Answers To Life's Biggest Questions

I went for a walk this weekend, enjoying the beautiful spring weather, and the beautiful notes of the songs on Secret Garden's "White Stones" album on my iPod.  I chose that album specifically because of the feeling of sacredness and spirituality that is elicited in my body when I listen to it.  I dearly appreciate walking meditation and this music has a meditative effect on my mind and body.

That music was a very powerful trigger, as it happened.  A few minutes into my walk, my mind was flooded with decade-old memories of similar walking meditations in my former neighborhood -- sacred woodland park land just behind my home, populated with wildlife, a gurgling stream flowing parallel with the walking path.  In the late 90's and early 2000's, I was in my early 40's and going through what some might label 'a mid-life crisis.'  At the age of 43, I had reached a point where I was ready, and eager, to deal with issues that had been dogging me for years -- namely, why do I always have this nagging, low-grade feeling of worry in my stomach?  What IS this feeling?  Does anyone else feel this way? 

And, of course, the ultimate consideration:  Who am I and why am I here?

Soon into my walk, I had a sudden and delicious moment of awareness -- all the questions I'd been asking have been answered and here I am more than ten years later, happier and more peaceful.  And while there had been challenging times, the experience had been rich with deep insights, meaningful conversations, sacred relationships and wisdom won through perseverance, persistence and grace.

I understand now that these 10+ years brought out in me, talents and gifts and abilities that had lain dormant for most of my life -- and that would lead me to my life's purpose, which is assisting my Human brothers and sisters on the path to self-actualization.  I am one of those way showers who can truly say, "If my troubles and difficulties can help even one person to avoid that pain, it was well worth it."

Each of us is pure potential, and each of us has the ability to save the world.  "Many are called but few are chosen." Matthew 22:14

Do you find yourself asking those same questions?  Everyone does at some point in their life.  But do we pursue the answers?  Because, in my experience, those answers are worth pursuing -- they are not difficult to reach and those answers make all the difference in the quality of the life that we experience.

Do you find yourself in the same place?  Do you feel stuck and frustrated?  I can help you--I've been there and I know the path! 

If you have questions, or maybe you are looking for a spiritual mentor, I hope you will email me!  In the meantime, check back here each week for more information about our journey to self-actualization -- and join me on BlogTalk Radio starting Thursday, April 2.  This is a new program where you will have an opportunity to call in with your questions and situations, to get information, insight and practical tools to change your life and move forward with optimism and anticipation!

For a taste of the content of my past shows, I invite you to click here to listen.

I hope to have the opportunity to talk with you soon!

Decisions, Decisions ...and Miracles

I’m presenting a class in Richmond, Virginia on August 22, and the topic is ‘miracle-preparedness.’  My intention with this class is to present a comprehensive perspective on miracles – who we are, where we come from and how to experience more miracles in life. 

I have been working through this presentation, for almost 6 months.  It’s what I do.  I get an idea and it rolls around in my psyche until it boils down to a core idea, a launching point.  And I have come to the understanding that making a decision -- a decisive act -- is imperative to experiencing significant change in my life.  It opens the way for miraculous occurrences.

We come from the Creator, and we are endowed with the same creative abilities and tools as our Source.  (And by the way, this is not about religious affiliation, rather, it's about the broader perspective of the purpose of life and why we exist.)  We have the power to create a wonderful life, filled with peace, harmony, joy and love.  We create with our thoughts and our emotions, when we join those to produce a feeling.  Those feelings act as an organizing mechanism to bring order to the particles of matter around us.  That may sound a bit 'woo-woo' but Western science has proven this is true.  I'll be talking about it at the August 22 class.

You can imagine, then, what a powerful role our beliefs play in that creation process.  After all, our beliefs drive us and determine what thoughts we focus on and what thoughts we discard.  Sadly, most of us are not consciously aware of what we believe, let alone why we believe what we believe -- or that our thoughts are creative.  As a result, we live our lives as they come, being buffeted around by the winds of change, by others' expectations, by institutions and entities with agendas that are probably not in alignment with individual creativity.  We feel anger, sadness and regret about our past, and we worry about our future.  We believe that it is our lot in life to play the hand we are dealt, prepare for the worst and hope for the best -- and that our eternal reward comes after we leave this earthly vessel.

But ancient scriptures and writings, from cultures and peoples in the remote past, tell us that we are here to create for ourselves.  And they tell us that everything we require to do that, we already have inside us.  Creating is our birthright, it is our purpose.  And now, at this time in the evolution and history of mankind, we are being challenged individually and as a species, to create "a new heaven and a new earth."  

You can do it, too.  All you may need is a slight shift in perspective.

Choice versus Decision

Creating is about making a decision.  Life is full of possibilities, and we discern our preferences through our life experiences, and that influences our choices.

But there’s a significant difference between a choice and a decision.

The word “choice” comes from the Old English word ceosan, meaning to seek out, try, test, taste, and approve.  In my perspective, this implies flexibility.  There is always the option to choose again, leaving endless room for possibilities in our life.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, a decision means ‘to bring to an end.’  It derives from the Latin decidere – de- “off” and caedere “to cut.”  So literally translated, to decide means to cut off. 

When we decide, we eliminate all other options.

The crux of the class that I am currently working on, is this:  Each of us must decide for ourselves (to quote Albert Einstein), “whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”  Because those are the only two options we have.  For example, in my own life, it boils down to my perception of my personal deity, God.  Do I believe that God loves me unconditionally, or not?  The better I feel about that relationship, the more confident I feel about myself and my ability to craft my destiny.

The decision about what we believe is always ours, no matter what our past experiences have been, no matter what others around us may or may not believe.  And we can change our beliefs any time.  Yes, we can deliberately change what we believe -- it's a process, that's true, but we are always supported in this endeavor.  And with enough attention to my new beliefs and practicing those new beliefs consistently, over time belief becomes knowing.

Deciding to believe that God loves me unconditionally has led to miracles occurring in my life, almost on a daily basis.  That’s because when I decide to believe, all other options retreat back into nothingness.  This belief shifts how I see the world, how confident I feel, how strong my faith is, how connected I feel to hope and optimism and determination.

According to “A Course in Miracles,” the Holy Spirit tells us that a miracle is a shift in perception.  "A miracle is a correction.  It does not create, nor really change at all.  It merely looks on devastation, and reminds the mind that what it sees is false.  It undoes error, but does not attempt to go beyond perception, nor exceed the function of forgiveness.  Thus it stays within time's limits.  Yet it paves the way for the return of timelessness and love's awakening, for fear must slip away under the gentle remedy it brings.”

When I decide to believe that I am loved unconditionally and that I am here on purpose, I am free to be, do and have anything I desire.  The chains and shackles disappear, and life feels brighter and lighter.

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If you are in the Richmond area on August 22, I hope you’ll come to this class at The Alchemists at Stony Point Fashion Park.  I will offer wonderful, uplifting supplemental information about this topic, from many sources.  It is my deepest hope, strongest passion and fervent desire to assist humanity to awaken and become aware of the truth of who we are and where we come from, so that we may co-create a new heaven and a new earth for ourselves, our children and generations to come.