Tag Archive | energy

Financial Freedom: Count Your Blessings First! Part 4 of 5 Series

There isn’t anything that will put us in a good mood faster and a hopeful state of mind more than sitting down and counting the blessings we already have!

This list can never be too minute, from being thankful for having eyelashes to protect our eyes from debris to having a car to drive or a warm house to live in.
Have you ever counted your every blessing?
We probably couldn’t if we tried because the list would keep growing if we were open to being thankful for each and everything thing – big or small in our life – right down to the microscopic bacteria in our digestive track that helps our food to digest throughout the day.
Since this is TAX season, it’s a great time to take account of all the things we already have, especially if we hope to receive more financial freedom. We can be thankful for that great tax return BEFORE we receive it – and focus on the abundance in our lives NOW.
There is nothing that will ensure more blessings in our lives than counting the ones we already have!
Rhonda Byrne from her book, The Magic outlines this effectively in the following passage:
“When you use gratitude ahead of time to Have A Magical Day it wipes out unexpected problems or difficulties before they happen. The more you use this magical practice, the better your days will become, and from the smallest things to the important things, everything starts going well in your life. The bumpy days smooth out, and instead of frustrating or troublesome things happening in your day, your days start to have a magical flow about them, and things seem to magically go your way, with less effort, no worry, no stress, and far more joy.”
Universal Law of Gratitude:
The more gratitude you feel = the more joy and happiness you feel = the more joy or happiness you feel = the higher your vibrational energy = the higher your vibrational energy = the more you attract wonderful things to your life that cause you to be more grateful and more joyful. It’s as simple as that. Follow this formula and see what happens in your life!
This LAW has been studied and scientifically proven just like the law of gravity. We do not question the law of gravity. We simply live it, by trusting that when we get out of bed in the morning our feet will “magically” stay on the ground.
When we trust the Universal Law of Gratitude when we get out of bed in the morning, by putting into practice an attitude of gratitude, we will automatically experience more things in our lives for which to be grateful.

If you started counting your blessings right now, beginning with your internal organs working well, without you having to tell them to, ending with everything and everyone you’ve ever been blessed with, I guarantee you will be sitting down for a long time.

Today, write down 100 things for which you are thankful and see if the Universe doesn’t respond and send you much, much more, including that financial freedom you have been longing for! Want to exponentially increase this magic? Do it every day for 40 days (the amount it takes to make it a fully ingrained habit within our subconscious)! I have found doing it for only a few days so far, has made a vast difference in how I go about my day!
You can create a chart like the one below or you can visit Sarah Ban Breathnach’s (author of Gratitude Journal) and see her online gratitude journal: http://www.simpleabundance.com/gratitude.html

100 hundred (or begin with 10) things I’m grateful for right now…

Financial Freedom: The GOOD news about your BAD situation! Part 1 of 5 Series

Feb26

The GOOD news about your BAD situation!

Are you in a state of discomfort in your life? Have you been there for an extended period of time? This could include a state of illness, debt, poverty, frustration, lack of love, failure – whatever it is, what you know for sure from your experience is that you have had enough and you want something better for yourself and your life!

This is the SECRET as to WHY we need to suffer in our lives – not because God or the Universe wants us to suffer; but because the Divine Intelligence of the Universe knows that until we are really uncomfortable with our circumstances, we will rarely – or never – desire or take action to move out of our comfort zone to better ourselves and our lives.

Ester and Jerry Hicks describe this phenomenon in their book, The Astonishing Power of Emotions in these words: “…you often see things (in your life) that you do not want. And each time that occurs, a clarification of what you do wants erupts within you. Occasionally the experience is so dramatic that you could clearly state, “I don’t want that! And I now understand what I want instead is…”

The Hicks go on to explain this phenomenon and its brilliance, in this manner:

“And so, whether you are consciously aware of your new expanded desire or not, desire is born out of the contrast you are living…for during that process of knowing what you do not want, the clear, expanded idea of what you prefer instead is born and your Inner Being (or the Source within you) turns its undivided attention to that new expanded idea!…The contrast that you would be living stimulates new ideas of improvement and expansion within you…the broader non-physical part of you would embrace the new ideas fully and would literally become their vibrational equivalent.”

It is this vibrational equivalent that we – or our Inner Beings – are always seeking because it knows that like attracts like. If we are functioning on a vibrational level of poverty; our beliefs, thinking and actions will continue to create and attract more poverty. If we undergo an experience like the one described above, we will begin to shift our beliefs, our thoughts and our actions – because we are really uncomfortable in our situation; ultimately shifting our entire vibrational energy to match what it is we do want – wealth, prosperity and success – and then ultimately begin to attract it.

Essentially, while we are comfortable in our way of thinking and acting we are not very inspired to change or become the better, more expanded version of ourselves that our Divine Intelligence knows we can be. We literally have to experience the discomfort – and usually for an extended period of time – in order to want something new and better – a better us – a better life – in order to actually attract it and achieve it.

Disclaimer: Not all people who experience suffering or discomfort expand and go onto a higher vibrational level of success. Some of us have to experience the same discomfort or pain a few times in our lives in order to overcome it and move beyond it. Some never do overcome it, as they become victims to their suffering and continue all their lives to tell themselves and others the same old story of their lives. In order to benefit from this particular secret of life we must be willing to change and we must have enough desire for a transformed existence of ourselves.

The good news is that once we make up our mind to change, a miraculous thing begins to happen – the Universe begins to put people, ideas, books and all kinds of resources in our path to facilitate this growth. I have seen this time and again in my life. I will be guided to go into a particular bookstore or I will already be somewhere and I will be prompted to begin looking for something – it is usually just a quiet impression on my spirit. Or, as what happened recently, on the way home after my car had a gas leak, I ended up walking beside a gentleman who is a manager of a spiritual store in my neighbourhood and we had a wonderful discussion about life, spirituality and making the most of bad situations. Interestingly enough, just recently I made up my mind to explore my spirituality more, step out and make new friends and to make the best of any adversity – big or small – in my life. Lo and behold, my car breaking down allowed me to do all three of these things at once!

What obstacles do you find yourself perpetually going up against? What situation have you been struggling with for so long that you are SO ready to be free of? This is your area of growth. You cannot become greater in any area in your life – until like the Universe – you are willing to allow yourself to expand.

The irony is that we can only allow the very things we want by giving up the struggle – stop focusing on the negative or the lack in our lives. Once we focus on the things we already have – and feel gratitude for them – then we will be going with the flow of abundance and be able to attract and allow what it is we desire.

Next Post: How Gratitude leads to a New Attitude about Everything!

Money: How to Make it Serve You! Part 2 of 5 Series

Feb20

How do we begin to have money serve us, rather than be its servant?

It’s actually very easy. We must first recognize that money was created by human beings – not the other way around. We created money as a form of currency to get what we need and desire. However, it is interesting how many of us have become a slave to money.

How can we be a slave to something that we ourselves created in order to serve us? Did money one day take up arms against us, revolt and take us over? No. However, our wants and desires did and therefore money has become our master instead of serving many of us. As soon as we put ourselves in a position of lack or desire; we are then slaves to money, asking the Universe, God or anything else to send us some form of it in abundance. We simply need to take back our power from money – as it is only an illusion that it has any power over us anyway.

How do we take back our power and become the master of money and the master of our lives once again?

Like any loyal and faithful servant that is hired to serve us; we must recognize our position of authority and act from that position. It wouldn’t do us much good if we hired a cook, gardener, cleaner or anyone else to provide a service to us, and then when they arrived at our house, we tell them, “you know what, do what you want; it would be nice if you would carry out your duties and I will pay you, but really, I have no authority over you, so you can just do whatever you want!” Hence, we must not do this with money either. Otherwise, it will do just that for us – nothing! Our belief that we are a slave to money will ultimately allow it to have mastership over us.

We must begin to establish a relationship with money that begins with honesty regarding our feelings and attitude towards it. Then, we can begin to take ownership over it and become the authoritative master to our loyal and faithful servant that was in fact, created for us and to serve us.

Let’s begin by writing money a letter:

Dear Money

I love you and I respect you. I have known you all of my life. I have appreciated your worth since time began – the extrinsic power that you have to create excitement, fear, loathing, abhorrence and pleasure. I have probably felt all of these things towards you at some point or another. I have felt excitement when I have been given you; when I have earned you; when you have been spent on me; and when I have spent you. I have felt sadness and despair when I have lost you and when you have been stolen from me. I have felt great and profound excitement when I’ve had you. I have kept you, saved you, wasted you, spent you and given you to others. I have felt for a long time that you have power over me and I have to beg to have you in my life. I’ve prayed, pleaded, asked, and cried over you at times. However, I now recognize my error.

I now recognize my authoritative power and I realize that I am not your servant – you are mine. You were created by humans in order to aid us in having and obtaining and keeping what it is we desire. I now recognize that you are a form of energy, manifested in paper and metals and have been created solely to serve us – to serve me. I now treat you in this form – an energy – a source in order to help me create and have the life I desire.

You are not only my faithful and loyal servant – you are my friend, my aid, my supporter in all things. You are in my life in abundance and more and more of you is coming to me and to my life. You are paying off my loans. You are paying all of my bills easily and effortlessly. You are coming to me – in my mail, in my email, in my bank account, in my hands and in the form of gifts, prizes, treasures, offers and opportunities that are coming easily and effortlessly to me. You are coming to me in abundance and I am attracting more and more of you each and every day. You are my loyal and faithful servant!

You are my loyal and faithful servant and you are to serve me and support me today and the rest of my life – in abundance. The only thing I owe you is my gratitude. I appreciate you and love you and allow you to NOW flow easily, effortlessly and abundantly into my subconscious, consciousness, life, bank account, wallet and my hands! My cup and my life runneth over with you! And I know this to be true.

Your faithful and loyal master, ________________.

I recommend that you write your own letter to money; preferably hand-written first. There is something very powerful about using our hands and the power of putting ink to paper. Then, if you wish, you can type it and post it somewhere you will read it every day for at least 30 days – although 40 days seems to be the magic number when it comes to creating a habit.

May you begin to see the physical manifestation in your life that money is not only your friend, but your loyal and faithful servant that wishes to be your companion and helper each and every day of your life!

Powerful Subliminal Training for Money: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlw97AQyswc

Next Post: Money: Taking Note of Where it is and isn’t Serving You!

Making Mistakes: How to Embrace Them! Part 1 of 5 Series

Feb18

How many of us have made a mistake in our lives?

Every one of us! One of the most comforting things I have learned from studying literature that spans centuries is that I have come to understand one invaluable lesson: whatever error or mistake we make; someone, somewhere in history has already made it already!

As part of the human race we share a number of important things:

1. We are made of blood, muscle and bones.

2. We feel sadness, anger, love, jealousy, joy and many other emotions.

3. We are mortal.

4. We are all connected.

5. We ALL make mistakes.

Avril Lavigne sings in her song, Complicated, “Chill out, what you yellin’ for?
Lay back, it’s all been done before,” so we can comfort ourselves in the fact that whatever we do to err in this life; it’s already been done at least once – probably millions of times!

How do we deal with the fact that we are not perfect and that we do make mistakes?

1. We need to embrace our darkness – that part of ourselves that is quite capable – if not expert – at making mistakes.

2. We need to own up to our mistakes the best we can and be determined to learn from them; so that we do not repeat them and we are able to approach the same situation in a much better and clearer perspective next time.

3. We need to remember that what our mistakes teach us most of all is this: To not judge others when they make mistakes and to demonstrate compassion to others in their mistakes.

4. We need to learn to demonstrate that same compassion for ourselves – that is the ONLY way to be more compassionate to our fellow human.

5. We need to learn to forgive ourselves when we make a mistake and not ruminate about it – thinking about our error will indefinitely lead to more mistakes as we will not be focused on improving, but on our fear of faltering again, and therefore, we will re-create more mistakes.

Next Post: Our Ugly Side – How to Embrace It!

Related Articles:

Making Mistakes to Enhance Self-Esteem and Improve Performance http://www.excelatlife.com/articles/mistakes.htm

How to Bounce back from a Mistake: http://99u.com/tips/7089/How-To-Bounce-Back-From-A-Big-Mistake

Try Again by Aaliyah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjnbozivsEo

Properity: 6 Steps to Achieve It! Part 3 of 5 Series

Feb12

How to have Prosperity blossom in our lives:

Step # 1: Keep it Simple – Choose one simple saying that encompasses where you want to be – look completely past all of the steps, perceived obstacles, fears or even goals. Imagine the flower – not the growth.

“I am financially FREE to WRITE and TRAVEL.” This is my FLOWER: What IT is I want to accomplish.

Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer and many writers and healers today believe that you must focus on what you want and then allow the universe to bring it in whatever way or manner it chooses. As Louise Hay says, you plant seeds in a garden in order to have the flower, but you do not go out two days later and dig up the seeds to see if the flower is growing. You simply trust that you planted the seed and you imagine the flower in its existence. You looked at the seed packet, decided on the flower you wanted to blossom. You bought it, brought it home, planted it and the only nurturing you have to do is to water it – which in essence is simply repeating your ONE simple mantra every day as much as you can. Repeating it as many times as you can is tending to your flower’s growth. Nature will take care of the rest.

Step # 2: Envisioning the Flower – You can imagine all of the stages of its growth but most of us like to simply focus on the ultimate creation and its beauty. Do this with what it is you want. Imagine the flower in all its bloom – imagine your desire in all its bloom. For me it encompasses me sitting in my Adirondack chair next to a man I love on my beautiful deck that leads from our waterfront home out to the lake on which we live for part of the year. The other vision is sitting on a boat in the Caribbean doing the exact same thing for the other six months, but I include myself with my laptop writing my next novel.

Step # 3: Appreciating the Flower – probably the most important step in the process of manifesting is gratitude – for the things we already have – we are given more when we appreciate what we have – and to appreciate what IT is that we want AS IF we already have it.

“Thank you for a life of financial freedom to write and travel and enjoy my home on the water and my boat in the Caribbean and the wonderful love I have in my life!”

Step # 4: In the Meantime – between-the-seed-and-the-flower time. In the meantime, while we are envisioning the flower we’ve planted, we go along tending to the rest of the garden. We do not neglect the rest of it for this one flower. In fact, tending and weeding the garden will keep the weeds from suffocating our growing flower. Be sure to tend to the things you need to – pay your bills, make right your wrongs, forgive people, don’t judge, help to make others’ lives better. And be sure to weed things from your life – bad habits, negative friends or acquaintances, anything that brings negative energy into your life.

Step # 5: Rejoice in the bud – when the flower first begins to poke its way through the soil and manifest itself in the physically visible realm to you – rejoice. If you want abundance in your life and you are given a five dollar gift certificate or find a penny on the street, rejoice. If you want love and you are asked out on a date, rejoice. If you want a job and someone offers you a chance to make money – even if its something you may not like, rejoice. If you want new friendships and a stranger speaks to you on the street, rejoice. All of these are the tiny buds that are coming to the surface. We do not cut off the bud just because it isn’t yet the flower – nor do we curse at it and tell it, it’s not enough! Rejoice in the small things and greater things will be given unto you!

Step # 6:

Obstacles that can get in the way of us manifesting the things we desire most in life.

In reality, only ourselves and our self-criticism and limited thoughts and beliefs can get in the way of us manifesting the things we desire. We need to immediately stop criticizing ourselves. Next we need to begin to re-program our minds to think positively and lovingly towards ourselves. Without this step, the other five are moot.

Next Post: Prosperity: Part 4 of 5 Series

10 Things Your Authentic Self Has to Tell You: Go Have Fun! – Part 4 of 10

Jan31

What do these children have to teach you? Everything!

One of my favourite exercises that allows us to not only get in touch with our inner child and understand who they are; but also allows us to reconnect with ourselves as adults and understand who we REALLy are, is taking the time to do two things:

1. Find a picture of yourself (that you really like) when you were a child; enlarge it, frame it and put it somewhere you can see it every day!

2. Communicate with this child on an on-going basis – everyday, if possible.

Finding the photo should be the easy part.

How do we go about communicating with our inner child and why should we even bother?

The child that we once were, in its innocence and youth was the true core of who we were meant to be as adults. Along the way, with school, peers, parents, teachers, authority figures telling us who we were and who we ought to be – we began to lose our connection with our inner child. However, that child hasn’t gone anywhere!

He/She is within us, waiting for us to come out and play, if you will. Similar to the Holiday Song, Frosty the Snowman, when he says, “Now don’t you cry, I’ll be back again some day!” we have said to our inner child. However, how many of us have ever bothered to return to our inner child and went out and played with full abandonment?

We are like Frosty – no one believes that as adults we should dance and sing and play and be silly like children, but I’m here to tell you that we love this story because it is just that – unbelievable and silly!

Have a look at the photos above of these young children. What do you imagine would be their message to us as adults? I encourage you to sit down as soon as possible and write a letter (or just a question or two) to your inner child and ask it what it would tell you about yourself:

1. What qualities did you possess as a child?

2. What did you love to do?

3. What did you dream of becoming?

4. What advice does he/she have for you about some situation in your life that you are at a loss about?

5. What recommendation does he/she have for you in order to have more fun, joy and laughter in your life?

I have done this exercise and it works. Just like John Lennon says, “There will be an Answer” if you take the time to talk and listen to your inner – Authentic Self, today! To get you into a more playful, open state, watch the video below! It’s fun!

Frosty the Snowman (video and lyrics) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGDi8TqqeX8

Next Post: The 5th Thing Your Authentic Self Has to Tell You!

L.O.V.E: Is All You Need – Part 1 of Top 10 Series

Jan28

Was John Lennon right? Is love all we need? I was reading my New Year‘s Horoscope on the subway on January 1st while returning home from an awesome New Year’s Eve party at the Bata Shoe Museum downtown Toronto. My horoscope said that this year would be a year of great personal growth and it ended with this statement: “you have an important message to share with the world and that is – love is, was and will always be the answer to every question.”

On reflection, I think this is the message, deep at my core that I know to be true. I spent some time reflecting back on the choices that I made this year and it is evident that where I put love into the equation things generally worked out for the best for me. Where I lacked love and instead added frustration and stubbornness to a problem; it became worse.

My example is this: I own a house in which I was renting to a family that intended to purchase it at the end of the lease. This family fell on hard times. However, the woman was very stubborn, hard to deal with and often paid her rent late even when things were going well for them. After the six bounced cheques (and after I returned from a vacation where a close friend had deceived me and took money from me for a place that I never actually stayed at) I returned home to Canada ready to fight.

While I had been “loving” and understanding for the previous year and half, I had as they say, “lost that loving feeling” and I was ready to evict these irresponsible, non-paying tenants. Now in terms of justice, I was well within my rights and everyone I spoke to about the situation said, “Oh, evict them! Get rid of them!”. However, deep inside my core, I knew that fighting with this woman was not the answer. I knew how stubborn and belligerent she was as I suspect that’s all she had known most of her life – and knew no other way of dealing with the world and those around her. Hence, she was well-practiced at fighting back. Though it had been difficult I had, for a year and half, approached her with understanding and love and while she never seemed to appreciate it very much, she did always eventually pay her rent and come around. However, after a year and half of dealing with her, I was tired of being so loving and understanding.

This time, when I chose to fight her – she dug in her heels and fought back and somehow, as the justice system always seems to – it failed me. I was stuck with this family in my home for nine months (yes, NINE months) without paying me a dime. It was a delayed eviction because she had lost her job and was a single mother (funny enough her husband was there to help her move!). In any case, it did not turn out for the best for me, financially, emotionally or mentally.

I specifically remember the day of the court date. I was staying in a local hotel as the tribunal was in another city and I felt compelled to read the bible – most hotels leave one in the bedside table. I was not looking for any specific scripture but I will never forget to what page I just happened to open the bible. It was the scripture, Timothy 2 Verse 2-3, “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel, instead he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth and they will come to their senses.”

I believe the overall message that God or the Universe was sending me that day was instead of fighting with my tenant, I should have treated her with love and in some way, instead of threatening her with eviction (even though I was legally entitled to do so) I should have found some other resolution. Do I believe the Universe wanted me to get taken advantage of and “turn the other cheek?” No. I believe that our Divine Creator has great wisdom and he/she knew exactly what kind of person my tenant was and how she would react to me beginning a quarrel with her and that I would most likely lose, which I did.

How could I have responded in love instead?

I could have negotiated with her for payments or went to see her and asked her what was really going on and how I could help. It would have required a lot of understanding and courage on my part but as it turned out, that would not have been any more difficult than watching a stranger live in my house for nine months while I paid all of her rent and utilities. Needless to say, hindsight is twenty-twenty isn’t it?

So what do I do from here?

I learn the lesson that love probably was the answer to this problem and probably is the answer to many, if not all, questions. Most people who are rude, disrespectful, cause us issues or we have conflicts with is because they have not had enough love in their lives. It is very difficult to return evil with love but I am going to begin writing a few blogs on how to become more loving and approach each and every situation with love. Here’s to 2013 being the “end of the world as we know it” regarding negativity, violence and problems and it being a “new year” of approaching every “question” with love. Let’s face it, approaching every question with bitterness, frustration, or anger hasn’t solved anything. Anyone ready to try a one year experiment with me and bring nothing but L.O.V.E. to this world?

Of course, first we need to understand what love is – it is not always an emotion – sometimes we may not feel any love for someone, but we can still “act” in love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gng7EBv3G2k (All you Need is Love by the Beatles)

Next Post: Love – What is it?

Sensory Stimulation – Stops Aging & Makes Us Smarter! – Part 5 of Top 5 Series

Jan22

Activation of the left cerebral hemisphere during sensory stimulation.

Sensory Stimulation Therapy

It turns out that stimulating our senses isn’t just beneficial for getting more in touch with our bodies and being in the present moment – it has been scientifically proven to slow the aging process, reprogram positive neuro-pathways in our brain (making us smarter by helping us think faster) and it can actually be very healing for children with autism and elderly people who have suffered from strokes or dementia.

What is sensory stimulation?

“The answer is that stimulating the senses can have a positive effect on learning as well as emotional and social growth in a child. Sensory stimulation in learning means having activities that challenge or make use of the five senses. These senses, touch, taste, smell, listening, and visual, must be included in one’s learning. Schools incorporate sensory stimulation in their curriculum from the basics of math and reading to special classes such as art or extracurricular activities such as sports. The same is true for children with special needs. For example, as more children become diagnosed with autism, more teachers are needed to educate them. Thus, it is good to see celebrities such as the telethon on comedy central held on October 15, 2006, that featured well-known comedians as well as other notable figures to help fund the building of a center to educate teachers who are specialized in teaching autistic children.

Sensory stimulation also affects the emotional and social growth of a child. Sensory affectional deprivation syndrome (link to this page) illustrates the importance of maternal affection. When moms (and dads) cuddle, sway, sing, or rock their babies and children, they are helping that child feel the emotional needs required for healthy growth.”

(http://www.autismindex.com/Therapies/Therapy_Key_Word_Site_Map/sensory/what_is_sensory_stimulation.html)

There are a lot of websites with a lot of information about the healing aspects of sensory stimulation as well as stores and places one can visit that are specifically geared to stimulating our senses. How fun is that?

However, if you feel like making your own fun and stimulating your own senses, read the list below! Enjoy!

Next Blog Series: Fear – When it’s a gift – When it’s a curse!

List of Sensory Stimulators: (http://www.activitytherapy.com/sensorystimulation.htm)

Vision

Pretty Wrapping Paper & Florescent Papers

Animals such as Birds, Bird Feeders, Fish Tanks

Bubble Tubes

Colored Lights, Strings of Lights, Christmas Lights

Light Box

Rattles, Tambourines

Mirrors

Flashing lights & Strobe Lights

Wind Up Animals

Mobiles that are age appropriate

Wind Socks & Wind Chimes

Activity Boxes, Easy to Watch Videos

Relaxation Videos

Taste

Peanut Butter, Licorice

Jelly, Spices, Honey

Chocolate, Peppermint

Nutella (located with Peanut Butter)

Tea, Coffee, Milk Shakes, Sodas

Strong Smelling Soups

Yogurt, Ice cream, Ice Chips Flavored

Lifesavers, Pickles, Horseradish

Smell

Lavender and other oils. Use an Electric Aroma Fan

Pot Pouri, Sachets

Perfumes, Powders, Lotions

Sun Tan Lotions (Coconut)

Candles, Incense, Aromatherapy

Bath Oils, Bubble Baths, Bath Soaps

Spices

Powders, Talcum Powders, Pillows with Powders inside

Flowers, Shrubs with Scents, Flowering Trees

Bakery, Candle Shop, Candy Shop

Pet Shop, Fruit Stand

Licorice

Hearing / Sound

Water Sounds, Fountains, Bubbling Brooks, Sound of Waves

Faucet turned on, Waterfall

Washing Machine, Dishwasher

Music, Bag Pipers, Concerts

Wind Chimes

Ticking Clocks, Metronomes, Coco Clocks

Music Boxes, Whistles

Instruments- Maracas, Pianos, Tambourines, Rattles, Chimes, Electric Key Boards, Pianos, Drums

Touch

Fake Fur, Soft Ear Muffs

Pets, Horses, Cows

Outside-Leaves, Tree Bark, Roses

Snow, Sand, Shells, Sea Weed

Hard Items-Rocks, Tree Bark, Fences

Soft Items-Clay, Dirt, Play Dough

Cotton, Sheepskin, Feathers,

Pastas, Cereals, Spaghetti

Large Beads, Jewelry, Gaskets

Pat Mats, Activity Aprons & Activity Pillows

Body Pillows, Textured Fabrics

Massage, Silk Materials

Dryer vibration, blow dryers, washing machines

Movement

Swings, Slides

Hammocks

Trampoline

Sleigh Riding

Horseback Riding

Rolling Down Hill

Merry Go Rounds

Our SIXTH Sense – Are We Listening? – Part 4 of Top 5 Series

Jan21

This voice is what you hear when you are quiet – when you take the time to tune out all the other voices, advice, criticism of others and listen to your inner guide. I was once told, “You don’t need to ask anyone else for advice – you only need to sit with yourself and ask yourself – your Internal, Intuitive, Inner Voice (notice all of the words include the word “I” and “in” ) – meaning if you look within; you will find the answers you seek.

Our inner voice is like a good friend – an inner Yoda if you will – who cares for us very much and who wants to guide us in the right direction. In fact, when any circumstance first visits us, is when this voice is the strongest. We do not think it so much as we feel it. It will be the first voice or sense we have about a situation – whether the person, event or circumstance is safe or not; whether we feel excited or fear regarding it (or him/her) – and it will be the loudest. However, like a good friend who tries to give us wise advice – if we refuse to listen or do not pay attention – like a good friend – our inner voice will eventually give up and let us go in the direction we choose.

This inner, wise voice often gets drowned out by our ‘second thoughts’; by our fears or by the voices of others and hence, we often find ourselves going down a path that becomes difficult or unpleasant. If it’s unpleasant, you can be sure you ignored your inner voice somewhere along the way – it will never lead you astray or down the wrong path – ever!

We sometimes lead ourselves down a particular unpleasant path in order to learn or teach ourselves something – but we probably could have learned the same lesson on a more enjoyable path. We often think that we have to suffer in order to learn a lesson – and of course, we do learn things from experiencing suffering – but we can learn things through pleasure or accomplishment as well.

For example, when we learn to drive, we do not have to have an accident to learn this skill. However, if we do not listen to the wisdom of our parents or what the Driver’s Education instructor teaches us, we may end up getting into an accident. Thus, we finally learn to put their advice into practice to avoid the same mistake next time. However, had we simply listened to the original warning, we would not have had to suffer the accident at all. This is why we come equipped with our own inner, intuitive voice – to keep us away from and out of ‘accidents’ and on the safe, more pleasurable path in life.

Buddhists say that to live is to suffer – not because we have to, but because there is an understood premise here – we are human – we do not always listen to wisdom, which creates our own suffering and hopefully helps us to be more wise or spiritually aware in the future. Of course, this does not actually work for everyone. Some people are doomed to repeat the same error over and over and inevitably end up having their last accident.

In fact, sometimes what we do also causes suffering for others; for example, a person who drinks and drives often results in someone innocently being killed and therefore many others suffer. In every way our suffering comes back to a human ignoring their inner, intuitive voice. It’s kind of like imagining we all have a little Buddha or Yoda within us. If God or the Universe or Divine Creation has equipped us with this wise being within us – to lead us and guide us – why on earth would we ignore it? But, ignore it, we do! (This is my attempt at Yoda’isms)

How do we get better acquainted with this inner voice – this wise sage that lives with us?

Below is a 5-10 minute activity to help you connect with your Intuitive Inner Voice: (It’s fun and relaxing!)

Sit comfortably with a straight spine, yet relax the body. Feel yourself connected to the ground as you breathe deeply through the nose. Close your eyes, inhale deeply and travel in your imagination through a little boat in your bloodstream to your 3rd eye (a point about 2.5 cm above the bridge of the nose). Here you see a ‘House Of The Senses’. Allow it to be as it is. Open the door with a golden key and enter. Have a look around. What can you see, hear, smell? What is beneath your feet? Enter a room on the right and explore. This is the Room of Sight. If any improvements, cleaning etc. are needed here, ask your angels or guides to appear and do the work. Make it sparkle, and set it up just the way you want it. Then progress through each room in turn – they lead off each other, in a circle going around the house, as follows: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch. Visit each room in turn, notice how it is, clean and clear it, improve as necessary, let your guides help.

Now, you return to the centre of the house. Ascend the stairs to the room above. This is the room of the Sixth Sense. Again, notice how it is, clean and clear it, ask your guides to make any needed improvements. Now, breathe deeply in the clean fresh air, and then blow, blowing through all the doors and windows, the rooms of your senses, several times. Then leave the house through a new door, knowing you can return any time. Come back to the conscious world now, and notice how your senses may have changed. Bite a crisp apple, notice the scents in the air, hear the sounds… (This meditation is adapted from ‘The Possible Human’ by Jean Houston.)

If all else fails and you find yourself in a situation that you’re not sure of what to do, listen to the following song. It always helps me remember that there is something beyond me that is leading me and if I wait (for example, draft that email, don’t send it or don’t say “yes” right away to someone you’re not sure about) there WILL be an answer, just let it be, for now!

Let it Be by the Beatles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0714IbwC3HA

Related Articles:

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/6_secrets_to_develop_your_six_senses