sides of conflict we also strengthened our compassion for those caught up in the bitterness of hatred and cowardice.

We have experienced how life loses its sweetness in the ego’s struggle for dominance and survival.

We have experienced the struggle to keep the sweetness of the Soul flowing through us when our minds and bodies want relief from the pain.

Our prayer is that we each remember the strength of our Soul, the love that is our very essence.
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Our prayer is that we each discover the strength in love.

Remain in the Eye of the Storm

The responsibility for keeping our hearts open is ours, each one of us. It’s up to us to enter the eye of the storm where God resides.

The fury may rage around you. While it can touch you and even harm you, it cannot kill the love inside you if you protect your heart and remain in love. This most essential job is yours and yours alone.

Let the blame game stop with you. Stop blaming yourself and others and focus on what is yours to do. Keep your attention on your attitude in the present moment and your vision moving forward. Look to what is needed now and what is needed next. Listen within for your Soul’s guidance then follow it.

People will fail you. They will disappoint you. Don’t get stuck with blaming them. Move on.

Some people will surprise you with their kindness and generosity. Be grateful. Reciprocate and pay it forward.

Keep Your Heart Open

Press on. You’ll make it through this.

You can do it! Don’t give up.

God never leaves you. Be sure to not leave God.
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Did you find this helpful? Leave a comment below!

And, if you’d like support to remain in your center, start with a spiritual coaching session or two. We would be honored to help you.

Most of us probably agree that…

Positivity can be a form of spiritual bypass when it's not rooted in true awareness.
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Two Pathways to True Awareness

In my work, I’ve found that, generally, the two pathways to awareness and understanding are the heart and the mind. Some people do better with one, or the other, or both at once.

The Heart-Centered Pathway

The heart-centered path is love… to think it (positive thoughts and attitude), feel it, merge with it, dissolve in it, be it. This path is about focusing on love, seeing love in everything, embodying love as completely as you can until you accept love as reality. It is blissful to dance, sing, meditate in high states of awareness, and open to joy beyond understanding. Shadows melt in the light of the truth of love. The mind’s desire for conscious understanding becomes redundant in love’s radiance. What is left to understand? (Who is left to understand?!) And then, a paradox arises as the heart’s knowing satisfies the mind through insight and awareness.

This path is difficult to reach for the deeply wounded because it is almost impossible to even touch joy when you are in depression or despair. So, I usually start with the path of mind for those who come to me in those states.

The Mind-Centered Pathway

The mind-centered pathway is to sift through the shadow, the wounding, and identify what is yours/not yours, truth/untruth. The mind-centered path can be grueling, drawn out over years and years, and still be ineffective if you never “hit the wall” of the mind’s inability to understand love. However, with time or skilled assistance it can work. This path is made easier by also incorporating the path of love.

A Balanced Approach to Awareness

To help a client merge the mind and heart is my ultimate goal as a spiritual coach. Oftentimes my clients need to have a conscious understanding of the workings of their subconscious before they can accept or give love, and I help them by teaching them loving inquiry and how to integrate their insights. It’s effective. With the heart’s help, the mind can eventually release the grip of fear that keeps us feeling isolated. When the mind and heart are united, there is pure awareness of what is needed in the moment, and flow in life.

When we embody loving presence, positivity is not a bypass. It is our truest expression.
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What’s your relationship with positivity? Leave a comment below!

Rich Blessings, Jack (and Stacey)

One More Thing…

If you’d like to be supported to embody loving presence and positivity, start with a spiritual coaching session. I’d be honored to help you.

True connection is an essential foundation of real love, deep friendship, and right partnership.
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True connection, Soul to Soul, has a pure intention. There is no hidden agenda to take from another, or to give in order to get. It’s about sharing.

Think deeply about this for a moment: When you communicate with your spouse, a family member, friend, or colleague, is there a motive behind it to serve yourself? Are you trying to take what you need from them? Are you giving them only enough to get what you want in return? If there was nothing in it for you, would you take the time or make the effort?

True Connection Practice

During my morning meditation, I ask within, “Who needs my assistance today?” and, “Who would be good to connect with today (for collaboration, cooperation, shared experience)?” Then, when I get a clear, intuitive answer, I’ll send an email or message and invite the person to have a conversation.

When we first connect, voice to voice or face to face, I’ll usually explain how I was Soul-guided to reach out to them. This is a really fun way to start a conversation, and soon we are both eagerly engaging with each other, unguarded, listening carefully, curious about what Spirit has in store for us, open to what this true connection will bring. When the insights come, the laughter is shared, and the ah-ha moments emerge, we celebrate! So much joy has been created from these connections!

Sharing is Fulfilling

To connect with another person with the intention of sharing love, life and friendship means that a true exchange is happening. Both of us are honored, valued, and enriched by what is shared. There’s no agenda, and often, when the connection is complete, nothing is expected from the other in the future. The sharing itself, Soul to Soul, is fulfilling, nourishing and enlivening. And yet, because the Soul will desire to collaborate, connect and create, we look for more ways to share.

I have found that while rich friendships are inevitably formed, business deals, new clients, and referrals have also come through these Soul-inspired conversations. These outcomes are always appreciated for what they are – beautiful byproducts of a deep connection, the answer to a prayer, the sharing of gifts.

This is an inherent paradox in true connection: when we truly share with another, more is exchanged than in the old models of giving to get. If you are looking for a way to shift out of scarcity consciousness and into abundance, this is a very reliable practice.

Next Steps

How often do you create true connection? It is easy to shift your focus from getting to sharing. Try it this week and experience the joy and fulfillment that it brings to you and those you connect with. Feel the satisfaction of authentically sharing yourself with another, and noticing the trust emerge between you. See for yourself how meaningful relationships are developed over time, in integrity and joy, Soul to Soul. This is true connection. And, it’s real love.

How has true connection enriched your life?

Rich Blessings, Jack (and Stacey)

One More Thing…

If you’d like to be supported in learning and practicing true connection, start with a spiritual coaching session. I’d be honored to help you.