Sitting quietly, not talking to God at this point, I was just hoping I could keep some of my mind chatter low enough in volume in order to hear God’s voice whispering to me.  I waited, and waited.  Of course, having meditated off and on for many years, I knew this process was just that, a process.  And I also knew that my “answers” might come in unexpected ways, and not in that particular quiet time.  It might come later in the week, in the shower, or even driving to an appointment.

Open the Channel of Communication to Receive

Basically, what I was doing was signifying my intention to listen.  I was letting my Higher Self, God and all my other spiritual helpers know that I was wanting to come into a humble place of receptivity.  I was letting them know that I really don’t know what’s best (although I’m sure that’s the case a lot of the time!).

Once you show Spirit that you are a willing listener, and that you will create time in your schedule to be still and receptive, you will get what you have requested.  It may take a day, a week, or a month, so hang in there.  And be open to getting your answers through various means.  Yes, you might get a thought while in meditation that speaks directly to your question.  Or, you could get a phone call later from a friend who casually mentions something that you can interpret as a response, even though your friend may be talking about something entirely different.

Read on for more….

I Want to Be Living My Purpose God!

Let me give an example.  So, my question, we’ve already determined was, “What is mine to do?”  In other words, I don’t want to be just doing something because I think it’s fun, or it’s lucrative, I want to be doing work that is serving my purpose in this lifetime.

So, I began to hear the answers, through various avenues.  One day, I had an email from a person who had purchased my “Catch the Breeze” CD, telling me how the songs were helping her through her divorce.  She said, “I felt worthless, and then I listened to the music, and it was singing messages of hope, and worth and I began to sing out loud.  Now I listen everyday on the way to work and I have more confidence and strength.  This has made the whole experience way easier than it was.  Thank you so much!”

It’s nice to get these emails.  And I usually just have a thought like that, “oh that was nice.”  And I’ll usually write the person a response, thanking them, or the business part of me may ask them if I can use it as a testimonial for my website.  But I don’t think of it as a message from Spirit, pointing a direction to me.  I got several “answers” over a period of a couple weeks though, after repeatedly asking the question.  Then came a phone call from a friend, saying something to me about my voice, and my songs, how pretty they were and I should do more with them.   I finally got it!  I was being shown that at least part of what I’m here to do is to share my gift of music.  And, I was being asked to put music higher up in priority on my to do list.  Usually, if there was any time left over after doing all my other important tasks each day, I might go to my guitar or keyboard.  Usually, though, I didn’t pay much attention to my musical self, until something called to me, such as a song that wanted to be born, or getting ready some music for a presentation.  It was not something I did every day.

Good Intentions and Old Habits

I really did try to make music a bigger priority.  And, looking at my life previous to that revelation, I had.  It certainly moved up the list, and yet those old habits were hard to break.  I was still giving most of my day to working on the computer, or doing all the other things that called out to be done.

The good news is though, we have choice.  I began to choose to focus on music a little more on certain days.  My heart began to open to its voice a little more.  I realized I had some real pain in my heart about shutting down my full musical self.  That’s a story for a different day.

The point is, whatever messages you receive from Spirit, act on them.  And don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t sustain that action, or seem to fall back into old habits.  Just dust off that intention, and push forward into a new day, where you can make any choice you want.  Each day is brand new, and with a gentle hand on your habitual self, you can create a new behavior.

And creating is what we’re all about, right?  We are all Creators of our lives, in every moment.  Right?  Not really.

Join me next time for the update.

As a spiritual entrepreneur, I wasn’t simply focused on the bottom line, though.  I wanted to be making a difference in the world, and I wanted to be marketing in a way that was in integrity with my values and my spiritual self.

What am I Doing Wrong?  My Business is Going Down, not Up!

When all my actions, intentions and practices were not producing the results that were anticipated, I began to feel somewhat anxious.  What am I doing wrong?  Why can’t I manifest and create this awesome life I want?  Maybe I don’t understand the Law of Attraction?  Perhaps I’m not engaging well with the marketing principles I have learned?   What is going on God?

I share my personal story with you, because I think there may be others out there who have also been struggling and who might benefit from some things I’ve learned along the way.

Read on for more…..

The Going Gets Rocky

Sometime in 2008, I began to sense rough waters ahead.  Although I’d been putting into practice much of what I had been learning the past few years about marketing, many of my projects and plans were not successful.  The ease that I was creating in my mind through visioning was in sharp contrast with how things played out.

Because I saw that what I was teaching to my clients (which seemed to be working well for them!) was not working for me, I knew I needed to do something differently.  One of the things I tell them, and you’ve heard it before, “keep doing the same things, and you’ll get the same results.”

So, I stopped myself in my tracks.  Literally.  I just sat down and prayed and surrendered.  “Please God, show me what I’m doing wrong here.  I thought I was doing what needed to be done, and I’ve been faithfully executing all the steps, but they haven’t led to the desired outcome.  Show me a different way.  What am I missing?”

I finally started to get some answers!  But,  just as I did, I lost more ground!

One day, I just stopped.  I stopped myself in my tracks as I heard a voice inside me say, “Surrender.”  Just surrender, Marcia.  Stop and listen to your Spiritual Self.

So I did.  I realized that if I continued to follow the steps and actions I had been taking, that I would probably get the same results.  Even though the steps might have worked for someone else, they weren’t working for me.  And there was a reason.  Or more than one reason.  And I wanted to figure it out.

So I turned to Spirit.  I got  silent.  I decided to make listening to God a priority.

Stop What You’re Doing and Listen to God

Uh oh, I’ve used the G- word, so now I need to have that conversation and explain what I mean.  To many of you, it is obvious.  You already talk to God in your own way, and it’s part of your daily routine.  For some others, though, you may not like the word God.  If that’s the case, I’d like to suggest that this word can be replaced with whatever word you use for your connection, with a capital C, to Source.   To something greater than you, to the energy that makes you feel part of the Universe.  To some, this is the feeling they get when they’re in Nature and that is how they commune with Spirit.  For others, it’s through the deep connections they have with family, with their pets and animals, or with a newborn baby.  It’s what invokes wonder, awe, connection, beauty and brings one to a feeling of peace and contentment.  At least, those are some definitions of what your spiritual self can be.

Read on for more.

Too Many Skip This Crucial Step

I, like so many, thought I was doing all my “doing” from a spiritual foundation.  I thought I was in connection with God all the time, and would have moments during the day when I would make conscious contact through prayer, or expressing my gratitude to God for everything, and yet, I was not in balance.  I had my priorities in the wrong order. 

The first thing I did each day, after making sure everyone had their breakfasts, was to turn on my computer.  I’d begin the email checking, and the day would roll on from there.  I made a decision to not turn on the computer, until after having a little quiet time with God.  At least most days, this is what I shifted to.  I’m not saying this is how you should structure your day.  I’m just saying that once I made a shift in priorities, things began to transform positively.

Recently, I was given the gift of assisting a loved one in her last days.  In this case, it was my former mother-in-law.  She became ill suddenly and her sons were unable to go to New York at that time.  I do believe everything happens for a reason, and it was a blessing for all concerned that I was the one who was able to leave right away and make the trip.

I am no stranger to death and dying, having worked for several hospices.  I have also experienced the loss of my parents and sister.  Each death and transition is unique, however. Through this recent experience, I received
several gifts or lessons.  Each one of them helped me as I went through this change with her.

So many of us are going through changes and challenges in our lives right now.  Perhaps you will find in my words and descriptions something helpful in your current life situation.  That is my intent in sharing this personal story.
You don’t need to be going through the death of a loved one for these gifts of change to be helpful.   These apply to any change or challenge.

Five Lessons for Living Your Best Life and Making Change Easier

Celebrate the Mirror and Relax Into the Fullness of Who You Are

Everyone on this planet is a mirror of you and me, no matter what language they speak, what neighborhood they live in, or what’s going on in their lives.  Each person I saw and met on this trip was a reflection of some part of me.  Now, I
already knew that intellectually, however, it became more integrated into my being.  I think this lesson was stronger on this trip because I was involved in a very intimate journey, and my senses and intuition were heightened.

Whether it was the nurse who was screaming when Mom and I arrived at the nurse’s station on her floor, frustrated that she was being sent “one more” patient, or the other nurse, the one who said a very compassionate goodbye to us several days later when we left the hospital, both of these women showed me parts of myself.  Any quality you see in another, whether it’s one that is usually considered “negative” or one that is “positive” lives in each of us.

Although I don’t want to live in New York, in this case Queens, I certainly do like the variety of ethnicities and  personalities you meet on any given day. One day, I was riding in a cab from Mom’s apartment to the hospital and the driver was playing an Enya CD on a boombox that was sitting on the front seat of his cab.  He was from South America originally and had a beautiful accent.  It was clear that he was truly enjoying the music and that he had found a way to relax into his job.  He was showing me how to “relax into” whatever the situation is, to make the most of it.  We shared some brief conversation, but mostly sat listening quietly to the music and soaking in the warmth of the sunshine through the car windows.  Outside it was chilly and windy, but inside, we were cozy and serenaded by music that didn’t require a lot from us.

Another day I was in a neighborhood grocery and noticed the impatience of the clerk, waiting for me to sort through my jumble of coins in my purse as I paid for some produce.  I looked into his eyes and saw myself, and felt patience for him and for myself.  I’m not sure if he picked up on the patience coming from me.  That’s ok.  I was glad I didn’t have to react to his impatience.

I think one of the people who touched me very deeply was a woman who was in the bed next to Mom’s in the hospital.  She seemed to have some dementia and would fight with some of the nurses.  She didn’t have any visitors that I could see.

I would joke with her on occasion and see her beautiful smile and in those moments of connection I experienced a deeper awareness of my mortality.  I saw that this woman could be me, or any one of us, given certain circumstances.

The lesson of the mirror is also about people reflecting back to us the beauty within us that we sometimes forget we have.  We all have someone who sees our light, and I don’t mean just God.
Rejoice that they see past our weaknesses, our small and large transgressions, and are able to bring out the best in us.  Thank God for these angels of light, reflection and refraction.  We all have so much to teach each other.  And the
more we can embrace the light and the shadow in ourselves, the more we will be able to reflect our beauty and light to others.

Where is “the mirror” happening in your life right now?  What challenges are before you, whether they are people or circumstances?  What are you seeing that is about you, not them?

Remember, if you are having an issue with another person, the quality you don’t like in the other person is also something you don’t want to acknowledge and own as part of yourself.

Learn to Witness

Watching this woman in the bed next to Mom gave me a different sense of being in what I call the “witness” role.  That’s where you step back a bit from a situation and look at it from a less-attached perspective.  When I have a client
in my office, I often have them stand up and physically step backwards from whatever situation they are focused on.  I want them to see it from the “outside.”

I practiced this during my 2 weeks in New York. I wanted to see situations from a softer, more compassionate place, and doing this helped me accomplish that.  There was another roommate in a different room on the second floor where Mom was transferred in the hospital.  This one seemed to have a more advanced dementia than the other.

She was very quiet compared to the other one.   She sat on the edge of her bed, picking at the sheets.  There was a moment when I caught her gaze and I felt I was looking into her soul.

There was some recognition in that moment, just one soul to another.  I don’t think I would have had that moment with her if I had been in my usual role.

Learning to witness not only deepens your compassion for others and for yourself, but it also allows you to see your choices in situations.  Sometimes when we are too “close” to a situation, we don’t see all our options.  We need to step back, take a breath and intentionally soften our focus and see our situation from a new and less attached position.

Is there a situation in your life that you could benefit from viewing from a different perspective?  Try stepping back with the intention of stepping into “the witness.”

Ask God, your guides, or angels to help you see your life from a new perspective.

Learn to Focus with Gratitude for Small Steps

I certainly teach my clients about the “baby steps” theory–that you can get a lot accomplished, and complete very overwhelming tasks by just taking one step at a time.  I found that while I was in the “crisis” and “care giving” modes on this trip that it was just natural to put one foot in front of the other and to stay focused and present.

I think that’s something I’ve noticed over the years with clients who are in the care giving role.  They learn to focus well because it’s required.  In my case, my job was to ensure that Mom got the best care possible while in the hospital, to advocate for less testing and then to facilitate a discharge back home and get her some hospice home care.   Certainly dealing with hospital bureaucracy tested my patience at times.  I also really trusted the process that was
unfolding.  I knew her end days were happening, and I wanted to assist however I was called.

Watching her eat, really her last meals, was enlightening too.  She hadn’t been eating all that well at home, fixing herself very simple meals and towards the end, less nutritious and balanced.  Even though I wasn’t happy that she
had to spend a week in the hospital, I did see that there was a silver lining in that “cloud” for her.  She had some really good meals.  Now, we don’t usually think of hospital food as something to get excited about.  But Mom was a good eater and she enjoyed eating.  And to her, these meals were a joy, at least many of them.

She looked forward to seeing what was under the covers as I revealed the contents of the plates beneath.  Although she was unable to eat the portions that were served, she did get a good taste of everything on the plates.  She really had to focus on each bite, and take “baby bites,” smaller that she was used to.  And, for those of you who have made meals for your families or yourself for years and years, you know what a joy it is to be “served” and to not have to cook or do dishes!  I’m glad she got to be treated like a “queen” in this way.

I learned from watching her eat those last meals the power of focus and appreciation.  Would it be helpful for you to create a baby-step focus right now?  Can you appreciate fully the little successes you have and not worry so much on the desired larger goal?  Might you enjoy the journey more that way?

Learn to Appreciate

There was a man who cleaned the floors in the hospital every day.  They were so clean looking yet didn’t have an antiseptic smell.  It was really refreshing and more pleasant to be there.

This was in great contrast to another floor in the same hospital, where not only were the floors less clean, but it had that hospital smell you might expect.

I told the man cleaning the floors how much I appreciated the good work he was doing.  He looked startled but pleased.  Such a small thing and yet so necessary.  I wanted to let him know that he was valued, and that someone noticed what he was doing.  So often, we just overlook the people who are doing work that is “expected.”

We can overlook our own “expected” work too.

I learned to appreciate myself more.  I saw that even though I was in a very stressful situation, I was making choices to keep myself physically strong–washing my hands at the hospital, taking my supplements including ones that were
specifically immune-supporting, eating well, taking walks, and getting rest.  Although I was truly exhausted each day, I also felt supported by God and by my trust in the process.

I also noticed so many small things I would usually take for granted.  Many of those things were people or events that made me smile or laugh.  Whether it was the little boy in the hospital who was singing a nonsensical but hilarious song about bees in the winter trees (actually this would make a nice title for a song!), or the absurdity of some hospital regulations and red tape, I made it a priority to notice the humor around me.

Are you needing to slow down a little more to more fully appreciate your life?
Who might you choose to appreciate for the tasks they do daily that you take for granted?  Have
you been giving yourself appreciation for the positive choices you make for your overall
well-being?

Learn to Listen

One of my great lessons this past year has been to learn to listen better to that “still, small voice within,” and to give myself time to be still, time to sit with God.  So often we are “talking to” God, and we leave little room for receiving guidance.

When a loved one is dying, especially when they are going in and out of consciousness, it can be challenging to hear what their needs are.  You have to pay attention to body cues, and you can also get a lot of information by taking that
still, quiet time.  That said, there were still times when I was unsure what Mom needed, whether she was in pain, and what the next best step would be.  I would stop at those times, take a deep breath, and reassure myself that everything
was in “Divine Order” and to trust the process. I also took advantage of the support offered by hospital and hospice personnel and asked lots of questions.

When someone is dying, one thing I’ve learned is that they can usually hear everything you say to them, even if they may not respond in usual ways.
The night Mom died, I knew her transition was close.  I was listening carefully to her breathing, for the signs of her impending journey.  I sensed that she was engaged in cycles of coming and going between this world and the next.

Both of Mom’s sons were on their way, but neither were going to make it before her final journey.

As she lie there, I knew she needed to hear messages from them and from her granddaughter, a final gift of love.  I whispered in her ear loving words as well as the important message that it was ok for her to go, and that we would
all take care of each other.  I wanted the last thing she heard from us to be words of appreciation.  Her raised eyebrow showed me that she had heard and appreciated this meaningful message.

Are you taking time to listen to God?  Do you feel like the “Lone Ranger” and you have to just keep going and “doing” to make sure it all gets done?  If you opened some time and your heart to guidance, might your burden lighten?  Are there other areas where you could be a better listener?

Learn to Die

This was the best lesson of all.  I watched Mom as she took her last breaths that day.  For a good part of the time, she was doing cycles of chain stoking, a kind of breath that the dying do.  This is where you hear that raspy, rapid breathing, and then you’ll have seconds where there is no breath at all.

As she went through these cycles, she was also going through another kind of letting go.  She would have these active phases where she was reaching out to what I imagine were loved ones in spirit.  It appeared she was working very hard.

She was not fully conscious and had her eyes closed.  Then, after a couple of minutes of this more active physical state, she would let go, release and her breathing would become more still, just as her body would relax.  It reminded me of those waves of pain and release that happen when you have menstrual cramps.  It looked exactly like that cycling, and each time she went into the release and relax mode, I found myself relaxing along with her.

I then thought about when I gave birth to my daughter.  Ah yes, of course, just like contractions.  They come in those waves and then you have a rest period until the next one.  It appeared that she was going through a similar process.  I remembered from my hospice days that I was truly acting as a midwife for Mom.  I was helping her to make her transition out of her body, into spirit, just as a midwife or doctor helped her into her life and out of her mother’s body 95 years before.

What a beautiful mystery, this letting go.  I think if we can all consciously learn “to die”  we would be so much better off.  Not just to physically die so much as to allow outdated and limiting baggage within us to go, to die and be released.  We can consciously learn to surrender to the force of change, and to trust that God is always with us, supporting us through it all.   Letting go makes space for new life, for new
beginnings and for something more supportive and more life-enhancing to occur within us.

I’m sure I went through a death of sorts myself on that trip.  I surrendered to my love for Mom, releasing judgments about her and others, and experiencing the necessary oneness that comes from choosing to awaken and live life from the heart.  I came home and felt utterly changed.  As I drove from the airport to my house I felt like I was on another planet.  Six months later, I can see that my planet is the same one I have lived on all these years, yet the beauty I see  daily is more vivid, and my gratitude for life’s lessons grows daily.

Where do you need to relax and let go?  What part of you is “dying” and transforming into something
more supportive and empowered? Are you fighting the upsets and changes in your life?  Are you frozen by fear about what is coming next?

Sometimes relaxing into what “is” is the first step to creating something different and better.  Could
you learn how to use the energy of change to your benefit, instead of resisting it and creating more
tension and disease?

Effective Tools to Help with Your Changes and Challenges

I’ve talked to a lot of people who have had some fears about the future lately.  (and me too!) How about you?

Are you anxious with the changes in your life?  Do you have trouble sleeping because of the rolling thoughts in your head?  Do you feel indecisive and confused about the steps to take on your life path?

Maybe you just need some fresh tools and a little guidance to help you move forward with more ease and confidence.

There are as many ways to get some support and tools as there are people in the world.  You have to choose what works for you.  Many people have benefited from the books, music and courses that I teach.

If you haven’t already, take a look at the “Catch the Breeze” Telecourse.
http://www.themagnificentyou.com/catch.html

Perhaps you can’t commit to a 7-week course at this time.  Intentional music is one of the most effective tools for dealing with change.  It helps you to easily change negative thinking to positive.  If you haven’t already seen my super summer special, take a look now. I’ve got 3 for the price of 1!  (includes 2 books and 3 intentional music CD’s).

Effective tools for change and living your best life are at:

http://themagnificentyou.com/summerspecial.html

This offer ends September 1, 2008

Whatever you decide to do for yourself right now, be sure to create joy and love in your life.

This will help immensely to diminish the fears and anxiety you carry within.

Many blessings to you,
Marcia Breitenbach

Anyone who wants to participate does so at 7:00 to 8:00 pm in their own time zone, thus creating the wave of vibrations travelling around the Earth during a 24-hour period.
1.  At 7pm on June 18, do something that brings you love and joy (prayer, meditation, chanting, surfing) and dedicate it to the Earth and all its inhabitants.
 
2. Send this information to your loved ones around the world.
 
3. E-mail us, info@actonwisdom.com <http://us.f624.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=info@actonwisdom.com> , so that we can include you and your loved ones on our WAVE1 world map.
 
 
 
To learn more about WAVE1, please visit our website: http://www.wave1.org <http://www.wave1.org/> . 
 
Together, we will give the Earth a hug, in the spirit of love and joy!

Well, just come away from what you’re doing for a moment with me.  Let’s go onto my back porch.  The first thing I do is I take off the old pale purple flannel sheet that I put over the flower pots last night before bed.  It’s still chilly out, but it’s going to warm up fast today and I want to give the flowers a chance to soak up some of this delicious sun.

I see the soil is getting dry, so I’ll water them in a few minutes.  But first I lean over to smell the purple and white flowers that are still blooming.   Since summer!  I don’t know their name, I just know they fill me with smiles everytime I smell them.  Their stems are bent over from the weight of the sheet.  I know that with some fresh water and the warmth, they’ll be stretching upwards soon.

Next, I go and sit down against the wall, my face to the sun.  The stone at my back is really cold, and feels perfect with the heat on my face.  A cold nose brushes my hand and I open my eyes to see one of my dogs.  He climbs onto my lap and we both inhale deeply, delighting in the fresh air and the luxury of sitting together, peacefully drinking in the sun’s rays.  I look down at the top of his head and marvel at the miracle of his beauty.  His ears and the top of his head are so smooth, like velvet.  The red, the brown, the blond and the white hairs all blend and shine together under my tender hands.  I am in awe of the perfection of color, texture and how all the little hairs are each sitting where they’re supposed to be.  My heart fills with gratitude for having this perfect moment.

It is a very simple thing, really, isn’t it?  To take a few minutes from our day and to focus on the details of nature, some part of God’s creation?  The benefits are extraordinary:  by bringing your focus to the details, not the details of all your “doing” but the details of your “being,” you improve your health on all levels.  It is a form of meditation.  Your heart rate slows, your breathing deepens, your senses come alive, you remove yourself from the negative energies around you, and you open a space inside for healing and gratitude.  There are other benefits to be gleaned from this simple exercise. 

So go ahead, take a few moments and go outside and really study a flower or a leaf.  Breathe deeply.  Get into the details.  Give it a try and let me know what you discover!

Many blessings!

Do you sense a theme here?  Financial abundance and prosperity.  Although I had other things on my mind, I certainly was using a lot of intent, energy and focus to create a greater flow of cash.

As someone who is very upbeat and optimistic, it didn’t get me down that things weren’t improving much over the year.  I knew that patience was required and that the Universe has a rhythm and timing for everything.

I worked on several projects during the year, putting in huge amounts of time, energy and some money for some of them.  Most of them fell apart or doors closed up.  As entrepreneurs, we are taught to be persistent and not give up.  As humans, we are also taught that “when one door or window closes, another opens up.”  I subscribe to both of these, so I continued despite the appearances before me that things weren’t working in a positive direction. 

I got a very clear message one day to just stop and be still.  To listen.  So I did, and I realized fairly quickly that although I had been including my spiritual self in my daily doings, I wasn’t taking time to just BE with God.  And, another thing I learned is that by putting so much energy and time into creating financial prosperity, I was forgetting the fact that I am not in charge of this whole experience.  I am a co-creator.

You’ve got to understand that this is a little more subtle than I make it sound.  Because if you know me, or if you were to spend a day with me last year, you would see me expressing gratitude to God for all that I have, taking time to appreciate the beauty of nature, being compassionate and kind to others and myself, and doing many things most would call “spiritual.”

This is not the same thing, though, as consciously connecting with God daily, and with an attitude of “whoo-hoo, I get to co-create this beautiful day with God again, how blessed I am!”  No, it was more that I was thinking about how I was going to go about accomplishing the various tasks on my list, and creating my day and my future.  It was all about being “in charge” and on task.  It was about “ego” working with the Law of Attraction, and focussing mostly on money.

Now, putting more focus on spirit is not a new concept.  Depending on your spiritual leanings, this may sound like great common sense, or nonsense.  I am not out to convince anyone about God and how things work in this amazing Universe.  I simply want to share something personal that I think will work for some of you too.

So, that day when I stopped, I decided that because what I was doing was not working well in the financial realm, that I would take some time to listen to what God was wanting me to hear and to do.

My goodness, how things have been changing since I did this!  I began that day to put God first.  To some of you, you might be laughing and saying, “well, of course!”  What this looks like for me is that I go to spend time in a room away from phones and computers with God and the angels (and usually my dogs come along for the ride too), before I go to work.  I used to turn on my computer first thing in the morning.  By not doing so now, I signal to my Higher Self and to God that I have changed my priorities.

Now this alone has felt wonderful.  Because by taking time to align with God and with my higher purpose, I am more likely to begin my day balanced and consciously in a co-creative state, rather than in an ego-based “I can do this” state.  Everyone’s time with God or with Spirit may look a little different.

Each day I use some part of that time to just sit quietly, to say some prayers, and then to open to listening to God’s voice.  Usually I don’t hear any direct messages at this time, they usually come later during the day, from ideas and inspirations that pop into my head, things that others say to me, or from the myriad of ways that we can be open to hearing messages from God.  I know I am certainly more open to this “voice” because of my morning alignment time.

Part of my God-time might be spent in singing a song, a song about God, or about surrender.  Perhaps it’s a song about the joys of nature, or about living life fully.  Or I might read an inspirational passage, and I almost always use my angel cards to get a message from them.

I have understood during this time of reflection and being more in tune with my spiritual self that I wasn’t off base in wanting to have financial abundance in my life.  There is nothing wrong with that in the context of a fulfilling and happy life.  I do believe, though, that with my intent now on being as happy and as healthy as I can be, along with the intent to serve God and my highest purpose, I am in a much stronger position to receive financial abundance.    Another piece that was missing for me is the way I was going about it, and not being conscious enough of the co-creation aspect.

Also, I believe I have not been in full alignment with the work I need to be doing.  That is in a period of evolution right now.  Some new and wonderful service work has recently emerged, and that will certainly feed my spirit.

So, I believe as a result of my shift in focus, miracles are happening.  My health is improving rapidly, I’m happier and my bankbook is growing!  Recently an endeavor that I began last year with an ad company online (not adsense or anything like that) is paying off big time.  All of a sudden, and I do mean suddenly, I am receiving wonderful checks from this company.  It was quite synchronous that this began to happen after I surrendered and brought God more into my life.  Would it have happened anyway?  Probably, and yet I also believe there is a connection as well.  For any of you who have a website and would like to hear more about this company, please just send me an email.  You too can start earning some fabulous income from this.

Putting God or Spirit back into my life, or taking this spiritual part of me to a new level has also been about opening my mind and my heart even more. It is bringing me more joy, peace and prosperity than I could have imagined last year.

If this speaks to you, if you’ve been struggling at achieving greater financial ease, please do listen to me.  If you’re not sure you are doing the work that is aligned with God and your higher purpose, then just slow down.  Allow yourself some time to align with your spiritual self, whatever that definition is for you, each morning.  If that means getting up a half an hour earlier to do this, give it a try.  Making a conscious practice of doing this, just as you have created the practice of washing up and brushing your teeth in the morning, is fairly easy to do. 

Now, there’s another practice that I began to do when I stopped in my tracks a few months ago.  I’ll save that for another blog.  I do believe that practice, that I’m calling “Life Review” for now, has also contributed to this greater flow of health and prosperity that is coming my way. 

Life truly is a mystery, and I don’t have all the answers by any means.  We each have to come up with the daily recipe for a healthy and happy life that works for us.  However, I do know that we are in a tremendous year for growth and change.  There is incredible spiritual energy and help available to all of us right now.  There is a window open and I encourage you to step through with me.  Open your arms to receive the love, joy and magnificent life that you deserve!

If you have a website or business and want to learn how to integrate your marketing with your spirituality, you’ll be interested in the work of my friends and colleagues, Judith and Jim.  They are excellent teachers and models for this evolving trend in marketing.

You can attend some free teleclasses to learn more, and they’ll also inform you of their upcoming conference in Los Angeles.

To get access to their free calls and more info, you can go to:

http://tinyurl.com/yuexou

I think it’s a great idea for all of us to hold
that image in our heads for the New Year.  With
all the chaos around the world, the divisiveness
at home in the U.S., and whatever is going on in
your local communities or personal life, making a
conscious choice to see people, strangers
especially, not as faceless individuals who
aren’t important to you and your life, but rather
as neighbors, good neighbors who wish you well.
The benefits of doing this for yourself and the
good vibrations it sends out into the world are
awesome.

I was at the bank this morning, and went through
the drive-in part to make a deposit.  I put my
deposit into the capsule and sent it whooshing
into the bank via that pipe.  As I was sitting
there, the bank clerk happened to look up and
glance my way.  I waved at her and smiled, and I
felt a difference in myself as I did this.  I
really felt a sense of connectedness with her as
my human neighbor.  It’s hard to explain, but it
was just a confirmation for me of the change in
perspective I’m making.  In that brief moment, it
was a recognition, really, of that woman as my
good neighbor, as another partner on the planet.
In that past, I might have done the same thing,
but with a much more impersonal feeling.  It
would have been more of a polite gesture than
anything else.

Opening our hearts to ourselves and to each other
can come in small ways like this heart-felt wave
to the bank teller.  It can come in the gratitude
I felt over the Christmas holidays when I visited
some of my family in California.  I was able to
meet my nephew’s little boy because he was given
a liver transplant last year that saved his life.
Someday I might need a transplant, and who
knows, maybe that bank teller might be the one to
save my life!

I’m so much into the goodwill of the holiday
season that I have delayed in taking down my
Christmas tree (it helps that it’s a live tree,
otherwise this would be a fire hazard
extraordinaire!).  The lights and decorations on
the tree help me to connect with that peaceful
place in my heart each night.  Who knows, I may
leave this tree up a long time…I suspect
though, that the tree itself may be wanting to
move outdoors sooner than later!

Wishing you a blessed year of many wonderful
connections with all your neighbors too!