Spiritual Awakening: Let Your Heart Lead The Way!!!
As I sat in quiet meditation on Saturday 12/6/2014 while at The Relay For Life Leadership Summit I was compelled to write the following:
The Lights of The Highway Shut Down
As I sat in quiet meditation on Saturday 12/6/2014 while at The Relay For Life Leadership Summit I was compelled to write the following:
In the spiritual awakening process one must take a look back in order to move forward. I always suggest that at the end of the year you do a year in review and reflect on all the good that has happened while also seeing how you have learned from the perceived bad that has happened. I recommend that when you look back over the year you remember that the rear view mirror is a lot smaller than the windshield. As you look back, recall all the great things that occurred in your life remember the feeling that you experience and hold that emotion so that when things get a bit tough as they sometimes will that you can recall that great feeling and remember how that achievement came to pass or how that happiness was achieved and thus take action to move forward and create more greatness in your life. In the last 10 years I have always made the Month on December a month of reflection where I hold on to the great things that happened and let go of the challenging things.
One the first things I do to reflect is I put on some soft soothing music get out the note book and begin to write this year I was grateful for……….. This years theses things or events brought happiness to my life……. This year I faced and overcame these challenges…. In doing this exercise I have found that I have evolved in my spirituality and as a result have been able to lay a solid foundation to begin the new year in a positive way. As we put 2014 in the rear view mirror and focus on looking at 2015 we have the opportunity to evaluate that which is serving us and improve upon on it and to eliminate that which no longer serves us. For those that read this blog you know I collect teddy bears as I was going through some items in my car I cam across a State Farm Teddy Bear and realized that I had no real purpose for keeping it so when the chance came to give it away to a mother with a baby I did and I can tell you it felt great to be able to have a positive reflection and create a positive vibration of kindness. As you look back so that you can move forward look at the small gestures that made a positive impact on your life and the lives of others. That $5 donation made at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/jdogg2 may seem small to you but for someone being helped by The American Cancer Society it is very big. The spare change given with love to a Salvation Army Bell Ringer may seem small to you but to the man or women who gets a meal at The Salvation Army Shelter is is huge. Remember it is doing the small things with great love that create the ability to move forward. As you look back cherish the good things and remove the bad things.
This quote from Mother Teresa is very poignant as it relates to the spiritual awakening process. From the first tine we go to school we are told you need to be the best, no one remembers who came in 2nd place. This philosophy may hold us back as we begin to awaken and do the tings that will enhance our life and the lives of others as we make being of value and service a priority. Instead of putting the idea of being famous in your mind put the idea of making a positive difference in your community in your mind. When you wake up in the morning answer the question of how can I add value to someone’s day. It could be simply by holding the door as they are entering or exiting a place, it could be a simple phrase like smile things will get better, it could be a simple gesture of throwing some loose change into the bucket of someone soliciting donations. The idea is to do small things with love and to be loving and caring in all you do. In the last few days my thoughts were consumed with much of the negativity being portrayed on all the news channels and then I made a conscious choice to turn it off and to avoid discussing it as I remembered the teaching that what we focus on expands. In the last few weeks I have had people promise to visit http://main.acsevents.org/goto/jdogg2 that still have not and I was focusing on their lack of commitment and then I realized this did not serve me so I shifted and began to focus on all those who are helping. In making this shift I have realized that when we focus on the good and appreciate the smallest of gestures we begin to attract more good and as a result we also get better results. I use to think oh I have to do grandiose things and then I realized that the small things done with great love become the great tings. If each day we make a commitment to something small with great love we will see a great change in ourselves and others. It is when we detach from expectations and outcomes that we can see that all we do to enhance our lives and the lives of others matters.
When one hears the word engagement they usually conjure up the image of a ring or two people who are planning to get married. Some will go to the extreme of thinking about the rules of engagement as it pertains to battles in war. Others will go right to the concept of engaging their audience so as to maximize their message. Where did you go when you saw this question? I personally thought about the spiritual awakening process and went tot he idea of being engaged with my inner divinity, the ascended masters, and GOD. I thought for a moment about how I am engaged with my divine purpose and calling and who I may be engaging with to assist me with finding my purpose so as to enhance my spiritual development. The answer was simple I am using my gifts to find those whose stories will resonate not only with me but with others, Through the spiritual awakening process I have found that my calling is to be of service and value and I must engage with those who share the same vision of sharing the concept that service to humanity is the best work of life. While attending a Singles Expo yesterday (12/23/2014) I cam across many who share the philosophy of being of service and value. One of the ladies doing Psychic Readings and I began to engage and as I told her that she probably sagged her area, picked an oracle card from Doreen Virtue showed up early to create a sacred space for those she was going to read for she said stop you are scaring me. I said don’t worry I have some gifts too and together we can help one another. Her friend seemed to be dealing with some angst and I took her hand and was able to sense that she was holding some stress about The Thanksgiving Holiday. It turns out I was correct and she asked me how I knew and I said I just asked the angels and this is what they told me. She took my card and gave me hers and gave me a big hug and thanked me. These encounters showed me how important it is to be engaged in all you do.
When you begin to get out into the community and share your gifts with others by simply engaging them and showing them you care you begin to awaken more and more spiritually and thus you are able to come alive and help others to do the same. So many times we back off from engaging in dialogue that we miss out on great opportunities. Many allow the fear of no or receiving an adverse reaction to stop them from engaging with others. I have learned through the spiritual awakening process that engagement and focus are keys to enhancing your personal and professional life while also helping other people to excel. When you are engaged with someone make sure you make it more about them than about yourself and that you encourage them. When you hear them say I can’t remind them that they can and they will because the moving forward in the direction of their goal. When they use the word trying tell them to switch it I am doing. Remember sometimes just the simple act of showing interest will change their outlook. In many cases when you engage with someone and you share your why with them you both benefit. Remember people will be more receptive when they know your why as opposed to the what.
As the news stories broke and all the acts of violence I kept thinking where are the stories of kindness. Through the spiritual awakening process I have learned that what we focus on expands so if we focus on violence and aggression that this is what we will see but if we focus on kindness and caring this is what we will see. I believe no is the time for people to take action and to be kind to one another. It is time to adopt an anthem to be loving and caring in all we do and to show kindness through our actions. I was at Taco Bell yesterday and the cashier asked if I would like to donate $1 to help end world hunger. I gladly gave the $1 as GOD loves a cheerful giver and I told the cashier next time ask if I would like to help feed people. It is the same question phrased differently but the universe responds better when we use positive words. I have been promoting The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca Raton and they adopted a theme of Finish The Fight which sounds great and gets many people’s attention but it goes against spiritual principles because what you resist will persist so now instead of saying Finish The Fight I ask please help me help those touched by cancer get back on a path to health and wellness. In making this shift I have seen better results in my fundraising efforts. The website to help those affected by cancer and to give generously is http://main.acsevents.org/goto/jdogg2. Ask yourself how are you phrasing things and how are your words impeding kindness to flow to you and from you.
I have found that when I make a conscious decision to be kind in whatever I do that I find more success. I have learned during the spiritual awakening process that it is important to be nice regardless of the situation. When you feel yourself moving away from your kindness zone take a deep breathe and be nice. I have learned that people will not always treat you the way you want to be treated be kind to them anyway. I host a TV Show, The Anything Bucket, on www.wrpbitv.com that airs on Tuesday at 6:30 PM EST. One of my responsibilities is to secure guests. I am a bit surprised by people when they turn down the opportunity to be on the show. I find myself being a bit critical then I realize that this does not serve me well so I remember the teachings that some will, some won’t, some waiting, so what, next. I also remember that it is not my job to drag them kicking and screaming along the path but to rather shine my light and show them that there is room on the path and when they are ready they can start. In learning to be kind and focus on the positive I am able to evolve spiritually and thus improve my life and be of service and value to others.
Remember when AOL first came out and we all got excited when that voice would come on and say you’ve got mail. Then when AOL started chat rooms we got very excited as we now had platforms to deliver our message and engage people. As AOL evolved so did many other companies and now it seems everyone is on Facebook. As I looked at the evolution of social media over the years I began to think about how this relates to the spiritual awakening process and our own personal and spiritual growth. I then began to wonder what if you heard the voice of GOD saying You’ve Got Messages and you were able to download them and make an imprint on your heart and mind that would give you direction to move in a positive direction along your spiritual and personal development path. What if you would see a sign that stated you’ve got messages and you were able to take action on those messages. As I have been evolving spiritually and personally I have had many examples of messages being received and acting upon them with excellent results.
One of the messages I deliver is all you have to do is ask and I get very excited when I hear of success stories from those who have utilized my message to enhance their personal and professional life. In his book The Seeker, The Search, The Sacred Guy Finley gives the reader many tools to use to be able to address the messages that are being given.
When we look in the mirror and we see ourselves and the negative self talk starts to enter our thoughts it is important to say to ourselves get lost!!! In getting lost and losing our negative thoughts we find ourselves filled with spiritual guidance from GOD. Instead of making excuses it is important to become an action take and loose yourself so that you can embrace your divine purpose in life. In eliminating that which is holding you back and ridding yourself of negativity and judgement you will begin to move forward in the spiritual awakening process. When we begin to loose our negative and remove the negative people or things in our life we begin to feel better about who we are and we allow ourselves to be divinely guided. It is in being divinely guided and following this guidance that we are able to achieve great things. In adopting an anthem to be of service and value and to remove that which no longer serves us we are able to move in a positive direction thus becoming more spiritually evolved. As we evolve in our spirituality and learn from the ascended masters our ability to make the mind, body, and soul connection is increased. By mentally telling people to get lost and deciding not to interact with those who do not lift you or encourage you will see a drastic improvement in your life. When you begin to make the changes in your life that allows for you to answer your calling you can affect change and thus come alive. When you come alive you are able to shine your light for the community to see and thus you are part of illuminating the entire world.
When we detach from ourselves and turn it all over to GOD we become his instrument. In order to be a productive instrument and make a joyful noise unto the lord we must clear the blockages and shift our mindset. In clearing out the garbage and taking out the trash we open up channels that will positively manifest our dreams and help us to deal with any emotions that may hold us back. It is when we tell these negative emotions to get lost that we are able to move forward and not get too high or too low emotionally but to stay balanced in our quest to become a faithful servant unto the lord.
In pottery in order to strengthen the piece that is being made it is placed into the kiln to be fired and thus it is made stronger and whole. Such is the case in the spiritual awakening process as we are all put into GOD’S Kiln to strengthen us and make us whole. It is when we begin to get fired and let go of all of our weaknesses that we become stronger in our faith and our ability to step into the power that GOD has given us so we prosper. While in GOD’s Kiln we will be tested with challenges so that we can become stronger and be available to be of service and value as we make the mind body soul connection creating a oneness consciousness. It is being fired that we move forward and gain strength allowing us to evolve in our spirituality.
When we are filled with the fire of the holy spirit we are capable of incredible things. It is when this fire begins to consume us and when we fan the flames that we are able to take action on the messages that GOD is sending us. These messages come in all shapes and sizes and in many forms. As you begin to be filled with fire look for the signals and the message and ask GOD what they all mean. Sometimes GOD send you difficult people or challenges so that you learn and overcome thus becoming stronger. In being filled with fire you begin to see changes that enable you to go forward in the direction of your dreams. Sometimes it is in being filled with GOD’S fire that allows you to come alive and to shine your light for the entire community to see. In shining your light and sharing your passion with others you will allow the fire to spread so that the world around you improves.
One great F Word that you will use and practice during your spiritual awakening will be forgiveness. In forgiving yourself for any decisions that may not have served you properly is the first step in spiritual growth. When you forgive yourself you are able to forgive others for their trespasses and thus open up a whole new world of opportunity in your spiritual and personal development. Sometimes it can be actions like writing forgiveness letters to yourself and others. The one key element to remember when seeking forgiveness or giving forgiveness is that is makes you and the other person to do some deep soul searching and some people may not be ready to peel back the onion and accept the fact that they may have wronged you in some way. In forgiving and letting go and letting GOD we liberate ourselves from the blockages that may be holding us back. It is when we dig deep into the core issues and release them that we are able to move forward in the positive direction of our goals and dreams. In taking the action to forgive you alleviate many burdens that may have been hindering you from becoming the best you that you can be. When we understand that there will always be doubters, haters, and nay sayers we are able to forgive them and move on creating the life we desire. Many will spend their entire lives pointing fingers which doesn’t serve them. Until they forgive and let go they will remain stuck. Today is your day to become unstuck and to forgive yourself and others so you can turn the page and improve your personal and professional life.
Fellowship is another great F word. When you gather with others for praise and worship and commit to being of service and value you will see that great things begin to happen for you.
When GOD is in the mix you will see that your life is greatly enhanced. When you surround yourself with lifters and and encourgagers you become empowered and inspired and thus you are able to become a lifter and an encourager. Sometimes it is a simple as just reaching out to another person and offering them a kind word, a listening ear, or a hug. It is amazing what happens when people of like minds get together for the common good of the community.
Faith is another great F Word as it allows us to strengthen our relationship with GOD.It gives us the chance to understand that we are divine creatures of GOD and GOD doesn’t make any junk. It is when we act in faith that GOD opens up the doors to opportunity and sends us messages to help us manifest a great life.
One of my favorite characters is Animal from Muppets. Animal represents the dichotomy that is life as he had the crazy out of control side and the loving caring compassionate side. So many us are like Animal as we experience our spiritual awakening.Many of us keep ourselves chained up afraid of what may happen if we unleash our greatness on the world. It is when we are unchained and release the fear of what might happen that we begin to excel and truly tap into our authentic self. We have choices along our spiritual path we can face everything and rise or we can forget everything and run. We can be lie Animal and learn to balance our crazy out of control self with our grounded, loving, caring, compassionate self. There are times when it pays to be a bit out there because it shows you are comfortable with who you are and that you are evolving beyond the concept of being a people pleaser. It is when we choose to bang on the drum and step out of our comfort zone that great things happen.
As you bang on your drum of spiritual and personal development remember that you are a divine child of GOD capable of great things. Do not allow anyone to tell you differently and if they do tell them thank you and let them go. Sometime you have to look them in the eye and say to bad, so sad, bye bye and just release them as they are not going to be of service and value to you. The decision you make should be to bang your drum and to share the drum with those who lift you and support you in your efforts to make the mind, body, soul connection while endeavoring to positively impact the world. Sometimes you want to let others bang the drum so you can experience the vibrations and receive the positive vibes.