THE SECRET OF PRAYER

Do you think of prayer as wishful thinking or a way of soliciting God’s help? Either way, you may be misunderstanding what lies at the root of prayer.

While there’s scientific evidence that praying can have true worldly effects -- prayed-for people and plants grow healthier; people who pray live longer; bacteria can be influenced by prayer; etc., -- it’s not clear exactly what causes these effects. When praying brings results, is the cause praying, or is it something else?

If we think of prayer merely as speaking words to God and asking for help, we may have reason for skepticism and doubt. However, if we think of prayer as a way of generating and focusing creative energy -- the essence of all being and from which all existence arises -- then there’s a way of conceiving a rational explanation for the workings of prayer.

In other words, if we recognize that prayer is a way of focusing the creative power of consciousness, then its results are no greater a miracle than any other creative act; no different than eliciting a new insight, idea, inspiration, or creative vision -- all of which suddenly emerge from nonexistence and cause new life possibilities to form. Prayer may actually be a way of mobilizing the creative power that secretly resides at our depths.

In this light the main difference between prayers getting answered or not has not to do with our prayerful words, but rather the quality of consciousness that underlies those words. When praying in desperation and fear, we may be unwittingly working against what we want, failing ourselves. Successful prayer may have everything to do with how well we focus the creative power of consciousness and the level of positive energy we generate.

Here may lie the true secret of prayer.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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COULD YOU BECOME A LIFE MASTER?

Many of us may think that life mastery is an unrealistic goal, yet I think everyone should make it their key goal in life.

Here’s why:  Wouldn’t you rather to be a master of a game, sport or occupation than be poor at it?  I think we all would.  But many of us may think it’s too hard, or that we don’t have enough talent, or that mastery means becoming great or the best or perfect.  And this is not possible for most of us.  So it may not seem worth the effort to even try.

But it is worth the effort.  For even if we only achieve a degree of mastery at something, we’re much better off. For we gain more control, success and satisfaction with each step we take, no matter how small.

To bring about mastery, we simply need to keep making a little progress, week after week.  Then, given enough time, we’re sure to achieve a level of mastery.

Now you might ask, “But if I barely have what it takes to master just one thing, how can I expect to master all of life?  Isn’t that expecting too much?”  

Not at all.  Because life mastery is achieved by mainly developing only one thing  -- one’s consciousness. Once we realize this, achieving life mastery is much more conceivable. 

It’s our state of consciousness that makes the difference in everything we do.

Once we know this and focus primarily on improving our state of consciousness, we’ll surely move toward life mastery -- which essentially is the ability to live with great satisfaction and ease. And what can be more important than that? 

So don’t sell yourself short. Aim for nothing less than life mastery and give life your best shot!

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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FREEDOM FROM EGO TYRANNY

Normally we don’t see our biases for what they truly are -- ego-reinforced restrictions that keep us from realizing our greater possibilities. 

Until we realize this we may have no reason or desire to be free of our biases; instead we may dutifully defend them and live within the restrictions that they impose. However, once we’re aware of how they limit and diminish us, we may seek to break free of them.

Higher consciousness training often serves this purpose.  And meditation is one of its best tools.  But as you practice meditation, know that it’s not an end in itself, only a training -- a way of learning to connect with one’s inner spiritual essence and free the mind from its ego enslavement.

As we do this, we become able to focus the mind in a new way; we begin to see reality more objectively and develop authentic intuition. Thus, a new life and self with greater creative energy and positive potentials becomes possible. 

By freeing yourself from the tyranny of your ego biases, you can become the hero of your own life drama.

You may begin to do this simply by observing when strong likes and dislikes attempt to rule you. Then step back and take an impartial view of them ... and choose something different.

As you do this you’ll become free to act more wisely and increase your power to get better outcomes.

Goodness and joy to all,  Joseph.

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THE WAY TO HAPPINESS

Is something blocking your happiness?

If you’re not happy it may not be due to being less lucky, deserving or successful than others -- but because you’ve placed many restrictions on happiness, deferring it to the future. You might have told yourself, “When I get everything I want, then I’ll be happy.” 

But even if you do get everything you want, happiness may still elude you. Because getting what we want only brings temporary good feelings, not happiness. Becoming a happy person requires much more than that. It’s the result of developing a high level of positive awareness -- being able to see value in everything, even in what’s normally considered ‘bad’.

Our possibilities for happiness dramatically increase as we see humor in our failings, misfortune as a chance to test courage and grow stronger, mistakes as valuable lessons to guide success, pain as a call for improving self-awareness and self-care, conflict as an opportunity to improve relating skills, anger as a signal to improve understanding, and beauty as an intrinsic quality inherent in the unique character of most people, places and things.

Happiness also comes as we increase our capacity for gratefulness, generosity, acceptance, authenticity, and compassion, as well as embracing positive ways of thinking and dropping negative ones.

The bottom line: the way to happiness lies not so much in getting all we want, but in upgrading the quality of our consciousness and character.

Goodness and joy to all,  Joseph.

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THE MASTER'S ATTITUDE

A simple action, although it may seem insignificant at the time, can make a great difference. It can determine success or failure.

A chess master knows this. He or she may move a pawn just one square forward and change a game's outcome. An unsuspecting novice may not realize the significance of such a simple move until several moves later. But the chess master knows what the novice may not -- that if the proper counter move is not immediately made, the master has already won; it's just a matter of playing out the remaining moves until the novice realizes it. (You may have had this kind of experience as a child as you mastered the game of tic tac toe.)

The same applies in life. A simple act can turn out to be a crucial turning point setting off a chain of events having great consequences. For example, an instance of thoughtful action can initiate the unfolding of a great friendship, career, or love relationship. And likewise, a single callous act can set the reverse in motion. Success or failure often hangs in the balance of a single act.

Every master knows this and therefore will always conscientiously make their best effort -- no matter how basic or mundane the task. This is the norm for masters, producing excellent results and great satisfaction in almost everything they do. In Zen this is called 'right action'.

It's wise to adopt this attitude. Once you make it your norm, like compounded interest, you'll realize a great stream of positive returns and a much better life.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR MIND!

Do you have control of your mind? Does it take you places you never intended to go? ... like in the following case:

"Must do my errands ... now where'd I put keys? ... not on hall table ... how'd that book get there? ... thought I put it back ... did my roommate do it? ... hate when people mess with my things ... damn! ... got to say something ... wish I had my own place ... can't afford it ... need a raise ... better job ... hate my boss ... always on my back ... glad tomorrow's Friday ... got to fix resume ... find a better job ... keys not by TV ... wonder what's on ... (CLICK) ... stock market ... ugh! ... change channel ... what's this? ... old movie ... I need to sit ... its the Marx bothers ... I remember this funny movie ... (smile) ... Sis hated Groucho ... never understood why ... this part is great! ... (a giggle)... Groucho is great ... so talented, rich, famous, smart ... loved by everyone ... wish I was loved like that ... but no luck dating ... need to do something special ... maybe write a book ... get one good idea and make a fortune ... look at Groucho roll his eyes ... so alive and mischievous ... what a spirit ... wish I could be alive like that ... oh, here comes Harpo ... and the funniest part ... (a giggle, then eighty minutes later) ... movie over ... what time is it? ... getting too late for errands ... there's the keys ... on trunk ... too late now ... might rain ... oh well, maybe tomorrow ... what else is on TV?"

The mind is often like a pinball, bouncing around erratically without purposeful direction (as the above illustrates). But we can take control of it by monitoring our thoughts and choosing which to follow and which to say NO to. Don't let random or reactive thoughts misdirect you. To live more successfully, practice noticing when your mind is meandering. Then refocus it and get it back on track.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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STAGES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

The following outlines consciousness stages from birth; at the seventh stage, we gain higher mental functioning and a more satisfying life.

One: the infant brain registers sensory experience as random electrical patterns of brain activity.

Two: as similar brain patterns are repeated, ideas, associations and memories become formed and thinking capacity increases.

Three: as thinking capacity and interaction with others increase, language develops and becomes the dominant means for understanding and communicating reality.

Four: as the brain reaches an adult capacity, a language-based personal set of biases become established as one’s normal state of consciousness.

Five: once established they become the basis for automatically and subconsciously responding, undermining true conscious choice and free will.

Six: if and when we begin to recognize this normal limitation, a special effort of self-awareness may be made to bring consciousness to another, freer level.

Seven: as this is achieved, we may live at a more conscious, creative and satisfying level.

At each progressive stage of mental development, the ability to satisfactorily interact with others and the environment increases. It’s by reaching the sixth and seventh stages that we fulfill our human potential for living our best.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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FIVE KEYS TO SUCCESS

If you’re wondering what you can do to be more successful -- at anything -- you may want to consider these five key attitudinal factors: Belief, Patience, Sincerity, Humility and Determination.

First, we need to have belief in ourselves and in the value of our task. After all, there’s not much point trying to utilize our creative power if we believe that we don’t have any or that the task is not worth doing. Next, we need patience to properly prepare and give the task all the time and attention needed.

Three other factors -- sincerity, humility and determination -- are essential too. Without sincerity, there can be no meaningful attempt made. Without humility, we may arrogantly resist considering anything contrary to what we already know. And without determination, we can’t generate the energy and sustain the effort we need to see our way through.

So, successful action greatly depends on our mental approach. If we believe in our creative power, have adequate patience, and bring sincerity, humility and determination to it, we’re more likely to succeed -- regardless of the methods we use.

These are five keys to success -- qualities of character and mind that serve us best. So to have more success, in every area of life, simply improve these qualities in yourself.

One further point: developing a ‘winning personality’ may not come automatically or easily -- many of the most successful people achieve it with the benefit of special training and help. (Always a great advantage if you can arrange to get it.)

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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IS SCIENCE DISCOVERING GOD?
 
With the discovery of the Higgs boson (the ‘God particle’), we now have scientific evidence that space is not empty; it, and all things are permeated by a field of mysterious activity causing all existence to take place.

Is this a field of divine consciousness? Might science be on the verge of discovering God?
If so, we soon have a scientific basis for knowing God. And then we’ll know God not as a mythical super human being that lives in an imaginary heavenly realm, but as an actual source-field of unlimited creative potentials: a ‘God-field’ resource existing here and now and eternally.

With this understanding of God, atheists and believers of every stripe may one day become united in a pure, scientific-based spirituality -- free of the religious differences and myths that now separate us and often pit us against one another instead of bringing us together to manifest our greatest possibilities.

We may then be spiritually enlightened, energized and unified by science. As we come to know God as a source-field of creative possibilities permeating and supporting all existence (and most significantly our own), we may find that, as we access this field within ourselves, we experience a more meaningful and creative spirituality.

Creative inspirations, wisdom, and loving impulses are the God source-field bubbling up inside us. If we deny or suppress these inner stirrings or fail to wholeheartedly attend them, we live estranged from our divine creative spirit and greatest possibilities. But if we fully attend to and express them, we come to fulfill ourselves spiritually and know God most intimately -- as a thrilling creative energy illuminating and flowing though us.

As science discovers God and we explore the God-field within, a great new creative and spiritual age shall begin.

To revitalize your life, see: http://guidetolifemastery.blogspot.com/p/life-mastery-energetics.html

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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KEY TO LIVING AT YOUR BEST

The key to living your best life lies in remembering that there’s a Highest Self dimension that you can access to guide you. If we don’t realize or remember that we have this possibility, then we automatically live according to our sub-wills. (Sub-wills are the strong beliefs, biases, habits, addictions, attachments and tendencies which usually subconsciously run us.)

And as long as our sub-wills rule, we’re not free to create the better life we want; they’ll often undermine our best intentions. Thus, living in this normal mode, life is often a dissatisfying and disappointing experience.

To do better, we need to learn to live in a higher consciousness mode. And for this to happen, we need to learn to quiet our mind and listen to the guiding ‘voice’ of our HIGHEST SELF. This voice will always reveal our best options and lead us to our best outcomes. Then life can be grand!

As simple as this may sound, it’s also tricky. We can easily be fooled by the ‘voice’ of a pseudo Higher Self, masquerading as our true highest self. So we need not only remember to listen to our Highest Self, we need to be very attentive and learn to tell the difference between these two voices.

Our pseudo Higher Self is egocentric and self-serving. Usually it’ll produce a feeling of grandeur and/or superiority. On the other hand, our authentic Highest Self is universe-serving and is accompanied by feelings of humility, reverence, compassion, caring and love. It prompts us to simply do our best to serve the flowering of all life, including our own, so we may be fulfilled.

So REMEMBER YOUR HIGHEST SELF -- often! Then QUIET YOUR MIND and LISTEN FOR ITS GUIDANCE. Let your Highest Self lead you forward.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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INCREASING SUCCESS CAPACITY

Which of the following qualities describe YOU ... most of the time?

High or low energy; positive or negative outlook; focused or unfocused; confident or not confident; purposeful or aimless; open or closed; adaptable or rigid; friendly or distant; caring or indifferent.

With one set of qualities, we live more successfully. With the other, we don’t. (I think you know which is which.)

So if you want to live more successfully and are honest with yourself, you know which qualities you need to develop. Yet you may find it difficult to do so on your own.

If this is you, don’t feel bad. Most of us are in the same boat; we don’t have the expert knowledge and objectivity to reshape ourselves for success. But there are professionals that do. And there’s a growing technology being developed specifically for increasing the capacity to live more successfully.

Once we realize this, we have three choices: we can accept our limitations and take whatever level of success comes; or, we can learn and practice techniques that increase success capacity; and/or, we can enlist the help of an experienced professional to speed our way.

An experienced and skilled professional trainer is a great advantage to have at our side, because we all tend to have some resistance to change and trying new things -- even when it’s to our great benefit.

Success in life shouldn’t be left to random chance. And this is just what often happens. There’s a growing body of psychological and spiritual science to draw upon. And those who utilize it have a great advantage.

To learn about 5 key techniques I use and teach in my classes, check this link: Http://guidetolifemastery.blogspot.com/p/lm-energetics-techniques.html

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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A MASTER TOOL: OPELI MEDITATION

Most kinds of meditation, practiced regularly, increase psychological and physical well-being as well as life span. OPELI MEDITATION does more. It’s five meditations in one that also increase willpower, energy, confidence, creativity and efficacy. Try each meditation separately until grasped. Then in sequence.

Begin by sitting straight, feet flat on floor, not leaning back on anything and with eyes closed.

OM MEDITATIONMake a long, deep vibrating Ommm sound. Feel it move down your torso. Repeat until you clear any negative feelings you may have.

PEACE MEDITATION
Drop all concerns, let nothing disturb you and remain peacefully still. (Beginners may wish to imagine sunning on a beautiful day.)

ENERGY MEDITATIONPlace hands out, palms up and feel energetic tingling in and around them. Then feel this in your arms. Then in other body parts. Eventually, feel your whole self as an energy mass with no distinct borders. Then drop hands and willfully generate energy until you feel supercharged.

LOVE MEDITATION
Feel unconditional loving benevolence toward all that exists. (It may help beginners to smile and feel love for a child or pet.) Once you feel total loving benevolence, radiate loving energy in all directions.

INSIGHT MEDITATION
Direct your loving energy upward. (It may help beginners to imagine beaming a channel of light to the sky.) Ask a specific question, or for general guidance. Wait receptively for the answer to come.

In brief, this is OPELI MEDITATION. Master it. It empowers your spirit and allows you to live at your highest level -- life mastery.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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FOLLOWING YOUR SOUL

Are you in touch with your soul? And if so, do you usually follow its lead?

Soul is the spiritual center of self and the key to great fulfillment. With it we may access the creative consciousness field that underlies all things -- i.e., God. And in doing so, receive the insights, inspirations and spiritual guidance that lead us to manifest our life’s best possibilities. To the extent we connect with and live from soul, we can create a perfect life for ourselves.

So focusing on living at soul is the most important thing we can do for ourselves. Yet it’s not often done ... and for good reason. Normal human development quickly moves us to the place where we’re automatically ruled by basic drives, emotional reactions, habits and mindsets. And these tend to alienate us from our soul.

Thus we may wander through life uncertain about our true self and seek identity and fulfillment in the wrong places, not realizing that many of our problems and dissatisfactions arise from this confusion and misdirection.

To do better, we need to recognize our soul and live more at soul level.

To make better contact with your soul, pause often to briefly focus inwardly and sense your inner core goodness. When you feel this connection, ask -- What good shall I do now? -- and wait for an answer. If you do this sincerely, you’ll find something loving inside always willing to guide you.

Your soul is your Source Of Universal Love (and creativity, inspiration, intuition, meaning, purpose, wisdom, truth and loving intention). The more you connect with it and allow it to guide your actions, the more fulfilling and meaningful your life can be.

To MANIFEST A PERFECT LIFE FOR YOURSELF ... follow your soul.

To know more, see: http://guidetolifemastery.blogspot.com/p/how-perfect-life-is-possible.html

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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LIVING AT SOUL

The eternal soul is a concept passed down to us. Is it something real ... or is it just an idea that we may or may not wish to believe in?

Aside from all religious ideas, what I can say for sure is that if we sincerely sense deeply within, we can experience a higher energized and willing spirit at our core -- a level of self which may be our soul (or some aspect of it) and which gives us an expanded presence and awareness beyond our five senses and rational thought.

When we focus within at this level, we’re more confident, aware and able to meet the challenges of life and achieve our goals; we live more successfully, creatively and at a higher feeling level.

We can more easily and frequently experience higher psychic energies that expand awareness and heighten our experience of the divine -- i.e., flashes of insight and intuitive knowing; stirring visions; sparks of inspiration; creative idea flows; warm currents of empathy and compassion; explosions of joyful delight; visionary illuminations; shocks of new awareness and revelation; overwhelming infusions of ecstasy and bliss; sublime inner stirrings in response to the heroic, aesthetic, harmonic, exquisite, and generally wholesome and good; and the radiance and serenity of reverence and love.

The more we reach toward our higher energized spirit and draw upon all of its exceptional capacities, the more exciting and extraordinary life becomes; we heighten our sense of self and expand our ability to positively and creatively impact others and our surrounding world.

This is the way to have a truly great life. And the good news is that many of us can have it by becoming more aware of who we really are at our core.

ENERGY MEDITATION is one way to begin moving in this direction. Then, as you generate and focus your spirit’s higher energy, you may leap ahead on your journey to total well-being and empowerment. Do it! Amazing things can happen. And you may soon experience what it means to be LIVING AT SOUL IN YOUR DIVINE ZONE.

For energy meditation: ttp://guidetolifemastery.blogspot.com/2012/07/energy-meditation-you-may-have-noticed.html

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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HOW WE MAY ALL THRIVE

What we truly believe and value, at our core subconscious level, sets the matrix for manifesting our lives. This is the primary creative force behind shaping human destiny; and it often carries with it unexpected consequences.

So if, at our deepest and most subconscious level, we believe in and value power and wealth most, then we could surely manifest them. But with them we might also manifest loveless relationships, ill health, and a life of constant worry, struggle and conflict. Thus, sages warn: "Beware of what you wish for".

Perhaps it would be wiser to aspire to total well-being. For as we set this as our subconscious matrix, it can propel us to truly manifest a bountiful life for ourselves and others.

With this inner setting we’re most likely to develop greater consciousness and self-control, for these are part of, and vital to, gaining total well-being -- i.e., a healthy body and mind, healthy relationships, a healthy environment and healthy social systems; all these depend on our caliber of consciousness and our power to take conscious command.

Until we make total well-being our core inner setting, we can only manifest what the imbalances and biases of our present inner setting demands, with all the many unintended negative consequences it spurs, despite good intentions.

Thus, I see no evil people, only differences in subconscious settings manifesting their effects in the world; what we truly believe and value are what we manifest!

When a sufficient number of people are aware of how their consciousness works and then make efforts to better reset it to produce total well-being, then, and only then, can a great new age begin where we may all thrive.

To learn how a perfect life is possible, see: http://guidetolifemastery.blogspot.com/p/how-perfect-life-is-possible.html

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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ENERGY MEDITATION

You may have noticed that most successful people have and radiate a great deal of positive energy; the more positive energy we have and radiate, the more easily we attract and create all that we want and need. So a major key to successful living lies in learning to generate a highly positive energy state.

Normally, we don’t think in terms of deliberately generating our energy or even of how energetic we feel; we just take it as it comes. But it’s actually possible to learn to deliberately generate better energy states.

ENERGY MEDITATION is a way to do this. The practice is done in two stages. First by becoming aware of ourselves energetically and willfully generating our energy. Then by connecting with our core loving spirit and radiating a blissful and loving presence. Here’s the method in brief:

Part one: Begin by sitting in a comfortable position with feet firmly planted on the

floor and not leaning your back against anything. (You may also do this meditation

standing up.) Close your eyes, place your palms about five inches apart and chest

high. Step by step, starting with your hands, sense the energy in each part of your

body -- e.g., hands, arms, chest, back, head, face, hips, legs and feet. Do this very

slowly, until you’ve sensed the energetic liveliness of each part of your body. After

this, focus on feeling your whole self as a powerful presence that fills the surrounding

space, and with each in-breath, feel your energy expanding.

Part two: Feel your inner core spirit radiating the energy of joy, love or bliss. (To

spark such feelings and get them flowing, it may help to remember when you last

felt them.) Then focus on raising your positive feeling intensity until you reach its

peak and experience yourself at this higher state for a minute of two.

As you practice this meditation you’ll learn to shift to a higher energetic self. And the more often and easily you do that, the better your life can and will be.

To learn more about LME techniques, see: Http://guidetolifemastery.blogspot.com/p/lm-energetics-techniques.html

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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ACHIEVING YOUR GREATEST LIFE

When we know how things work we can take the actions necessary to get the results we want. So if we’re not getting the results we want, it may mean that we have too limited an understanding of how things work.

This principle is demonstrated many times daily when you do the things that you’ve already mastered: driving, making a perfect cup of coffee, performing basic tasks at home or at work, etc. In such cases, you understand how things work sufficiently to get the results you want. However, there are areas where this may not be so, including one area in particular that’s key to them all, and that’s your own mind.

Here the stakes are highest. When we don’t know the secrets of how our mind really works, we’re subject to failure in many ways. This is because our mind is our mechanism for making decisions and directing behavior. And under the guise of true knowing, it can often lead us astray -- unconsciously or consciously -- and then place blame on others, external events or bad luck.

Thus, we may never suspect that the workings of our own mind may be the culprit. But once we learn the truth about how capriciously our mind works and how to develop a more mindful and stable center of Self, we can begin to live more successfully.

Those who can see this begin to take a new approach to their mind’s workings. Instead of following its automatic moment-to-moment responses, they become keenly watchful of what their mind produces and selectively choose which thoughts and feelings to express and implement.

With this departure from an automatic self to a more aware and deliberately acting self, wiser courses of action can be taken -- we may begin to achieve life mastery and our greatest life. (Those of you know what I mean are by now probably slyly smiling to yourself.)

TO LEARN MORE:
Http://guidetolifemastery.blogspot.com/p/lm-energetics-techniques.html

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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A GREAT HUMAN CHALLENGE

For a long time, science has seen life primarily as a mechanical and material process; an inevitable playing out of cause and effect. It hasn’t much considered the significance of one’s consciousness’ capacity for shaping events. But as the human brain and its capacity for consciousness evolved over many millennia, this capacity has grown and we can increasingly understand cause and effect, foresee possible outcomes and act selectively and creatively.

Thus, as consciousness evolves, the possibility of deliberately shaping our future increases. But there’s a built-in obstacle: we usually develop a set of fixed biases and habits that automatically control us and keep us from responding to life in more adaptive, creative and effective ways.

Thus, the key to increasing our power to live most successfully lies in freeing ourselves from these fixed inner controls. But because the connection between our fixed inner controls and the kind of life we get is not obvious, many people don’t realize the importance of doing something to free themselves from them. Instead, they just become more fixed in their usual ways and undermine their power to manifest the life that they want.

Those who become aware that the key to creating a better life lies in freeing themselves may begin to seek techniques and processes that will help them do this. They may seek a new kind of education and training that can help them to expand their power to truly manifest what they want.

Awakening to this possibility and opportunity can be the difference between gaining control of our lives or not ... and eventually of achieving life mastery.

This is life’s greatest challenge. And as it’s met, we gain life’s greatest reward -- true power to create the life and world we want.

LEARN HOW A PERFECT LIFE IS POSSIBLE:
Http://guidetolifemastery.blogspot.com/p/how-perfect-life-is-possible.html

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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TRUE SUCCESS CAN BE YOURS

How do you define success?

Success is defined by our culture and sold to us in a constant bombardment of media imagery; this prevailing definition of success usually focuses us on getting some combination of wealth, power, fame or professional or social status and ruling over others -- all external measures of success.

This concept of success actually causes many of us to do much that doesn’t bring fulfillment or happiness; nor does it usually help us to feel successful or good for more than brief moments when we do achieve it.

In many cases, not only is there too much focus on external achievement and ‘winning’ by prevailing over others, there’s also a do-it-by-hook-or-by-crook mentality that goes along with it; the social pressures to ‘succeed’ are often so strong that many feel a need to cheat to get ahead, starting early during school years. Such a narrow concept of success leads to inner disorder and an inability to feel at ease and deeply fulfilled.

That concept of success doesn’t take into account the higher spiritual energy and consciousness state necessary for achieving TRUE LIFE SUCCESS. For it’s only in raising these inner measures that we may consistently produce the harmony, happiness, fulfillment, vitality, wise judgment and inner peace needed for experiencing TOTAL WELL-BEING and having a truly successful life.

True success can’t come if we only seek external gains. It requires seeking and achieving the internal gains that actually provide it; there can be no true success without gaining an understanding of who we really are.

So for true life success, make seeking within and raising spiritual energy and consciousness levels your primary goals; these provide the basis for true life success.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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THE MASTER’S MIND

How is a master’s mind different from an ordinary one?

Each human mind is normally biased, no matter how intelligent or educated a person may be. And this bias causes errors of judgment and action, producing needless conflict, suffering and difficulty; this is the normal human condition and the reason why human life is often problematic.

To get beyond this, the mind needs to become free of biases. This is an important difference between an ordinary mind and a master mind -- an ordinary mind is controlled by biases and a master’s isn’t. Further, a master’s mind is alertly aware of the distorting power of biases and constantly seeks to reign them in. Thus, a master sees more clearly, fully and truthfully. This is the greater position of a master mind state.

Such awareness is of tremendous advantage -- it allows one to understand the true nature of what exists and better assess its desirable and undesirable potentials. And, with this greater understanding and awareness, to interact more wisely and successfully.

Another difference is that a master’s mind can focus intuitively. Because it can put aside intrusive mind-chatter, it can focus more receptively to sense and feel things, as well as call up subconscious information that an ordinary mind state can’t. And because a master’s mind is more aware of its own biased reactions, it can tell the difference between authentic intuition and wishful thinking.

To help yourself move to a master mind state, postpone judgments and preferences ... and begin seeing with a more open and generous mind and heart.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

PRACTICING ‘NO MIND’

During meditation we learn to still the mind. But to carry this meditative state into daily life we may need to practice NO MIND. As we do this we become more sensitive and receptive, and experience more fully and objectively.

Here’s how: when conversing, experience the other person’s words and actions without reacting. Just be still and fully attentive, keeping your mind clear and your heart open. At some point reactive thoughts will come, but hold them off for as long as you can and focus only on listening, taking in the whole person and trying to sense and clearly understand them.

(NO MIND may be practiced during other activities, but for now, just practice it while listening to others.)

As you practice NO MIND, even the most familiar person can be experienced as if for the first time; you can have a better connection with them and have new ‘first’ impressions of them. During NO MIND, living becomes a self-expanding discovery process; true knowing and understanding, as well as love, beauty, uniqueness and joy become more readily available.

Ordinarily, the mind acts as a biased filter screening out much of reality. It defines, compares, judges and reduces reality to mental constructs born of past experience. These keep us from experiencing the wonder of living and from gaining new insights and understandings. So by practicing NO MIND, we can help ourselves overcome these limiting tendencies and experience reality more freshly, clearly, fully, deeply and truthfully.

The practice of NO MIND is a living meditation. It frees us to access authentic intuitive intelligence and allows a new level of awareness and consciousness to take hold. To move to a higher level of self, practice NO MIND.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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YOUR DIVINE POWER

The power of our divine nature lies in our ability to truly love. By acting lovingly, we express our spiritual nature and produce our most fulfilling results.

This is a simple principle which is often misunderstood because we may confuse acting lovingly with doing what we think others will approve of and deem moral, righteous or good. Such actions are guided by the promulgated ideas of social traditions and religious dogmas. And while we may be well-meaning and good in following them, we’re not necessarily loving.

Truly loving action arises from no idea or creed. It’s a free and pure spontaneous act of divine spirit. It’s unconditional and done for its own sake. When we’re truly loving, we seek only to express and enjoy the goodness of our own divine spirit and demand nothing in return. Yet paradoxically, it usually brings us our greatest returns. For when we’re authentically and purely loving, we usually gain not only acceptance and approval, we also awaken a loving response in others and get our best results.

LOVING ACTION TENDS TO BEGET LOVING ACTION AND ULTIMATELY PRODUCES OUR GREATEST GOOD.

Here lies the secret power of loving action: Because it’s a free and pure act of living spirit, it releases spiritual energy that’s healing and creative -- the higher energy essential for evolving and elevating life.

If you have any difficulty being truly loving, your spiritual energy may be blocked. If so, seek to free it. And if you can’t on our own, seek the help of your therapist or spiritual adviser; freeing and expanding your love capacity is how we realize our divine nature and is essential for having our best life.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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INCREASING FINANCIAL AWARENESS

Your money is your energy converted into dollars. When we realize this we may want to spend it more wisely. For example:

Say you earn $20 an hour (after taxes) and take a week’s vacation costing $1600. The actual cost is 80 hours of your energy output at work ($1600 divided by $20 = 80 hours). This means you’re exchanging two weeks of your energy output at work for a one-week vacation. And if you pay for this vacation on credit with a hefty interest rate, it may cost you three or more weeks of your life’s energy over time. Then you pay even more for something long gone and have less money for current living.

When you buy something, keep this in mind -- you may be using dollars or credit, but you’re actually paying with your life’s energy. Just as important, don’t consider only the purchase price when spending money. Consider the true value and hidden costs of what you’re buying.

For example, a loaf of whole grain bread bought at $3.50 may actually cost you less than a loaf of white refined bread bought at $2.50. Why? Because the whole grain provides more nourishment (true value). You’d have to buy and eat more white bread or take supplements or eat other food to get the same nourishment, costing you more. Plus, refined bread may have other hidden costs, causing unhealthy conditions such as constipation or weight gain, which you may then need to address.

When making a purchase, always consider true value and hidden costs. Then you can really get the most for yourself. You have limited energy and money to spend, so the more true value you get and hidden costs you avoid, the easier and better your life can become.

Expand financial awareness in these two ways and take another big step toward life mastery.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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CREATING YOUR FUTURE

Recent brain scan studies seem to prove that free will is an illusion. They show that our thoughts, desires, wants and impulses to act appear to be formed in our brain before we’re consciously aware of having them.  (See You Tube video NEUROSCIENCE AND FREE WILL.)  http://youtu.be/N6S9OidmNZM

However, this doesn’t mean that we have no will or responsibility. If anything, it means that we need to take greater responsibility for objectively examining our thoughts, feelings and actions, and exercising our will to guide them. Free will may be an illusion, but will is not. And to the extent that we have it, we’ll do well to use it to improve brain functioning and act more wisely.

Psychologists and neuroscientists are ever busy at developing new techniques for helping us with this. Some of these techniques have been offered in my writings and at my weekly Life Mastery Training.

Neuro-technologies are also being developed to improve brain functioning. Military researchers are in the process of developing a ‘thinking cap’ which has already shown an ability to more than double one’s ability to learn a wide range of tasks, such as object recognition, math skills and marksmanship.  It also has been found to help produce a confident, calm, quiet inner state of mind, similar to that gained by meditation. Other neuroscientists are said to have developed skull caps that may promote even more extraordinary experiences, such as telepathy, distant seeing, out of body experiences and sensing God’s presence. 

Scientifically speaking, we may not have free will. But if we find ourselves utilizing technologies that enhance brain functioning and evolve consciousness, I think  we’ll become more able to create the future we want. 

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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YOUR MONEY IS YOUR LIFE

We all know that money has power, but we may not always appreciate that its power comes from the energy of our work. Money is human energy converted into coins, bills and credits; when we spend money we’re actually exchanging the energy of our work for what we buy.

When we realize this, we may choose to spend money more carefully ... and to save more of it. Before spending, we might ask ourselves, "How much of my energy is this worth? Would it be better to save the money I’m about to spend instead?"

When we save and accumulate money, we expand our power to create a better future. When we borrow and spend, we reduce this power. A person with no savings who lives paycheck to paycheck is vulnerable to unexpected expenses and debt. And debt (with its interest) further reduces our power, leaving us with less in our future. If we don’t save, struggle and debt will likely occur. And that’s a hard way to live.

Becoming financially well off is neither a sign of human superiority nor spiritual failing. Money is energy converted and only reflects the quality of the person in control of it. So as you save and grow richer, grow richer in spirit as well. Then as you move on, your money will get put to better and better use.

Remember: your money is your energy and your energy is your life. As we make more conscious use of our money, we take another step toward life mastery.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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REMEMBERING STRATEGIES

It’s easy to get lost in the day’s events and live on autopilot; no matter how good our intentions are and how many good techniques we learn, if we don’t remember to use them, they do us no good. So it often helps to employ a few REMEMBERING STRATEGIES.

Here are some you may want to use:

1. Place objects, signs and images in your environment

to remind you of consciousness practices you want to use.

2. Read books and other materials that help keep important

ideas foremost and keep them visible in your environment.

3. Begin a daily consciousness ritual such as meditation or

writing in a journal.

4. Carry or wear a special item such as a ring, wristband or

pin that symbolizes higher consciousness for you.

5. Bring uplifting music into your environment whenever

you can.

6. Have frequent contact with people who are also focused

on expanding consciousness.

You may already be using some of these remembering techniques and if you think about it, you’ll probably come up with other good ones to help you live more consciously. However you do it, the more you remember yourself and your higher conscious intentions, the more divine your behavior will tend to be and the better results you’ll tend to get.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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AN IMPORTANT LIFE LESSON

The following story offers an important life lesson.

Through a forest, two men, both equally late for dinner, separately set out for home. The first broods over how his friend kept him late and how angry his wife is going to be, and so he becomes completely engrossed in fashioning a 'good' excuse to bring home. The second man, in a similar situation, resists such thoughts. Instead, he focuses on the forest's sights and sounds -- the sunset peeking through trees ... the feel of soft earth beneath his feet ... the glowing eyes of a family of deer hidden in shadows. And as the dark comes and stars begin to appear through the surrounding trees, a sense of wonder overtakes him. The first man, completely absorbed in blaming, worrying and scheming, missteps and hurts himself. And now, to his great dismay, hobbles home ever more slowly and upset with each painful step. Meanwhile the other man strides home getting ever more invigorated, enchanted and eager to share his experiences with his wife. When each arrives home, one is aching, irritable and spoiling for a fight, and of course has an awful time with his wife. The other arrives uplifted, with a handful of wild flowers and fabulous experiences to share, and has a lovely evening with his wife.

These are two similar situations, each with a very different outcome -- and here lies an important life lesson -- we can either get lost in our imaginings and schemes (often to our own travail), or take advantage of life’s gifts.

THE PRESENT IS A DIVINE PRESENT, always presenting opportunities to seize and pitfalls to avoid. So we may do well to keep this in mind: The present is a great gift in which many opportunities lie. And what we get often depends upon how we use our mind.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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SEEKING TO BE RICH?

If you’re seeking to be rich the first thing you should consider is that one can’t be rich without many others being much poorer. This is what makes someone rich, that he has much more money and a greater money flow than others. Now this may seem unfair or even evil to some. But it’s just a fact -- for a few people to be rich, many must be poor.

If you question this simple proposition consider this: If everyone had lots of money, then who would take all the low-paying jobs to serve them? For a few to have abundance, many others must be willing to work for a low wage.

Right now, if you own many things, the reason you can afford them is because many people in far off lands are working for pennies an hour to produce them. If everyone was paid the same amount of money per hour, no one would be much richer than another. (This is the case in early bartering societies. People exchanged what they produced and no one became wealthy.)

So, for one person to be rich, there must be many others who are poorer. And the wealthier some are, the poorer many others must be to support them.

This is economics 101 and works fine until a few want to get so wealthy that it necessitates that many others must work for so little and be so poor that life is a constant hardship. This is unhealthy for society, and at some point produces social unrest. And that’s what we’re beginning to see throughout our world.

So, for any society to be healthy there must be a reasonable balance between the rich and poor. So if you seek to be rich, seek along with it richness of spirit. For it’s through gaining richness of spirit that we’re most giving to others and help build a healthy and happy world.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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DIVINE ACTION

It’s said that a wise person does first what others do last ... always taking the best course of action. To act at this level we must consistently be in tune with our higher nature. Eastern spiritual philosophies call this ‘right action.’ I call it Divine Action. It’s the course we learn to choose that shapes our personal divine life path.

In the 60’s, this concept was used as an excuse to indulge oneself: many hippies and others conveniently translated doing what ‘feels right’ to doing what ‘feels good,’ which roughly came down to living hedonistically. While there’s great value in enjoying the pleasures of life, one does not live best hedonistically. For example, it may feel good to overindulge in rich food, alcohol or drugs. But we actually harm our bodies and pay a big price for it later. Right action would have us act more wisely than this.

Another confusion about right action often comes from thinking that it’s a question of following correct rules of behavior: moral, ethical and social norms. While such behavioral rules are generally helpful, they may not always provide the ‘right’ guidance for each unique situation. For example, although it’s considered wrong to lie, it may be right action to tell a bride her wedding dress looks beautiful on her (even if you don’t think so), as not to squelch her good feelings of the day.

True right action comes from drawing upon the wisdom of one’s divine nature. At this level we seek the greatest good that’s compatible with fulfilling our soul’s purpose. At this level of focus, our actions are sacred and blessed.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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CREATIVE PLAY

As children playing, most of us have had some great moments. However, somewhere in the process of growing up we seem to lose our capacity to encounter life in such a creative, wholehearted and spontaneous way as we once did.

A major reason for this is that as adults we tend to become 'success' bound; more and more we aim for success in terms of social approval and financial gain -- we become willing prisoners of the fame/wealth/success syndrome. We 'learn' to devalue and ignore our authentic spontaneous creative impulses and focus on producing only what we think others want to hear and see.

And, if we get it right, we do achieve some measure of worldly success, necessary for our well being and survival. But if we get too engrossed in striving for approval and financial reward, we can lose touch with our creative soul and our capacity to authentically feel and focus our creative power can be stifled. Without the ease of innocent playfulness and unselfconscious spontaneity, our vital creative capacities become blocked or falsified -- the creative self is undone.

To be more creatively alive, give yourself permission to be more playful and spontaneous -- give voice to your creative child.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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CREATING GOOD LUCK

It’s hard to comprehend the full extent of our own creative power ... and see how we’re continually shaping our life-results. This is not to say we have perfect control of all outcomes. Much depends on our level of consciousness and having good luck ... and by improving the quality of our consciousness, we can help ourselves create good luck.

Looking back now, I clearly see how a narrow application of creativity limits success. As a young man I was very focused on being a good artist. I kept to myself and put all my energy into developing my craft. I knew that to be successful as an artist it was important to develop a creative mindset. But I had little understanding of how necessary it also was for creating good relations with others, and thereby improving my ‘luck’.

It is said that there are only six degrees of separation ... we’re all only six acquaintances away from knowing anyone in the world. This suggests the enormous range of possibilities we all have for making the social, business, and love connections needed for having a completely successful and fulfilling life. However, these vast possibilities exist only to the extent that we’re able to trigger in others good feelings about ourselves and develop constructive relationships. In such relationships, people want to help and give to one another.

Creating constructive relationships are an essential part of having good fortune -- doors often open or close by a turn in a person’s heart. So, good luck -- a benefit that comes gratuitously -- often depends on the creative quality of our mindset; i.e., how positive and open we are to exploring constructive possibilities with all that we meet.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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LETTING LIFE IN

When self-centered, we focus primarily on suiting ourselves. We selectively steer toward what we're sure we'll like and away from other things. This has obvious benefits, but it can also reduce our creative possibilities. For it means we tend to run a narrow course ruled by preset inclinations and habits and miss many opportunities and possibilities that could greatly benefit us.

When we avoid new experiences because we might not like them, when we shut out certain people, sights and information because we don't see an immediate benefit, when we try changing things just because they challenge what we're used to, we may be keeping ourselves from the very things needed to improve life and expand creativity.

The main nemesis is making instant negative judgments. By quickly sizing-up people, situations and things and deciding to reject them, we close doors. But when we're more open, curious and genuinely interested, we get beyond initial surface impressions and make life-enhancing discoveries.

To help myself not reject too quickly, I often remind myself not to judge. I find this not only helps me take in better and make discoveries, it also helps me stay centered and find my way to better outcomes.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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GETTING DIVINE RESULTS

It’s a common experience that, in spite of all the knowledge, skill and effort we may bring to bear, things often don’t turn out well. Does this mean we need to hope for good luck to get great results? I think not. I think there’s something else that serves us better than that.

Over the years I’ve became aware of a ‘special something’ that makes an incredible difference. Actually, when I operate in terms of this special something, I usually get even better results than I’d hoped for. So, what’s this special something? Essentially, it’s an energy shift ... to a higher level of being oneself.

At this level our spiritual energy ‘lights us up,’ ‘tunes us in’ and leads the way. We’re in a state of grace ... a creative bliss where joyful inspirations and insights flow almost continually. When I’m in this higher creative state I feel more fully and deeply alive ... and I feel blessed, for it’s here that I get my most soul-fulfilling results. That’s why I call this level ‘Being At Soul’ or ‘Living In Our Divine Zone.’

Some people may think that this level of experience is only for a lucky few. I believe we all have this capacity and that it’s mainly a matter of learning. Just as we learned to read books and follow their guidance, we can learn to listen to a higher voice within and follow its guidance. Then all of our knowledge, skill and effort get utilized optimally ... producing Divine Results.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.
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OUR GREATEST CHALLENGE

It's easy to become fixated on, and envious of, social leaders, movie stars, athletes and other celebrities. They live glamorous lives that seem better than ours.

Whether we admit it or not, such people have a strong impact on us. Consciously or unconsciously, they become our idols and role models - our vision of who we should strive to be. But to idolize or envy another is to deny one's own validity, uniqueness and value ... to devalue one’s soul.

Imagine if a blue jay felt inferior and began trying to roar like a lion or throw its weight around like an elephant. If it kept trying to deny what it actually was and be something it was not, would we then see it as a better blue jay and like it more? I think not. We might think, "Poor blue jay, what got you so messed up ... how can I convince you to accept, appreciate and be your authentic wonderful self?"

The same is true for many of us humans. If we just let all the erroneous stuff fall away and return to our authentic selves, how much more simple and wonderful life could be!

Sometimes I think this is our greatest challenge.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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ENLIGHTENMENT

For the average person, spiritual enlightenment may seem impractical and out of reach. But this is not so. Enlightenment at this point in history is not only practical and feasible for millions of us to achieve, it’s also essential for human survival. During this century, we may each participate in forging a new age of spiritual enlightenment. But first we must understand what spiritual enlightenment actually is.

Simply put, enlightenment is a higher level of self-realization. As a toddler, a moment comes when we become self-aware ... and a moment comes later in human growth when we realize we’re unique persons. So a time can come even later on when we realize that we’re also much more ... that we have a spiritual essence ... a divinely creative self.

However, this later development requires a special breakthrough ... a breakthrough that doesn’t come if we remain completely identified with our physical body and a material world. First, we must suspect that there’s more to ourselves and life than the obvious, and then we must have the interest and courage to look deeper ... to look within.

This is the purpose of learning spiritual techniques; they eventually allow us to experience our deeper reality ... to know our divine level of being, not merely as an idea or an ideal, but as an actuality.

At this level of self-realization, we see that we are all one and our capacity to be creative and loving expands. And we begin to fulfill our human destiny by creating the life and world we are divinely meant to have.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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HAVING A HIGHER LIFE

We all know about higher enjoyments because we all experience them from time to time -- creative expression, loving connection, beauty, etc. The key to elevating our experience of life is to increase the frequency of such exquisitely fulfilling moments until we can have them often everyday.

Enjoyments are good; they affirm and give meaning to life. But you may have noticed, as I have, that with physical pleasure, we quickly reach a point of saturation beyond which there is a diminishing return. We can eat or have sex only so much until we find enjoyment turns into indifference ... and if pushed far enough, can even turn into repulsion, distress or pain.

However, higher enjoyments are more spiritual in nature and don’t play out this way. When we’re creating, loving, giving and joyfully playing, the excitement and pleasure we feel is tremendously expansive and we don’t easily reach a saturation point. What’s more, we set a chain reaction in motion. Instead of the pleasure diminishing, it magnifies and multiplies. This is because higher enjoyments come from expanding our sense of self and putting our spiritual goodness out into the world. And this usually increases our positive energy and brings us some good in return.

We may call this living in creative spirit. It’s what I believe having a divine life is truly about. The more we enjoy ourselves at this higher level, the more fulfilled and whole (‘holy’) we are.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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KEY TO EXPANDING AWARENESS

While thought guides many of our decisions and actions it can also disconnect us from reality. There have been times when I’ve actually ‘seen’ a nickel instead of a quarter in my hand because a thought told me that was what to expect.

Thought has an important function but there are many times when it can actually get in our way. It can become a barrier to experiencing and knowing, and sometimes even worse. Has any of the following happened to you?

Did you ever get so lost in thought that you crossed the street without looking; left your house and didn’t know if you locked the door; didn’t hear what someone said; read many words on a page without registering their meaning; missed your train stop or a highway exit; didn’t know where you put your keys, etc.

It’s not unusual for such things to occur; we may often lose contact with the surrounding world, make false assumptions, and act unconsciously when lost in thought.

Thus, a simple secret to expanding awareness: FOCUS ON WHAT’S HAPPENING EACH MOMENT WITHOUT DRIFTING OFF INTO THOUGHT OR MAKING ASSUMPTIONS!

When you need time to think something out, take it. But for the most part stay focused in the HERE and NOW. That’s where life is actually unfolding and when actions cause outcomes.

The more sharply and clearly we experience the reality of each moment, the more successful we can be at taking the appropriate actions for getting the good results that we want.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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WHAT ASSURES HAPPINESS?

What assures happiness? Is it a matter of continually getting what we want?

Close self-observation may show that simply getting what we want doesn’t produce happiness. Each time we get what we want, we may feel good for a while, but then our focus shifts to a new want and the good feeling disappears. Thus, getting what we want only produces momentary good feelings, not happiness.

Even continually getting everything that we want might not produce happiness or be good for us. If all our wishes were filled instantaneously, it could actually result in boredom, lack of motivation and disenchantment with life.

So if you thought getting what you want will make you a happy person, think again. The reality is that happiness doesn’t come from getting ... it comes from feeling whole and self-contained and from appreciating and giving.

The more we value and appreciate what life constantly offers and appreciate our abundance, value, goodness and well-being through giving, the happier we are.

Happiness also depends on our expectations and how we define our needs. People who form excessively high or unrealistic expectations may rarely feel satisfied or happy with themselves or with life, while those who have realistic expectations often do.

So if you want to assure happiness, don’t get caught up in expectations; simply appreciate and value all the goodness that life is constantly providing ... and give more of yourself.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

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