12 Surprising Discoveries Living in a Shelter for Homeless People

12 surprising discoveries I made living in a shelter for homeless people and don't get me wrong, eh, I did feel terribly deprived and horrified, and kept thinking "my god, this is where people come whom nobody wants" sort of thing.

Well, try to imagine after losing all your material possessions. It seems perfectly justified.

Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when,

whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees.

~Victor Hugo, Les Misérables, 1862


 These Aha! moments uplift and carry me through the day. It has been a journey of self-discovery and growth lessons worth experiencing for which I am exceedingly grateful.



Source: Ruthie on Flickr

1-  It's easy to bend, I will never break. No one can do that to me but me.

2-  Good samaritans - I call them life heroes - really do exist. They step up, do yeoman service without asking for anything in return and they just keep on giving.

3-  No task is too menial if you are being paid to do it.

4-  Seeing beauty in a world of ugly means you have returned to reality.

5-  Help comes from the most unlikely source. All you have to do is ask and the only thing anyone can say is "no".

6-  I am not afraid of anything or anyone. When I feel uncertain I pause a beat and go within to find out what's really going on.

7-  NOW, is full of possibilities.

8-  I don't feel deprived because being rich and now having just TT$14 in the bank does not change who I am.

9-  Only when you experience life in another man's or woman's shoes can you tell where she or he is coming from. Stop judging because you don't know what life has in store for you.

10-Living life in a homeless shelter teaches you humility and exposes the sanctimonious hypocrisy you've been living i.e. "If you had done...", "You wouldn't be in this position if ...", "All s/he had to do was...", "It's easy to get a job..." and the rest of that crap since "we" pretended what was best and how to go about it.

11-Keeping the faith is tough after 19 months unemployed but when you feel you're at rock bottom, it's the only way out. I "found" 190 year old  Trinity Cathedral in which to ground my Self.

12-Connecting with Source sitting in that stillness is the rock to hold onto.

Prayer is when you talk to God; meditation is when you

listen to God. ~Author Unknown

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BE INSPIRED - My Day's Work is Over

My Day’s Work Is Over

from Napoleon Hill Yesterday and Today Issue 348

My Day’s work is over and I am ready to relax my body in sleep. I have summoned my Cabinet of imaginary Counselors around me that I may consult their master minds in planning for the morrow.
I can all but hear the immortal Shakespeare who sits at my right, as he says: “To thine own self be true and it must follow as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”

And, I can all but hear Lincoln, who sits at my left, as he says: “With charity for all and malice toward none.”

Source: Hub en Gerie

And, I can all but hear proud old Socrates as he says: “And you, too, judges, must face death with a good courage, and believe this as a truth, that no evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death.”

And, I can all but hear that master philosopher, Emerson, as he says: “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.”

And, I can all but hear the Man of Galilee as he says: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”

The Counsel Table around which I gather, with these great men of the past each night, is an imaginary one, but the messages which they left behind them are real, and I am using this method of burning them deeply into my consciousness, that their influence may find its way into the pattern after which my character is being built.

Source: Napoleon Hill’s Magazine. September, 1921. Volume I, No. 5. Back Cover.

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ACT AS IF - Convey the Feeling of the Result You Want

This is the clearest explanation, description and example I have ever read about "acting as if ". It's from the folks at Yourself Empowered.

We hear this term used pretty often now to describe the process of pretending you already have what you desire or have already attained a particular goal or objective using visualisation, affirmations etc. but few explain the innards that some folks need to get them going, especially when they don't have the faith that they will succeed.

Napoleon Hill explains that faith is an eternal elixir and it's that juice which rests dormant in our hearts and minds that we gotta get moving. When we feel that things are so far gone that it makes no difference dream into reality - use your creative workshop. That's what visualisation, using your imagination is all about. It's your own private workshop where you  act as if.



Bougainvillea flowers

It takes consistency, entering your workshop every day - especially when you don't feel like it - at the same time, for the same length of time until you develop the habit of using your imagination to fuel your desire. Eventually, you will start to feel so wonderful that you will look forward to it.

Here's what Yourself Empowered says about Act as if. Yes, it's a bit long but quite clear and I've included some extra reading links for you as well.

There has been some confusion around the meaning of "acting as if" you already have what you want. Some who are struggling financially, for example, wonder if they should be spending as if they have the money they need - the money they're visualising? The advice "act as if" can be very destructive, if not explained. Here's what it means:

The subconscious mind is like a genie. It doesn't reason, it doesn't argue, it doesn't judge. It just does as it's programmed to do. The conscious mind is the boss. Unfortunately, the boss doesn't always know what it's doing! ;)

The conscious mind is constantly instructing the subconscious - mostly on automatic and without awareness.

The way to instruct your genie with awareness and intention, is to convey the feeling of the result you want, to your subconscious. Imagination is the tool for conjuring up specific feelings.

If you consistently (and that's the most important - and most underestimated - bit) *consistently* imagine a specific scene that creates a specific feeling in you, you are effectively instructing - inserting a program - for the subconscious.

"Act as if" refers to in your imagination, because THAT is where the creation is happening, not in the outside world. The control panel for "out there" is inside you.

So, for example, a person who is struggling financially wants financial security. He creates this scene in his imagination:

He is at a table with all his close family and friends, in a wonderful restaurant. They've just had a fabulous meal, and he can see the empty wine bottles and remnants of dinner on the plates.

The waiter brings the bill to the table, and he calls to the waiter, to bring the bill to him. His friends and family object, and want to pay, but he insists that he will pay. The waiter brings the bill to him, and he takes out the cash, and places it on the bill, along with a generous tip. He feels the feeeeeling of being able to treat his family and friends, he feels the joy of seeing the waiter's face light up when he sees his tip.

This person is "acting as if" in the most important place (in fact, the only place that matters) - his imagination - which is what fuels the subconscious, which is the power that brings this scene to reality.

"Acting as if" in reality doesn't do anything, except probably get a person into more trouble ;)  It's the subconscious that is the power, and the imagination that is the fuel for that power.

When this person feels worried about money in reality - when he gets another bill he can't pay - he "acts as if" in his imagination - he closes his eyes, in that moment, and brings that restaurant scene to mind.

 

He feeeels the feeeeling of calling the waiter over and insisting on paying the full bill, of tipping that waiter generously. And in doing that, right in the middle of the worry of the bill he can't pay, he is changing the program in his subconscious... which, as long as he is consistent, will change his reality.

And, if he continues with that scene, daily, and continues to "act as if" in that scene in his imagination whenever doubt or worry creep in, he will find himself one evening, paying the bill for a wonderful dinner with his family and friends, happily tipping the waiter generously, with exactly the same feeling. And the feeling of being able to easily afford this, which he has been imagining... will be reality.

Acting as if" in your imagination, consistently (meaning at least once or twice every day, as well as every time you feel doubt or worry) is powering your subconscious to create that end result.

HERE'S A PLAN:

1- Pick at least two moments in your day to do this. Preferably first thing in the morning and last thing at night, but make sure they are times you will stick to.

Just as you brush your teeth every day regardless, you'll do this every day in the same way. In fact, you might like to do it when you brush your teeth, to make sure it's consistent.

2- Create a scene that would happen if you had what you want. Imagine yourself telling a friend that it's happened. What would you say? What would your friend say? Where would you be? Would you be eating or drinking anything? What would you see, what would you feel, hear, smell, taste?

3- Spend a few minutes imagining this scene, just as you would day-dreaming. Enjoy it. Do this at least every morning and evening (just before going to sleep is very effective.

4- During your day, whenever you feel worried or doubtful, or stressed, remember that scene. For a moment, remember what you did in that scene, and "act as if" in that scene. In other words, if the scene is you telling your friend over coffee, that you got the promotion you wanted, imagine showing your friend the letter - or better yet, read the letter to her.

Or, imagine yourself going into work, into your new office, or chatting to a work colleague about your new project. In this moment, you're redirecting your subconscious from the worrying or stress, to the course you want to set - the promotion, or whatever the end result is that you want. Keep resetting that course throughout the day, by "acting as if" in your imagination.

Hope this helps :) Love and Light and Magic xxx

Yourself Empowered

https://www.facebook.com/beyondthemagicpill

More on Creativity and imagination:
Deepak Chopra's The secret of creativity
IntentBlog - 7 ways to let go and watch your life flourish
- Manifesting 101: How to create the life you want
- How embracing your limitations will make you more creative

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Recite Napoleon Hill's Prayer of Gratitude

Here's a superb demonstration on how to enliven your faith in yourself and the Universe or Source's unequalled and unending abundance, by demonstrating and enunciating your gratitude for what's positive in your life. This in turn for those of you who journal your appreciation daily increases your positive energy.

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. ~Abraham Lincoln

Practising an attitude of gratitude increases your awareness of how good your life really is and attracts more abundance into your life :))
Trust me on this.

I've been thinking about faith a lot these past few months and what it really means as someone without any religious affiliation. Belief in myself is crucial and I've got that (now, that I've dealt with the excess baggage) yet I allow myself to be distracted by the other messes around which pull me away mentally and emotionally.

Naturally, I then switch to the actions and obvious needs of others. That's deliberate self-sabotage to avoid dealing with the main issue of why I was still unemployed when I have so much talent, need the money, and was desperate to get out of the Shelter where I live. I'm no longer desperate, thankfully. Now, I just want it - it's time to go.

That's where faith comes in and I must be on the right track since I've been getting these types of messages, as below, regularly enough to start paying attention.

People who meet me believe that I've got that "je ne sais quoi" that indefinable something but due to that blind spot that we all have, I don't see what they mean and so, I doubt myself sometimes. Then something happens to pull me up as if to say "girl, what the hell are you doing?". Hence the reason for thinking, searching and writing/posting about faith, focus, goals and meditation.

As there's no such thing as concidence, I found this wonderful missive today from Napoleon Hill on Active Faith and it's a must share. It reminds me of one of those Aha! moments I wrote about in a previous post Take a leap of faith and never look back.

Prayer may not change things for you, but it for sure changes you for things. ~Samuel M. Shoemaker

Bottom line - if you don't have faith, fake it until you do and this is a perfect way to juice yourself up!

Active Faith
Call to ACTION - Action Assignment #36:

Recite Napoleon Hill’s Prayer of Gratitude three times daily, morning, noon, and night, and notice your results. Focus on what you are grateful for in your life, and be aware of how your gratitude affects your awareness.

I give thanks daily, not for mere riches, but for wisdom with which to recognize, embrace, and properly use the great abundance of riches I now have at my command. I have no enemies because I injure no man for any cause, but I try to benefit all with whom I come in contact, by teaching them the way to enduring riches. I have more material wealth than I need because I am free from greed and covet only the material things I can use while I live. –Napoleon Hill

From Napoleon Hill Yesterday and Today newsletter 346

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EFT Script - Eliminate Distractions and Attract What You Want

An easy and simple way to Eliminate Distractions, Issue #247, and focus on what is important to us, is EFT Master Carol Look's offering this time round. Distractions are things which block our view of the reality we want to create for ourselves.

I'm a long-term EFT tapper and became so when I learned how to get rid of emotional clutter from my life. That was amazing. I don't use it everyday on emotional upsets even though that's what it's there for.

EFT took me to the root cause of my emotional disarray as I like to call it and here's the disclaimer people. If you are not prepared to take responsibility for any emotional upset which will arise when you begin using EFT, stop right now.

EFT tapping can be used on almost anything the catch being that what you may think of as a one-off problem might have a deeper, unsuspected cause. Are you prepared to deal with it? If not, move on and find another non-invasive technique.

Eliminating Distractions

Imagine how much abundance would flow into your life if you could Eliminate Distractions... Your vibration would improve immediately and the abundance would start to flow...

I was being interviewed recently for an abundance telesummit, and the host asked all the listeners to Eliminate Distractions so they could be fully present for our interview. It was a good idea for the call, and a great idea for easier manifestation!

We all have way too many distractions in our lives these days. And these distractions dilute our "message" about our desires to the universe. Distractions can be emotional, energetic, or physical, and come in the form of conflicted feelings, negative thoughts, too many emails, too many commitments, feelings of self-doubt and low self-esteem, and anything else that gets in our way of having a clear, singular message of desire and expectation regarding abundance. Wow, there are a lot of distractions out there!

So... what's distracting you these days? Sometimes we don't even recognize these items as distractions because they just seem to be a part of "life" to us. Well, imagine how clear and pure your message and vibration of abundance (and life) would be if you could Eliminate Distractions...

1. So the first step is to recognize your biggest emotional and energetic distractions. Maybe you have poor time management skills, or you spend too much time watching television of surfing the internet, or you get lost in the past... (all tappable issues).

2. The second step is to clear these distractions from your daily life and from your mind. (Tapping, anyone?)

3. And the final step is to hone your abundance message and vibration again... from this new place of clarity. You will feel aligned, more energetic, and even more hopeful that what you want is truly on its way to you.

When you Eliminate Distractions from your life and your energy system, your desires become irresistible because they are so clear and simple that you actually attract what you want into your life with ease!

Our thoughts, feelings and behaviors carry energy...

Our vibration matters!

Remember that the Universe hears your vibration not your words. The principles of the Law of Attraction remind us that we will receive more of what we are "broadcasting" to the Universe when we are in alignment with it. When the universe is able to receive a clear message from you (no energetic interference from emotional conflicts) then the Law of Attraction starts to work in your favor. So when you are clear and feel inspired to Eliminate Distractions, the universe will support you.

Below you will find EFT setup phrases to help you be inspired to release your blocks to being able to attract what you want into your life.

When you change your vibration,

you will change your life.

Go ahead, raise your vibration

by being inspired to

Eliminate Distractions!

1. EFT SETUP PHRASES:

The EFT SETUP Phrases for this topic are as follows:

While tapping the karate chop spot on either hand, repeat these phrases out loud, (or change the words to fit your exact situation).

"Even though my life is way too full of distractions, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway."

"Even though I'm so emotionally distracted I can't be clear about what I want, I accept myself anyway."

"Even though I am completely distracted by too much information, I choose to love and accept myself anyway."

I have indicated where to tap while saying each of the phrases below.

You may repeat the positive round more than once if you wish. (If you are new to EFT please view a chart of the spots on my web site under the EFT pages.)

***Now for the phrases that focus on the problem***

Eyebrow: "I have so many distractions in my life.."
Side of Eye: "I feel so distracted from what I truly want to focus on..."
Under Eye: "I'm really distracted by thoughts and feelings."
Nose: "I am so distracted I can't be clear..."
Chin: "I am emotionally and energetically distracted all the time."
Collarbone: "I'm so distracted I can't focus."
Under Arm: "I don't know how to Eliminate Distractions."
Head: "I feel distracted and don't know how to be clear."

***Now for the positive focus on the solution***

Eyebrow: "I want to clear out these emotional distractions."
Side of Eye: "I want to release the distraction of self-doubt."
Under Eye: "I want to eliminate energetic distractions from my life."
Nose: "I feel hopeful that I can eliminate all these distractions."
Chin: "I want to be clear about the abundance I want to attract."
Collarbone: "I feel inspired to Eliminate Distractions."
Under Arm: "I love feeling clear without all these distractions."
Head: "I choose to Eliminate Distractions and be clear about the abundance I want."

Access more positive vibrations with the Law of Attraction by repeating the following phrases (while tapping or not):

Thank You, Universe for teaching me how to Eliminate Distractions... I feel more aligned with abundance already!

Thank You, Universe for allowing me to feel inspired to Eliminate Distractions... I am looking forward to uplifting results!

Thank You, Universe for making it so easy for me to Eliminate Distractions... I feel the vibrational shift and power already! Keep tapping, and enjoy using the Law of Attraction to bring more of what you want into your life.

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12 Riches of Life - Pay it Forward

A superb exercise - Call to Action, from Napoleon Hill Foundation World Learning Centre on mastering your thoughts to focus on your desire, have faith and get what you desire, feel rich in having it, then paying it forward to help others also lift themselves up to attain their own goals - just as you did.
 

He points the way in 6 steps to become rich and prosperous: Use Desire.

A surprisingly tough exercise which takes a lot of thought and reflection, work and soul searching. For those of you who are ready and decide to do the Work, it is immensely rewarding when you are able to list five examples of each of the twelve riches that you value most in life.

After that all you gotta do is... Share It!

Action Assignment #11:

Review the 12 Riches of Life that Napoleon Hill lists below.

In your notebook, find five examples for each of the twelve riches in your own life. By doing this, you are unearthing your personal treasure that already exists in your life even if it has been buried or hidden for a time.

Next, using the same 12 Riches of Life, indicate how you are going to bring this richness into someone else’s life.

As you acknowledge your gifts, and then decide to help others attain these very same gifts, you are bestowing upon yourself a double blessing. By helping others you also expand your range of power, and simultaneously that bestows a blessing on you that makes you happy.

Finally, do it now. Once completed, the incurred blessings will be priceless!

Napoleon Hill’s Twelve Riches of Life

1. A Positive Mental Attitude

2. Sound Physical Health

3. Harmony in Human Relationships

4. Freedom from Fear

5. The Hope of Achievement

6. The Capacity for Faith

7. Willingness to Share One’s Blessings

8. A Labor of Love

9. An Open Mind on All Subjects

10. Self-Discipline

11. The Capacity to Understand People

12. Financial Security

We can become complete masters of ourselves, if we so desire. The main thought to bear in mind is first to gain the knowledge, and secondly to apply it.
 

Source: You Can Work Your Own Miracles. Fawcett Books, Random House. 1996. Excerpt from pgs. 79-85.

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Gut Response - Nothing Wrong with having Feelings

Gut Response - In Touch with True Emotions
by Madisyn Taylor

Our bellies can be wonderful monitors of our emotional health and the truth can always be found there.

So often, emotions that we long to express get stored in our bodies instead. The space where this most often happens is in our bellies. Rather than telling people, our even ourselves, the way we truly feel, we may stuff our true feelings deep inside of us, where they take up space until we are ready to let them go.

Stuffing our feelings in our bellies may feel like the "safe" response, since we then don’t really have to deal with our emotions. Yet, doing so can actually be detrimental to our emotional well-being and physical health. One way to connect with and release your emotions is to do a focused exercise with your stomach area.

Take a moment to center yourself with some deep breathing and quiet meditation, relaxing your body fully and turning off the chatter in your brain. With your right hand on your stomach, tell yourself three times: "Please reveal to me my true emotions." 

Listen for the answers. Repeat the exercise as many times as you would like, allowing yourself to drop deeper into your body each time. Notice any physical response in the stomach area, whether you have a warm, relaxed feeling in the middle of your body or if you feel tight knots in response to any emotions that do come up. You may even want to write down any answers that come to you. Remember that the body doesn’t lie.

Releasing our pent up feelings from our bellies can prevent disease and allow us to live more authentic and expressive lives. Sometimes, if too much emotional energy builds up inside of us, a blowout can result that can cause discomfort. You can help to alleviate this compression by doing the same exercise and adding sound to your emotional release.

The more guttural the sounds released through your mouth, the more emotions you are likely letting go. Releasing your emotions from your belly doesn’t have to be painful and hard; rather, it can be organic and effortless. It’s important not to judge whatever comes up for you. We tend to stuff our feelings in our bellies when we are ashamed of them or not ready to express them.

There is nothing wrong with having feelings, whatever they may be. You can’t help your feelings; if anything, you can help yourself by acknowledging the truth of your emotions so you can set yourself free. Madisyn Taylor

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EFT Script - Own the Vibration YOU Want

ALWAYS IN TUNE with my vibes,  CAROL LOOK'S Attracting Abundance, Issue #246 gives us the EFT script to Own the Vibration You Want...  

IMAGINE how much abundance would flow into your life if you could Own the Vibration You Want... Your situation would improve immediately!

What do I mean when I say: Own the Vibration You Want? Well, usually we dance around the issue, or only think about what we want occasionally, and we don't really hold the vibration of what we want in our body and mind with conviction. When we Own the Vibration... then we feel it, accept it and allow it into every cell in our bodies... and trust me, things will change in your life for the better!

SO WHAT'S the block? Only one important, crucial issue blocks us from totally being able to Own the Vibration we want - we usually don't know exactly what we want, and this - by the law of energy resonance - slows us down.

LET'S KEEP it simple - first things first - do you know what vibration you want to "own" in your life? This is critical. The universe doesn't recognize wishy-washy, weak, unclear, mediocre vibrations or desires. The universe is truly interested in hearing exactly what you want, loud and clear. Mixed messages yield mixed results... always have and always will.

And when we have mixed vibrations, or we strongly "own" two opposing vibrations, we feel stuck, and it becomes energetically impossible to attract what we want into our lives.

SO THE FIRST step is to focus on what you want and choose the vibration you want to own - and choose it carefully... It's not that you can't choose another vibration at a later time, it's just that it needs to be a vibration you are truly excited about and you need to have a very strong focus.

DO YOU WANT a vibration of peace to enter your life? Joy? Abundance? Ease? Clarity? Generosity? Magic? Once you decide what you want and choose to own it, you can align every cell in your body and mind with behaviors, thoughts and feelings that match it. And the manifestation process will begin...

WHEN YOU OWN the Vibration You Want, then, and only then, does your desire become irresistible, and you actually attract what you want into your life with ease.

Our thoughts, feelings and behaviors carry energy... Our vibration matters!

REMEMBER that the Universe hears your vibration not your words. The principles of the Law of Attraction remind us that we will receive more of what we are "broadcasting" to the Universe when we are in alignment with it. When the universe is able to receive a clear message from you (no energetic interference from emotional conflicts) then the Law of Attraction starts to work in your favor. So when you are clear and feel inspired to Own the Vibration You Want, the universe will support you.

BELOW you will find EFT setup phrases to help you be inspired to release your blocks to being able to attract what you want into your life.

When you change your vibration, you will change your life.

Go ahead, raise your vibration by being inspired to Own the Vibration You Want!

**************************** ****************************

1. EFT SETUP PHRASES:

The EFT SETUP Phrases for this topic are as follows:

While tapping the karate chop spot on either hand, repeat these phrases out loud, (or change the words to fit your exact situation).

"Even though I haven't decided exactly what I want yet, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway."

"Even though I'm really not sure what I want yet and that's why I'm giving mixed messages, I accept myself anyway."

"Even though I can't get clear about which vibration I want to own, I choose to love and accept myself anyway."

I have indicated where to tap while saying each of the phrases below. You may repeat the positive round more than once if you wish. (If you are new to EFT please view a chart of the spots on my web site under the EFT pages.)

***Now for the phrases that FOCUS ON THE PROBLEM***

Eyebrow: "I haven't decided what I want yet..."

Side of Eye: "I feel confused about which vibration I want to own..."

Under Eye: "I'm surprised I don't know what I want yet!"

Nose: "I don't know how to decide which vibration to own..."

Chin: "I want to feel inspired to own a vibration, but I'm scared."

Collarbone: "I'm afraid to make such a commitment!"

Under Arm: "I don't know which vibration to choose."

Head: "I feel stuck about making a decision."

***Now for the positive FOCUS ON THE SOLUTION***

Eyebrow: "I want to stop feeling undecided about my vibration."

Side of Eye: "I know what I want, I'm just afraid to own it."

Under Eye: "I want to want to choose a very powerful vibration."

Nose: "I feel hopeful that I can choose the right vibration for me."

Chin: "I'm feeling clearer already."

Collarbone: "I feel inspired to Own the Vibration I want."

Under Arm: "I love feeling as if I can Own the Vibration I Want."

Head: "I choose to Own the Vibration I Want."

******************************

Access more positive vibrations with the Law of Attraction by repeating the following phrases (while tapping or not):

Thank You, Universe for teaching me how to Own the Vibration I Want... I feel more aligned with abundance already!

Thank You, Universe for allowing me to feel inspired to Own the Vibration I Want... I am looking forward to uplifting results!

Thank You, Universe for making it so easy for me to Own the Vibration I Want... I feel the vibrational shift and power already!

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Take Ownership of your Thoughts - Master them!

I'VE LINKED a few Booster posts to spring you to the next level that I wrote a while back providing other resources to help you achieve a stressless state of being. Re-acting to another person's negativity is simply a knee-jerk stress re-action that you feel but many times do not acknowledge. That's wrong.

START MAKING it a practise to know how you feel (emotional) and what you feel (physical as in tight gut=tense) at different times of the day. Please tune in to your body's signals. It never ever leads you wrong. Once you know "what's up" with you, you are able to manage your actions and you will not take you by surprise or feel out of control. Being the authentic you takes work but would you have it any other way?

SOMETIMES YOU believe life sucks but as I was reminded recently, when you have that kind of shit in your mind you attract, yes you got it, shitty people who are attracted to your vibrational energy (without knowing why) and they are very happy to just spread the crap all over you. You, yes YOU, called it to you!

WE ARE ALL living stress-filled lives and we have got to get off of the crazy merry go-round and it starts by taking some quiet time for yourself, every day, to master your monkey mind.

When we take ownership of our thoughts we are less likely to project our issues or disowned qualities onto others. ~Madisyn Taylor

THE KEY TO the power of allowing is to allow people to be themselves. Not always charming and as long as they don't step on you, as stinky as some may be, it's okay. But here's the thing, you are also responsible for drawing the line with anyone who goes beyond what is acceptable to you.

AS MADISYN TAYLOR suggests below you can quite easily visualise a protective shield to block another person's negative energy. It is that easy.  Do remember that it is your thoughts that draw people and their energy, negative or positive to you. The more you master your thoughts - quieting the mind with meditation is the only way this can be achieved - the smoother your life journey will be.

A GREAT WAY I have discovered to short-circuit unhappy people is to deliberately look for the positive aspects of others. When you start paying attention to another's positive side, what bugs you about them takes a back seat and sometimes what we find is so surprising. They don't change of course but your thoughts about them do and that makes a world of difference. Try it.

And by the way, don't get too tied up on the word "meditation". Just walking in nature (without ipod, ipad, tablet or other distractions), singing, dancing, etc. are all forms of meditation as well. Find what's right for you.

WHILE WE CAN try to avoid people we know who engage in projecting their “stuff” onto others, we can’t always steer clear of such encounters. We can, however, deflect some projections through mindfulness and meditation.

A USEFUL visualization tool is to imagine wrapping ourselves in a protective light everyday. At other times, we may have to put up a protective shield when we feel a projection coming our way, reminding ourselves that someone else’s issues are not ours.

ALTHOUGH IT'S difficult not to react when we are the recipient of a projection, it is a good idea to try to remain calm and let the other person know if they are being unreasonable and disrespectful. We all know that it’s not fun to be dumped on. Likewise, we should be mindful that we don’t take our own frustrations out on others.

WHEN WE TAKE ownership of our thoughts, motivations, desires, and feelings, we are less likely to project our issues or disowned qualities onto others. Read the rest of Madisyn's article.

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How to quiet the mind course

Just one thing Mini Meditation to dissolve stress (8 mins.)
I have found Ed and Deb Shapiro to be the most down-to-earth teachers on meditation.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT - The Power of Your Charisma

THE POWER of your charm might win others over today, which may make you feel captivating. Using your appeal to get the things you want might make it seem as if you have control over others, but your magnetism coupled with an ability to listen to people could be the reason why you are able to effectively influence people.

Listening carefully to others by using several of your senses may increase the amount of charisma you exude today. As you interact with others, you might want to listen not only to their words but also to the cadence of their speech and their intonation.

Also, look at their body language and facial expressions to glean additional information about their true feelings. Being able to read others in this way can contribute to their perception that you are available to them due to your awareness of their needs.

CHARISMA is only useful if we are conscientious about the people and environments around us. Relying solely on our personality can be risky, for we are more apt to put our own needs before those of others.

IF WE  train ourselves to be more attentive to the external signals of others, however, we can use the appealing aspects of our personality to better persuade and influence them.

CHARM, after all, is about understanding how to best meet the wishes of others. By understanding the true nature of your appeal and learning how to use it in a positive way today, others will be willing to listen to and accept your ideas. DailyOM

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