A Powerful Spiritual Quote

I’m going to keep things simple today. I’ve been struggling the past few days, feeling spiritually dead. I prayed for guidance this morning and I was reminded of this quote by Wayne Dyer… Focus on being a spiritual being having an occasional human experience instead of being a human being having an occasional spiritual experience.

This was certainly the wake-up call I was looking for! It helped me greatly, and if you’ve been struggling spiritually I hope it helps you too. Let your spiritual focus come first! Yes, we all need to deal with the occasional human experiences. However, when you do them from a spiritual point of view, they seem to go much smoother.

Remember, “seek first the kingdom of God and all else is added onto you.” Let your experience be a spiritual one today, and let the spiritual presence guide you everywhere you go. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Can This Coronavirus Shutdown Be a Good Thing?

As you know by now, the Coronavirus is taking over the world, forcing people and businesses to put life on hold. As of this writing, we are in the middle of the first week of schools, businesses, entertainment, and pretty much everything else shutting down. In fact, some cities have just begun mandated quarantines.

This adjustment and drastic slow down in life is definitely very difficult for all of us to get used to, especially for those of us who are so used to moving at a very quick pace. However, is it possible that this shutdown and life alteration could be a positive thing?

Before I answer the above question, I will first say that I understand how serious this situation is. I admit that at first, I didn’t. I had difficulty figuring out how a sickness that was less significant than others in the past was taking over society, while before life went on. However, as we are in the middle of it now, I realize how serious it is. Many people are becoming ill. Some are dying. Others have people they love that are being affected. For these people, this virus is not a good thing.

I will add that the virus and its impacts are not good for anyone. However, for this rest of this article, I admit I’m going to be a little selfish. Not in a bad way, but I will share things from my perspective and my situation. I am sure some of you are in a similar situation and can relate to what I’m about to share. My hope is that this post can ultimately be an inspiration to anyone who reads it.

So back to my question above. Please allow me to share some personal background. For the past few months, I’ve been a little down emotionally. Even though I have many great things and people in my life, I feel like I’ve been going through the motions, and feeling basically spiritually dead. I still pray, read the Bible, and listen to inspirational messages, but it has been just taking in info instead of being applied to make a difference. I’ve been feeling content, but not joyful. Satisfied, but not fulfilled. I know I’m here for a great purpose, but I still don’t know what that is, and feeling like I’m nowhere near fulfilling that purpose. I’m obviously tired of feeling this way, so I had a real heart to heart prayer with God, asking for His intervention. In my prayer, I was so desperate that I even at one point asked for some debilitating injury or even traumatic event in my life (not that I REALLY wanted that) because I felt like the only thing that would truly wake me up and drag me out of my comfort zone would be something that big.

Well, here we are. In effect, my prayer has been answered. I feel bad that it comes at the expense of other people, but the bottom line is that I am now receiving the downtime and chance to truly wake up and reach my destiny. I am a teacher at a school that may be off for 5 weeks, or it could turn out to be 5 months. I am unable to travel or take advantage of this time by attending sporting events, going out to eat, taking a road trip, or anything that I would typically do for leisure. I watch hours of sports every week. That’s gone indefinitely. I can’t even go to church these days.

Please know I don’t say this to complain. Yes, I miss my primary forms of entertainment. However, as I said before, this is exactly the golden opportunity I’ve been waiting for. I’m not happy that people are sick and dying. Everything is shut down. Yet, I know I have an opportunity to turn my life around. I vow to take advantage of this new life-style. I am hoping that I am so ingrained in it that, once things do eventually get back to normal, there will be no going back. The changes I want to make in my life will already be firmly entrenched, and I only go forward from there.

There are several areas I desire to change, and that can be done starting now. Perhaps some of these resonate with you…

Personal/Spiritual – I have been fighting a major confidence battle lately. Much of that is because I have not spent sufficient time in prayer, meditation, or being spiritually in touch with who I really am. With so much downtime and very little interference, it should be much easier to get back on track spiritually, spend quality time with God, and see His spirit and energy in everyone and everything.

Family – I have the best family in the world, hands down. However, I tend to take them for granted. Since my wonderful family is in the same situation as I am, this is a wonderful time to strengthen the bond that we have. Quality time together will certainly be treasured.

My life work – As I mentioned earlier, I believe I am here for a reason. I am here to somehow make a difference on this planet and glorify God in the process. Overall, I am happy to be a teacher in a school and I believe I am making a small difference there. However, the negative environment, the sometimes difficult people, early wake-up calls, and constant stress on my brain leaves me unfulfilled and again thinking I was made for much more than that. Here is a golden opportunity to seek and find my true purpose, and to actively pursue it as well.

Health – I am generally a healthy person. However, as I have often neglected my spiritual side lately, I have also neglected my physical body. I have not exercised or kept very physically active. What a golden opportunity this is to get on an exercise routine (definitely not in the gym which is shut down and I never went anyway) and strengthen my body along with my mind.

Friends – I have some great friends. Again, I tend to take them for granted. This is a great time to renew friendships. We may not be able to meet in person as much (if at all), but modern technology makes it easy to stay in touch and share good times

The bottom line is that, as long as society is shut down, I want to take full advantage of the situation in order to renew my mind and body, and to renew my relationships with those closest to me, and with God. Once again, I want to be so changed for the positive and be living at such a high emotional energy level that when the pace of life gets back to its normal level, there will be no going back to the lower spiritual vibration I was at, even if I wanted to.

It’s not just me that has this chance. It’s an opportunity for everyone to do the same. I pray that you stay healthy. Use this time to make mental and physical changes that will make you a better person than you already are once this crisis is over. It’s my prayer that God will use this to bring people closer to Him, and it will actually make this world a better place. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Joy is Your Natural State

It is very true that people are always looking for more joy in their lives. Millions of dollars are made on books and programs that show people how they can be happier and more joyful. In fact, we have our greatest desires not so we can feel more accomplished or successful. We have our greatest desires because we believe they will bring us greater joy and a more rewarding life experience.

The problem with this is that we are searching in all of the wrong places for our joy. I’m not saying it’s wrong to read books or do things that we believe will make us happier. Nor am I saying we shouldn’t have the dreams and desires that we do. What I am saying is that we don’t have to go looking on the outside for the joy we are so desperately craving. Instead, we need to realize that joy is at the essence of our being. It is one of the fruits of the spirit that we are all part of. Joy is not something we need to go out and find. If we can spend enough time to meditate on who we really are, and realize that love, joy, peace and the other fruits of the spirit are our true, intended states of being, then we won’t have to seek joy. It will automatically manifest because, again, joy is our natural state. Sadness, anger, and negative emotions are NOT natural. They are only emotional states that we bring upon ourselves.

I understand that things happen in our lives that make it difficult to experience joy. People or experiences hurt us, or we lose people in our lives because of disagreement, break-up, or death. I’m not at all saying that we shouldn’t feel sad in those circumstances or angry at an injustice. At the same time, I am saying that we shouldn’t let any circumstance determine the level of joy we experience in our lives.

The question that may be asked now is, “how do I allow this joy that is my natural state to manifest in my world?” There are several ways you can do this. These work for me, so I share them with you. First, as I mentioned earlier, take breaks throughout the day in meditation, reflection, prayer, or whatever you want to call it. Reflect upon the fact that the spirit of God lives in you. It is part of your essence. Remember again that joy is one of the fruits of that spirit. The Bible also says that when you seek that spirit first, above all else, you receive all else (all else shall be added onto you)! That includes joy.

Another helpful hint is to actually do things that make you feel joyful. Whenever you can find time during the day, do something that makes you happy. Listen to your favorite music. Take a nature walk. Play a game. Talk to a friend. Anything you can do that will increase your level of joy.

It is also said that emotions follow the action. That’s why I always recommend smiling as much as possible. When you carry a smile on your face, it automatically brings more joy. This never fails!! Even when I’ve been in the worst of moods, and I’m forcing the fake smile on my face, it always gets me out of the funk, and the smile becomes real, and the level of joy increases. Sticking with this theme, it’s also true that the more you focus on joy, the more reasons in life you will be given to be joyful.

Once again I will say it. Joy is your natural state. You don’t have to seek it anywhere else but inside of you. Make it a point to focus on the joy that is a part of you, and you will experience it.

It was certainly a joy to write this. I hope it is equally joyful for you to read it. Have an excellent day 🙂

Can We Experience Heaven On Earth?

“Everybody’s talking ’bout heaven like they just can’t wait to go. Saying how it’s gonna be so good, so beautiful”. – Kane Brown

The following is taken from one of my favorite country songs. The artist is having a beautiful experience here on earth and is wondering how heaven could be “better than this”.

As great as this song is, I believe the artist is correct and portraying how many people think. We see heaven as this good and beautiful place that we can’t wait to get to. Why can’t we wait? I think it’s because many people don’t believe we can have heavenly experiences here on earth.

So I bring up the question…can we experience heaven while living this earthly life? I received the answer to this question as I re-read a Bible verse I’ve read many times. The verse is Luke 17:21 which says, People will not say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ because the Kingdom of God is within you.”

For some reason, after reading it and reflecting on the verse this time, a whole new light was shed upon it. During His time on earth, Jesus used this phrase “the Kingdom of God”, or even the Kingdom of Heaven. What exactly does He mean by this? I believe He is talking about the spirit of God and His unlimited love and power. I see this verse as extremely powerful because I see it as being told that we don’t have to look to external things to find God and His heavenly kingdom. We just need to look within!

Here’s where I was really struck with the potential awe and power this concept presents. Other translations say the kingdom of God is in our midst. I took a deeper look into the definition of midst, and here’s what it says: “the middle point or part.” Listed synonyms are heart and core. When you look deeper into the meaning of core, it is defined as the central or most important part of something. The part of something that is central to its existence or character.

Stop and think about that for a moment. The kingdom of God (heaven) is the heart of us. It is the central and most important part of our being, and central to our very existence. I was blown away when I really focused on this. God’s spirit and power is the core of my very being. It is the core of your very being. I remind you again that there is nowhere outside to find it. All you have to do to experience the kingdom of God, heaven on earth, is to look within and realize that the core of your very being is composed of the love, power, and greatness of God. Wow!!

The key to reaping these benefits and indeed experiencing heaven on earth is to simply realize this. Meditate and focus on this concept as often as you can. With God all things are possible. And since His spirit reigns and dwells within you in the core of your being, all possibilities exist for you. Spend time each day to imagine these possibilities. Live them out in your mind, and you will eventually live them out in reality.

I am not naive or unrealistic enough to believe that any part of this earthly life can be better than the heaven where we actually spend the rest of eternity. I believe God does it this way and has us wait to experience pure heaven purposely. We can’t even imagine how beautiful and wonderful the ultimate heaven is. However, I believe we can at least experience part of that heavenly joy by realizing that the kingdom is in our midst, and is the core of our very being. The love, joy, power, and anything great we can imagine is all part of it. It’s up to us to allow it in our experience. Even on this earth, I believe God wants us to enjoy at least part of heaven. So let’s experience that instead of causing hell for ourselves. Focus your mind on the heavenly kingdom in you and among you, and share it with those around you. It will be heaven on earth. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Wake Up From the Dream…And Live in Success

Last night I had a dream that I was at work. I have a good reputation there, but in the dream, I was accused of something that may have cost me my job. I knew I was completely innocent, yet I couldn’t think of the words to use to defend myself. I stressed over the interview I would soon have with my boss and colleagues. Just before the meeting began, I woke up.

I remember how relieved I was when I realized this was only a dream. The hurt of being falsely accused, and the worry of what I needed to say to keep my job was all imaginary. It was the middle of the night, but I actually went to the bathroom with a smile on my face as I realized it was just an imaginary reality.

I share this because I have been reading of a lot of “A Course in Miracles” lately. This is one of the main themes of the book. It’s that the circumstances and the past of our lives is really all a dream. It’s only as real as we make it. Any of these past events that we are remembering, we are remembering it now, in the present. The truth that we should be awake to is the presence and power of God and His spirit in our lives now. That is reality. Again, the rest, such as the circumstances, the past, and anything not having to do with God and His Spirit and power, is all a dream.

Please understand, I am not saying to completely give up thoughts about the past, or even things in life that need to be taken care of now. However, we cannot allow ourselves to be haunted by nightmares of the past. If negative things have happened, we can use them as a learning experience to help us in the present. If positive things have happened, we can reflect on them and use them to encourage and sustain us today. However, one of the greatest keys to success is to stay focused on God, His Spirit, and His power in the present moment.

How can we stay present and focused on God? One way is to reflect on the knowledge that He is in everyone and everything. When you see people and things, avoid focusing on and judging the outside appearance. Instead, reflect on the inner, Godly presence. Remember….the Bible says to “seek first the kingdom of God, and all else shall be given to you”. When you seek God in yourself and others, you are setting yourself up to receive all blessings the kingdom of God can offer! Also, I believe you are following God’s command to love your neighbor as yourself. After all, God is in others, as He is in you. When you seek God in this way, you are seeing and being His love!

Another way to stay focused on this Godly reality to is to be thankful. We receive in life what we most focus on. If you are focused on all of the good in your life, you are given more reasons to be thankful. It also keeps your mind occupied on what is real instead of the dreams our circumstances represent.

I have continued to learn and teach this fact…the quality of our circumstances is determined by the quality of our mind. If we focus on God’s truth, goodness, and love, for the most part, that’s what we will experience in our lives. If we dwell in the dream of negative circumstances and allow them to dictate the quality of our thoughts, we will only perpetuate those circumstances.

So my advice is to wake up! Anything outside of God and is will is just a dream. Like me, you can smile after you realize this, and live in an awake state, seeking God, His truth, His power, and His love in your life and the life of others. That’s what life is all about. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

A True Definition of Self-Love

The concept of loving oneself is a difficult one for many to follow. People are afraid they are being arrogant if they love themselves, or they see so many imperfections that they find it impossible. I believe every person has felt this way at some point. Unfortunately many still feel this way today.

Besides the Biblical definitions of love, the best I’ve seen is from Eckhart Tolle in his book “The Power of Now”. In the book, he simply defines love as seeing God in everyone and everything. I have never found a more simple definition of the word. God’s spirit is within us all. So when you love yourself, you are simply seeing or acknowledging God’s presence in you. When you love someone else, you are seeing and acknowledging His presence in them. Even if you love a thing, like pizza for example, God is responsible for that too!

We are all imperfect people. Yet Luke 17:21 in the Amplified version says the Kingdom of God is within you and surrounding you. It’s there whether you see it or not. However, if you do see, feel, and acknowledge it in you, you are loving yourself!

The Bible also says to love your neighbor as yourself. That’s another thing people often have a hard time doing. However, when you see love this way, it is easy. If God is in and around you, he is also in and around your neighbor. When you acknowledge this and see God’s presence in other people (the same presence that is in you), it is much easier to see beyond their imperfections and indeed love them.

Please know it is not selfish to love yourself. In fact, it is selfish if you don’t. The more you see and experience God’s presence in yourself, the more you will see it in others, and the easier it will be to love them. I challenge you to see God’s love, peace, and power in you today. That is true love. And remember, when you seek Him first, all other good things follow. Because of God’s presence in you, you are beautiful, amazing, and any other good thing you can think of. Don’t you love it?

An Alternate Definition of Love…And How to Demonstrate It

I was reminded in church today (as I am many times I read the Bible) the importance of loving God with my whole heart, mind, and soul, and loving my neighbor as myself. OK, raise your hand if you consider yourself excellent and totally proficient at demonstrating this kind of love. If you honestly raised your hand, then please know I have a great admiration for you.

I am betting that most of you did not raise your hand. My hand is definitely not up. Speaking for myself, I honestly love people and do my best to demonstrate love. However, I often get caught up in my own world and my own goals and desires. Many times I don’t demonstrate the love to myself and others like I should. My motives and intentions towards others are generally good, but I’d be lying if I said it was like that on an all the time basis.

You are probably familiar with the Love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13. It provides an excellent list of what love really is. However, I recently discovered an alternate definition that really caught my attention. I read it in Eckhart Tolle’s book, “The Power of Now”. It struck me because it is not only powerful, but very easy to do. If you are one who is looking to be more loving to yourself and enhance your relationship with others, I recommend this advice to you.

I am made more aware every day that God is a part of everyone. He lives inside of me and you. According to what I read, love is simply appreciating the part of God in everyone. It makes sense. When you love yourself (as you are supposed to) you are simply loving the best part of you, which is God who lives in you. In order to love others, you simply need to appreciate the God part of them. Since God is part of all of us, we are all connected. When you appreciate the God part of someone else, you are in essence appreciating the God part of you since it’s all the same. Hence, you are loving others as you love yourself.

When you wholeheartedly appreciate the Godly spirit in another person you are demonstrating love. Yes, we do other things to demonstrate love, such as service, acts of kindness, gifts, etc. Those are actions we take to show love. However, the key is to focus on the Godly aspects of that person. I understand that every person has flaws (this author has many). It’s amazing how, when we focus on the Godly aspects, we avoid focusing on those flaws.

It is amazing how powerful this is. I notice that when I focus on the God part of myself and everyone else, I feel a great peace, and my relationships with other people flow positively and naturally. I believe you will experience this as well if you simply focus on the Godly part of yourself and those around you. You will “love” what happens. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

The Number One Way to Gain More Respect From Others

One of the greatest feelings in the world is when you feel respected from other people. The feeling is the opposite when you don’t feel respected. Many want to know…is there a way I can gain more respect from my family, friends, co-workers, and even strangers?

There is definitely an affirmative answer to this question. Two in fact. One way is to be respectful to others. It’s like anything else. The more you give of something, the more you get back. It’s those that show the greatest respect towards other people that get it multiplied back to them.

I am realizing that, in addition to the reason above, there is an even greater way to earn the utmost respect. It is very simple, yet many of us don’t do it. If you feel like you are lacking respect, the solution is to…..RESPECT YOURSELF. It may seem overly simple, but the more you respect yourself the more you open yourself up to receive this respect from other people.

Here’s a bit of a scientific explanation of why this is. The spirit of God dwells in each of us. In fact, it is the essence of our being. And since this spirit is a part of all us, and we are connected to God that way, we are ultimately all connected to each other. When you disrespect yourself, you are ultimately disrespecting the part of God that is you. Since we are all connected by this spirit of God, what you do to one part affects the whole part. That’s why when you think negatively towards yourself, you are ultimately disrespecting everyone you are connected with (as in everyone who exists). This is also why when you act or even think negatively towards someone else, it comes back to you. It’s because if you negatively impact one part of the connection, you ultimately effect the whole which you are a part of.

I am still learning this whole concept, so hopefully my futile explanation hasn’t confused you. If it has, I’ll make it simple. Respect yourself. You don’t have to be perfect, and you are no better than anyone else, but it’s a very simple formula. The more you have a healthy respect for yourself, the more you will see it returned from other people.

As always, I invite you to share your point of view. I definitely respect your opinion 🙂

How Self-Love Increases “Others” Love

I read a very interesting point today that I wanted to share with you today. I’ve shared similar information before, but this is the most simple way I’ve seen this concept explained.

The quote is taken from Anita Moorjani in her book “Dying to Be Me”. She talks about how loving yourself actually helps increase your love for others. Here’s a great explanation why… “because of our connectedness, if I love myself then I automatically love you”.

I love what this is saying and how simple it is. We are all infused with Godly energy. The spirit of God is within us all, thus connecting us all on a spiritual level. When I am loving myself, I am enhancing that connection on the whole level. Since you and I are connected with that same spirit, I am not only increasing my love for myself, but also for you at the same time.

This is further proof that we don’t have to go out of our way to love others. Yes, we can demonstrate that love by serving other people and showing our appreciation for them. However, if you really want to be love towards others, it starts with you..as in fully loving and appreciating who YOU are. For me, it makes this love concept much easier. I hope it does for you too. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

I Am Already….

We all want to accomplish goals and rapidly manifest our desires, true? I have a long list of these, as well as a list of qualities and characteristics I want to become as a person. If only I could be that person now.

Please allow me to share a fact that was drilled into my head three times in a 12 hour period yesterday from three different sources (that’s when I know for sure God is speaking loudly to me)…I AM ALREADY THAT PERSON.

I will share the same news with you…YOU ARE ALREADY THE PERSON YOU WANT TO BE. I will add that you already have everything you want to have. Now, I can already hear some of the responses. Really? I don’t see it. I don’t feel it. You must be crazy.

If I were you I might think that too. Until recently anyway. I am learning more and more that we are and we have everything because the spirit of God is within us. And since God is everything good, we are a part of that. What we have or don’t have in our lives is simply the measure of how much we believe this concept.

All three people I read and listened to yesterday had this same message that I take from Neville Goddard and his book “The Power of Awareness” “All is yours. Do not go seeking for that which you are. Appropriate it, claim it, assume it. Everything depends upon your concept of yourself. That which you do not claim as true of yourself cannot be realized by you”.

The message I’m receiving loud and clear is that, instead of striving to become what I want to be and accomplish what I want to accomplish, it is more important to be thankful and cherish the fact that I already am that which I want to be and have. Another quote from the same chapter of the book above says… “Be still and know that you are that which you desire to be, and you will never have to search for it”. The more you can focus on the fact that, due to God’s spirit and presence in you, all you desire to be and have is already a part of you. The more you focus on this fact, the more it becomes reality.

Please understand I am not advising that we give up acting towards our goals. The last thing we can do is think, believe, then sit back and watch things happen. When we focus on the fact that we already are and already have, it seems that ideas for action come much more readily. Then it’s just a matter of acting on those ideas. Also, instead of taking desperate action in hopes that we maybe get what we strive for, we are taking confident steps knowing that the action we are taking is only enhancing the greatness that we already are.

This is not a new concept for me. However, it is a different take that seems to simplify it and make it more real for me, especially since I know for a fact God shot this directly in my direction. This may or may not be a new concept for you. Either way, I ask you to consider it. Reflect on the fact that God loves you beyond measure, and is part of your very being. As a result, He shares His knowledge, power, and all positive attributes with you. Go through your day with the assurance that you already are and already have what you are seeking. Say I am already…and fill in the blank with what you desire. Feel the joy of knowing this, share it with others, and do what you can do to maximize this love, power, and light in your life, spending as much time being thankful for all that you are and for what God has given you. You will see immediate blessings as a result. Enjoy 🙂