Archive for 'Spiritual Studies'
Establishing and Maintaining a Positive Attitude
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Establishing and Maintaining a Positive Attitude
“ Every morning before arising, lie relaxed in bed and deliberately drop happy thoughts into your conscious mind.” Norman Vincent Peale, Positive Thinking Every Day
What each of us thinks about our life is reflected in the attitude we have each day as we go about your daily business. A negative attitude is brought about through a pessimistic opinion of one’s life, and life in general. A positive attitude has as its foundation— a belief in the inherent good in life.
Positivity in one’s life could be based upon a current ego trip. It could also be based upon our true Self which is connected to Source (you vs.YOU). This TRUE IDENTITY is the power, wisdom, and presence of Source within each of us. There is nothing more power-full than the use of this absolute frame of reference upon which to build FAITH for a daily positive attitude. On the other hand, the personal ego trip can be filled with turmoil and frustrations of up and down cycles of human life, which over a period of time, sap the strength and health of an individual.
Intuitive Living by Alan Seale: Soul and Ego join together to make up the total You. Ego provides the way of action in the world. Ego is the physical body and personality, the vehicle through which your soul lives in the physical world. Ego is mind, analytical thought processes, while soul is heart. In a healthy ego-soul balance, Love flows through the soul, guiding the way through lessons and growth, and the ego responds with the appropriate action in the world. However when things get turned around and ego takes control, dictating its needs and desires and insisting that they be met, frustration arises because soul and ego are at odds with one another. This can manifest in many ways like Seale’s fear of performing.
Seeing Things The Way Things Are
A positive attitude comes from seeing things as they really are. This seeing is an inner understanding of the true nature of one’s life and being; that one is, in truth, on a voyage of one’s soul through eternity; that each experience, large or small, is a step upward in the growth, development and perfection of one’s soul, and through it, one’s manifestation of being that while we are part of Source— One Infinite Mind in which we live daily as a thought, while at the same time, Source— One Infinite Mind lives daily in our minds. This state of oneness provides one with the peace, the power, and the wisdom with which to confront all things in life, and to grow, such thoughts as these form the basis and foundation of a positive attitude upon which to base one’s life.
Attitude is Everything
Each day as we go through life, a person’s attitude stimulates responses—outwardly and inwardly. The outer responses are the responses of others toward us, either positive or negative. The inner responses are coming from the unconscious mind that contains corresponding positive or negative thought patterns in the subconscious and from one’s connection to Source. Responses occur according to our thinking with its positive or negative nature. To bring the responses that one wishes to have in order to create a better life, one’s daily attitude should— indeed, be a positive one.
Guideline for a Positive Attitude
Realize that you damage yourself psychologically, psychically, and spiritually if your attitude isn’t positive, no matter what negative events or conditions may arise in life.
- Psychologically—you damage yourself by accepting failure thoughts that become part of your subconscious mind and form failure thought patterns, which will not relieve the present situation and will only compound it—leading to future difficulties.
- Psychically—you damage yourself by failing to maintain a positive attitude, by telepathically radiating out vibrations of failure to others (like a radio broadcast), which in turn, attracts further situations of failure and negativity into your life.
- Spiritually—you damage yourself by putting a negative attitude about yourself, through your thoughts, into the mind of Source or the Universe. There is One Mind flowing throughout all creation in nature, and what you think about yourself and life is accepted as so by the Universal Mind, and acted upon accordingly in the creative process of nature.
A Positive Attitude:
- About oneself and one’s life can best be formed by accepting a spiritual foundation upon which one’s self image rests.
- Doesn’t accept defeat but regroups and adjusts my being open to intuitive self-direction from Source or one’s Higher God Mind. This may indicate that a person should try something entirely different, or take a different approach to what is already in use.
- Is one that knows that, in spite of any difficulty, one’s higher God Mind will show the way and/or open up the way for improvement.
- Recognizes that there are certain spiritual laws constantly at work in one’s life to clear up any negative condition which has arisen. These laws are automatically set into motion by the maintenance of a positive attitude.
- Can be enforced by the daily act of meditation, Meditation gives a person inner peace that clears the way for intuition to direct and guide us out of any negative situation. Creative ideas flow forth into the conscious mind to rise above the problem level of the mind.
A Positive Thinking Person:
- Knows that in the case of any ill health, that Source has power over any malfunctioning energies in the body to heal and restore them to good health.
- Knows that if there is financial lack, Source, unlimited in its resources will direct the personal mind to those resources in physical reality to bring about prosperity.
- Knows that if there is love lacking in one’s life, the personal mind will intuitively be directed to finding love in one’s life.
- Knows that one may have a momentary reaction to some negative condition or experience but almost immediately begins to recoil by placing their mind on the presence of Source within them.
Time should not be wasted blaming others for negativity but instead time can be used wisely by tuning into Source within for guidance in correcting any negative situation in life involving others.
Blessings of my innermost realities: Source at the center of my mind and being, Your presence allows me to have and maintain a positive attitude about myself and my life. All dark shadows of negativity are removed from my mind, that my mind thinks clearly in the Light of your presence within me. My attitude is one of unwavering positivity as your presence within me is with me eternally and the blessings of my innermost realities impacts my attitude about life All that I need to know is revealed to me. All that I need comes to me All is well in my life and I give thanks and so it is.
Writen by Joan Maresh Hansen
Life’s Exhilaration
What a satisfying experience when you plan and execute a gathering of people with an intended outcome that comes to pass. Tonight the Good Life Guide hosted it’s first Feel Good Gathering for 2010. New faces and familiar faces from last year came together to discuss topics of mutual interest.
Our purpose was to share what we are learning in our discoveries of what we are calling practical spirituality. Practical meaning that we can apply what we learn to improving the quality of our daily life. We discussed the significance of being dedicated to the practice of certain disciplines that will enable you to enhance your intuitive gifts. We talked about the different approaches to meditation and how each individual’s experiences will differ. One participant shared how meditation on a noisy plane allowed her to ” go within” and therefore relax into letting others be exactly the way they are, therefore eliminating the stress of the moment into a quiet calm. Another participant shared a good book that she suggested we all read. Another said why she came was to experience happiness again as it has been a long time and she no longer liked herself.
We discussed meditation and then did a guided meditation using a candle. We took time to write out our intentions that we wanted to expand and grow in the new year. We then wrote down the things in our life in the past year that we wanted to “shed ” from our life.
Discussions were lively and gratitude was expressed with comments like this was exactly what was needed and how much the evening was enjoyed. The best thing was the confirmation that Universe gave as each person walked through the door with a smile and warm greeting like, “I ‘ve missed you.”
Comraderie is good food for the soul. It is like a beacon from a lighthouse on a dark night as the ship approaches the shores providing safety. Many people can feel lost in this world and there are some of us that intend to be of assistance in offering the helping hand to those who are asking for help in finding their way back to a joy filled life. Inventors have fun in finding a better way to do something. Spirituality and the practicing of the spiritual laws will with mathematical certainty give you astounding results when applied consistently. We love sharing the lessons as we learn them and are so appreciative of those who allow us to provide the forum for such exhilarating dialogues about life.
It is not by accident that the people who attended the meeting came together. We were all drawn together for reasons. The Source was with us.
In conclusion, a seeker came to his teacher to complain, ” Master, I am unhappy with the people in my life. They are unfaithful, inconsiderate. I am not wanted or appreciated. How can I change them?’
Replied the teacher, ” Change yourself”
The walk down the spiritual path is toward self change. If we reminded ourselves of this dozens of times a day, it would not be too much.
Handbook of Higher Consciousness
Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a reference book to use daily to do what it takes to be at peace with whatever occurs in our day to day lives? If only we could reach for a book when upsets happen, or sadness envelopes us, or some situation seems virtually out of control.I believe that we can not only reach for books, we can study them and then remember the lessons and applications taught so that our lives can be joy filled and peaceful the majority of the time.However we all know that it is easier said than done.
My personal goal is to re-read books that I read over thirty years ago when I first began my path of spiritual growth and understanding. It is my belief that after three decades the books are likely to make more sense. It shocks me in a good way when I find a book that says something similar to what I have just read in a book that is now a best seller. It simply reinforces the idea that “truths” resonate from many voices and live on through our life times. These truths remain ever present, it is us that slip away and loose sight of them in the scurry to live our lives.
One of the first books discovered while traveling in California was Handbook To Higher Consciousness by Ken Keyes Jr. which my copy was written in 1975, that is some time ago—over thirty four years. As I open the tattered pages of the book and see the highlighted passages. Some that seem timely include the following;
“The biocomputer with which you are equipped is the most remarkable instrument in the universe.” This biocomputer reference is our minds.
“Your journey into higher consciousness is a matter of your learning how to properly program your remarkable biocomputer.”
” Every experience can aid you in your growth toward higher consciousness if you know how to use it.“Yes, if we only know how to use each experience to teach us life lessons. I will re-read this book and discover many more morsels of information that I look forward to unveiling in the light of a new understanding. Let me hear from you regarding some of your favorite books.
Handbook to Higher Consciousness is dedicated to human beings on earth who by Living Love can make the planet a here and now paradise. I like the sound of that, how about you?
Application of Modern Mysticism
Have you ever learned something and then never taken the action to apply what you learned to your life? There is an entire world that opens up to you as you study each new subject. If you sign up for a cooking class, you learn about new tools and new terminology and new skills. If one pursues an art class, the same is true. For over forty one years, my interest has been in the area of metaphysics. What is in life beyond our physical body? What is that energy that creates worlds?
My discovery lead me to a body of work to study called mysticism. Mysticism is described as the absolute power available to human beings. As you begin taking steps down this path of study, what begins to unravel are life’s deepest mysteries. It is as though you have walked into a classroom of the greatest minds who ever lived. However, no matter how much you study or how much you learn, it will make no difference in improving the quality of your life or the lives of others unless you can take the necessary steps to apply this knowledge.
If there is a Higher Power that can perform miracles in each of our lives then why don’t we apply this knowledge therefore demonstrating it?
In today’s society, mysticism is a much abused word. Put simply, it represents one’s highest quest of human growth and awareness. It wakes one up to the potential inside oneself. Many place other practices within this same category which can include tarot cards, fortune telling, crystal gazing to tea leaf reading. It is not these things, it does however include the following;
- discovering the nature of reality within the relationships of man-woman, mind, and the Universe.
- discovering and confirming the presence of a Universal Intelligence that resides within the deep levels of the human mind,
- making direct contact with this Universal Intelligence,
- experiencing this presence, to know Universal Intelligence exist and can be contacted,
- applying the creativity, and power of the Universal Intelligence to improve life,
- intuitively be guided in all of life’s endeavors
As you begin to study mysticism, a whole new world opens up to you with a far greater understanding of your potential and yourself. Modern books that discuss spiritual laws which include the Secret, The Law of Attraction and many others are based on an understanding of how to use these ancient truths in ways that can benefit one’s life and the lives of others.
“ The Mystic path is sunny. It is the way of genuine enthusiasm and lasting cheerfulness. So much awaits you. We finally learn why things happen to us as they do, which places us in control of our fortunes. Fear and tension vanish once and for all. No person and no circumstance can disturb our inner peace. “
“You, the reader, possess great capacities for miraculous self enrichment. You need only exercise these powers as best you can.”
The Mystic Path to Cosmic Power, Vernon Howard
Join us in achieving fuller, better lives. Each of us has a right to happiness, our intention is to help ourselves and each of us along the way in attaining it. What is it that YOU want in your life? You may want love, friendship, home, security or money. These can all be yours, if first you gain an understanding, then know what to do and how to use this incredible power that lays dormant within each of us. It can be awakened and knowing how to do this will transform each of our lives for the better. To each of our lives being better and better…
Recommended Readings:
Wisdom of the Mystic Masters, Joseph J. Reed. The most awesome secrets ever known to man are in this book—ready to be used by you to get riches, influence, and joy.
Divine Guidance, Doreen Virtue. This books serves to remind us that our minds give us messages if we can learn to listen.
The Mystic Path to Cosmic Power,Vernon Howard. This miraculous source of help can light your path and and banish crisis from your lives.
By Marian LaSalle and Joan Maresh Hansen,Swirl Girls
What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.” Collete
Many of us have experienced how life’s lessons can be presented to us through pain, loss and struggles. Few of us realize that it is these difficult times that teach us most. It takes practice to see good in something bad. When we intentionally focus our mind on what possible good can come from the challenging events then amazing things can happen.
How many times have you had one of those days where nothing seems to be going right? As long as we live on this earth we will have days that go just as we desire and the opposite where everything seems to happen in a less desirable manner.
Sometimes we are having what Lynn Grabhorn talks of in her book,”Excuse Me Your Life is Waiting.” that which she calls a negative energy orgy. It is simply you closing yourself off to the energy of your higher self. The valve is closed—shut tight— and you are not feeling the positive energy of this incredible Universal Power or God Source. The positive flow of this “feel good “ source of good stuff is shut off. It is also what the teachings of Abraham call the CONTRAST in life or more specifically some of what we do not want in our life. This— we eventually learn is what leads us to discover that which we do want. From being smack dog in the middle of what we do not want, a “rocket of desire “ is launched for our new desires. We can also get to a place eventually where we can bless these bad times which gave us a gift by showing us the clarity to know what we really do want in our lives.
Although you feel really lousy—you have been here before and it is no big deal, you must allow yourself to have this kind of “ down in the dumps” day. Really go on and have it. Give yourself permission to experience and to feel all the negative “icky” sensations so that nothing gets stuffed down inside your self.
Now, on the other hand if you want to escape these vibrational gloomies, then one easy way to do that is to allow your eyes to look at the smallest, most insignificant thing you can find to “jump start” your physical smile.
Do What Makes YOU Smile: Reach down inside yourself and feel the feelings of that little thing that forces you to smile. Maybe it is an animal looking at you and loving you, or a plant in your garden, or the sunshine pouring in your window, or your favorite old ragged chair in your favorite reading corner, or maybe it is the book you are reading. Feel and flood feelings of appreciation to it for just being in your life. Wrap it in love as if it were the greatest treasure of your entire life which was lost and has now been found.
Sing and Dance: If this doesn’t do the trick then put on your favorite dance music and begin dancing around the house. Sing some silly song like,” Happy Days are Here Again,”( even though you would rather be in your chair crying). As they say, “fake it till you make it.” You will be amazed at how quickly your mood can change for the better.
Change the Scenery: Another course of action is to change the scenery and take a walk— nature can do wonders to cure what ails you.
Positive Self Talk: An additional strategy is to give yourself a positive little self-talk, “ Don’t worry things will get better, You will be feeling better soon. Life gives you the downs so you can more fully appreciate the ups.”
The bottom line is take one small gentle loving step at a time when you are feeling down. Give yourself a little here and a little there. It may take a couple of hours or a couple of days and eventually you will feel the resistance lessening and a “click” where the valve to that “feel good “ connection is open and flowing back again into you. You are again turned on to the infinite possibilities of life.
Remember that life offers opposites and it is in these paradoxes that we are given a better understanding of the things we truly want in our life. Sometimes we are led to a less than pleasant experience to first wallow in before the light shines on things we love.
Gabrielle Roth says it beautifully in the following excerpt:
“When we experience moments of ecstasy—
in play, in art, in sex—they come not as
an exception, an accident, but as a taste of what
life is meant to be…ecstasy is an idea, a goal,
but it can be the expectation of every day,
Those times when we are grounded in our body,
pure in our heart, clear in our mind, rooted
in our soul, and suffused with the energy,
the spirit of life, are our birthright.
It’s really not that hard to stop and luxuriate
in the joy and wonder of our being,
Children do it all the time.
It’s a natural human gift that should be
at the heart of our lives.”
No matter how lousy you are feeling, remember that we always have a choice. So turn on the flow of “feel good “ by finding one tiny thing that has you begin to feel a little bit better. Because there is a choice in every moment, make it your goal to reach for a better feeling thought.With enough practice, soon you will find that you will be able to look at those challenging times to find the gift that they were to you.
Recommended Reading:
Excuse Me Your Life is Waiting by Lynn Grabhorn. This book surprised me as to how easy of a read it is. Grabhorn talks about her life journey and the tools along the way that helped her begin to experience her life ” full tilt boogie.”
Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. Take this favorite a day at a time and enjoy the powerful quotes along with Breathnach’s path to living a simply abundance life.
© Marian LaSalle and Joan Maresh Hansen,
Swirl Girls,2009
“Meditation is the art of paying attention to your heart. Rather than withdrawing from the world, meditation can help you enjoy it more fully, more effectively, and more peacefully.” Dean Ornish, M.D.
Why do we meditate? Dr. Wayne Dyer in his book Getting in the Gap tells us reasons why people meditate including reducing stress, cultivating a sense of peace, eliminating fatigue, slowing the aging process, improving memory, finding clarity of purpose, and even healing. Dyer goes on to say that,” these reasons pale in comparison that meditation is our way of making conscious contact with God.”
Here are everyday ways to meditate on your own, whenever you choose. (more…)
By Marian LaSalle and Joan Maresh Hansen, Swirl Girls
Marian, Victor, Joan, Taz at NLP Houston Workshop
Our lives have been a series of serendipitous events. We have been reading and studying an assortment of spiritual and scientific books that have created for us lives that we could not have imagined in previous years. Upon the continuous improvements, we devoted ourselves to sharing what we have learned so that others could be the benefactors of our generosity.
“My potential is unlimited.”
” I know that I can create miracles in my life.”
We appreciate the many teachers who have blessed our lives and we simply intend to ” pass on” what we ‘ve learned. Thanks to each of you and Source, God, Goddess, All-That-Is.
Joan Maresh Hansen teaching workshop at Bonaparte Antiques
Recommended Readings:
1.Portable Empire by Pat O’Bryan
2.Conversations with God, Neale Donald Walsch
3. Zero Limits Dr. Joe Vitale
4. Think and Grow Rich, Think and Grow Rich Workbook by PatO’Bryan and Dr. Joe Vitale
Take II Central Market Workshop participants
Posted on 5 September '09 by Joan, under Good Life Guide, Law of Attraction, Like minded People, Living the Life of our Dreams, LOA, Portable Lifestyle, Spiritual Journey, Spiritual Processes, Spiritual Studies, Stress relief, Swirling Vortex Group, Teachers Teaching Teachers, Tips, Travel. 1 Comment.
