1

2

3

Section Title

SPIRITUALITY9 Reflections...BeCreative10 Creativity,BeautyandtheLawofAttraction13 PracticalSpirituality:ExactlyWhatYouThink19 TheWayItIs:BewareoftheRACETrap24 Crystals&GemsPart3:Semi-PreciousStones

HEALTHYLIVING17 Captain’sCompass:PreparingforLifeChange

TOOLS&TIPS7 ConnectingwithKryon8 CreatingtheSoul’sCollage12 ConnectingwiththeFairyRealm15 Light,Love,Laughter:Creativity16 HarnessingYourCreativity26 AskDr.ZZ

TRANSFORMATION4 AskandYouShallCreate20 ASkeptic’sPerspectiveofLOA22 MotivationforCreation27 LifeCanBeYourMasterpiece

INSPIRATION6 OwningOurUniqueExpression14 SacredImages,SacredMessages23 CreativityisintheAir27 HolyMoleCartoon28 PositiveChange:BeyondEither/OrThinking

© Copyright 2012 Transformation Magazine. All rights reserved.

Artist Michael Bowen began painting Eternal Flow in 2003. The original is 3’ x 4’ painted in oil and glued concrete that forms the 3-dimensional rock. Michael dedicated the piece as “eternal” and continues to paint on the piece every five years as a way of visually showing his own conscious shift and evolution. In its current depiction there are eleven limited edition prints available for sale. As the original evolves, the five-year limited edition prints become one-of-kind snapshots in its current state.

Michael was born in Salt Lake City Utah in 1979, moved to Colorado at age six and studied art and design in Denver graduating in 2000. He currently lives and works in St Petersburg, FL with his wife,

Ami Bowen. They are both highly skilled in art, photography and many other creative outlets and formed their company, Bowen Imagery, in 2001.

Limited edition Eternal Flow prints and more of their inspiring images can be seen at:

bowenimagery.com

4

Ask and You Shall CreateWhatisthedifferencebetweenyouandJoe,ahome-

lessmanonabenchwhoasksforchange?Areyoumoreblessedbecauseyouareabetterperson?No.Justbecausesomeonelives on the streets doesn’tmake him a bad person.Are youbeingrewardedforallofthegoodthingsyou’vedoneandJoeisbeingpunished?No.Joehasagreatheartandstartedhislifeasapersonwitha jobanda familyand later foundhimself incircumstancesthatleadtoadownwardspiral.Thenhebecamestuck.So,what’sthedifference?

Therearetwodistinctionsbetweenyouandthedesti-tutepersononthestreet,andbotharerelatedtowhatyouaskforinlifeand,therefore,whatyoucreate.

1. Whatyouasklifeforthatyouwant.2. Whatyouasklifeforthatyoudon’twant.

Asking for what you want: Wehaveallheardthebiblicalquote,“Askandyoushall

receive.”However,fewofustrulyunderstandwhatthismeans.Thehomelesspersonasksforchangeinacan,whileyouaskforaraiseora job.That iswhatyoubothwant,andyoubothask,andyoubothreceive.Thestreetdwellerprobablydoesnotbelieveanyonewouldhirehim,sohedoesnotaskforajoband,ofcourse,ifhedoesnotaskhe’snotgoingtoreceive.Healsoprobably assumes that peoplewould say “no” if he asked forother thingshewantsandneeds, suchasahome,guidance,support,andmoneytosustainhimself.Asaresult,helimitshim-selftoaskingforchangeinacan.

We are not immune from these self-limiting assump-tionsanddoubtsthatleadustoaskforlessthanwhatwereallywant.Youmayaskforaraisebutyouprobablylimithowmuchyoubelieveyoucanreceive,soyouendupaskingforlessthanyouwant.Youmayaskforajobbutmaysimilarlylimityourpos-sibilitiesbecause youdonot believe you canhave thehigherposition,whichiswhatyoureallywant.Consequently,youaskforthe“surebet.”

If we do not ask, it is 100 percent certain that we will not have it.

Spiritually Speaking

with MarciaBender

An Apple a Day

With D. Carol Roberts, M.D.with Rev. Marla Sanderson

Ask

Dr. ZZEnlightenedRelationshipsAwakening

with the Editor

Natalie Amsden

Weknow this,yetsomehowwestilldon’task.We’reoftentooafraidtohear“no,”andsowemissoutonmanyoppor-tunities.Whileyoumaynotbesittingonaparkbenchbeggingforchange,youprobablystillarelimitedbecauseyoudonotfullyunderstandthepowerofaskingforwhatyouwant.Notonlydoesitlimitwhatyouliterallyaskothersforinlife—itlimitswhatyouallowyourself todreamaboutaswell. Ifwhatyou trulydesireseems unrealistic, impossible, or unlikely, you probably havereadjustedyourgoalsanddreamstowhatyoufeelispractical,logical,andnotlikelytofail.Mediocrityiseasiertoattain,afterall(orsowebelieve).Butmediocrityisn’twhatyouwant,isit?

Asking for what you don’t want: Theothersideofthe“askingcoin”isthatwearelikely

toaskformany,manythingsthatwedon’twant.Joeishomelessbecauseheaskedforit.“What?!”youmayask,“Whywouldany-onewanttobeabum?”Isaidheaskedforit—andthatisnotthesameaswantingit.Youmaynotwanttohearthis(butyouaskedforitbyreadingthisarticle).Youareinthecircumstancesyouareinbecauseyouaskedforthem.“No!”youprotest,“Ididn’taskforthis!”Youmaynothavewanteditbutyoudidaskforit.

Asking = Thinking

Whether we are thinking about what we want or what we don’t want WE ARE ASKING for it.

And, why does this matter? Remember how earlierwesaid that ifwedon’taskweare100percentcertainofnotreceiving it?This is true, but what is evenmore important tounderstandisthatifweDOaskweWILLreceiveit.Let’suseJoeasanexampleofreceivingwhatwethinkabout.Thehomelessmanwantedstability,ajob,andahome,buthislimitingbeliefsdeterminedhecouldnothavethesethings.Asaresult,here-signedhimself to thinkingabouthowtocollectenoughmoneyforhisnextmeal.Hethoughtaboutneedingchange,askedforchange,andreceivedchange.Itmightnothavebeenwhathereallywanted,but it’swhatheaskedfor.Sinceheaskedfor itwithhisthoughts,hetookactionandaskedfor itwithhiscup,andsohecreatedtheexperienceofreceivingchange.

We don’t always get what we want, but we always create what we ask for—eventually.

Lori dreamedof a career inmanagement.She knewshe’dbegoodatit,butwhenthepositionbecameavailableshedidn’tapplyforitbecauseshedidn’tfeelhersuperiorslikedher.Sheappliedforthesecretarypositioninanotherdepartmentin-stead,andshereceivedthesecretaryposition.

Want—thought—ask—receive.

Haveyoueveraskedforapositionandnotreceivedit?Askyourself ifyouweresuffering fromanegativeexpectationlikethehomelessman.

Youmayhavewantedthepositionbuthaddoubtsand

Natalie, Publisher of Transformation Magazine, has worked with thousands of people seeking to live a life of purpose and genuine relationship with their true selves, others, and their world. She is the former Director of a counseling center for at risk teenagers and their parents. She is also a public speaker and leads workshops and retreats on Practical Spirituality, Finding Joy, Discovering Your Purpose, and Enlightened Relationships.

••••••••••••••••••

Transformation

5

negativeexpectations.“Igetnervousatinterviews—I’mprobablygoingtomakeafoolofmyselfandblowit.”“Ihavetroublegettingalongwithpeople.”“I’mnervousthatIwon’tbeabletofitinatthisnew job.” “Iexaggeratedonmyresumeregardingmycomputerskills—Ihopetheydon’tthinkI’mafraud.”“I’vebeenturneddownbyeveryoneandprobablywon’tgetthisjobeither.Idon’twanttogetmyhopesup.”Allofthesenegativeandcontradictorythoughtsarewhatkeptyoufromgettingtheposition.Youmayhavewant-edthejob,butyouwereaskingwiththesethoughts—andthesethoughtsarenotgoingtocreatewhatyouwant.

“ButwhataboutthetimeIaskedforthebigpositionandreallyfeltgoodaboutit,andwanteditandbelievedIcouldgetit—onlytobeturneddown?”Inthissituationyoumayhavesomeresidualorunconsciouslimitingthoughtsthataregettinginyourway.Forexample,“Idon’treallywanttocommutethatfar”and“InevergetthejobsIreallywant”cansabotageadesire.Thefirstexampleshowsthatunconsciouslyyoureallydon’twantthejobbecauseyoudon’twanttodrivethatfar.Youresistthecommut-ingandsomayunconsciouslysabotagetheinterviewbybeinglate. The second example shows residual thought energy leftoverfrompreviousnegativeexperienceswithinterviewing.Youbelievethatyouareapersonwhodoesnotgetthepositionsyouwantandthereforefeelinsecure.Thisshowsthroughanddoesnotinspiremanagerstobelieveinyourcompetence.

In a positive way, youmay be blocking the job be-causeyouhaveconflictingdesires.Forexample, ifwhatyoutrulydesireistobeself-employed,butyouareapplyingforthepositionbecauseyoufeelyoucan’thavewhatyoureallywant,youmaynotgetthejobbecauseyouarebeingpushedtogoforyourtruedesires.

Wecan lookat it froma spiritual perspective.Whatyoufocusyourattention(thoughts)onyouwillattracttoyourlife(TheLawofAttraction). In theexampleabove,your thoughtsand desires about self-employment were stronger than yourdesireforthejobandtheUniverseispushingyoutotakeadif-ferentpath,onethatyouhavecreatedwithyourtruedesires.Youcanalso lookat this fromapsychologicalperspective. Ifyoubelievesomethingwillhappen(thatyouwillbombthein-terview)youwillunconsciouslydo things thatwill cause it tohappen (self-fulfillingprophecy)because in thissituationyoudon’tactuallywantthejob.Eitherway,youwillcreatewhatyouthinkandthereforeaskfor.

Manyarguethat thereareother factors involved, thatwe don’t necessarily create EVERYTHING in our lives, and Iagree. I acknowledge that the concepts of “ask and you shallreceive,”“theLawofAttraction,”andthe“self-fulfillingprophecy”donot explainall of life.However, one thing I can say is thatinmylifeIcanseeveryclearlyhowIhavegottenwhatIhaveaskedfor,evenifitwasn’twhatIwanted.Weneedtoallowour-selvestoaskfor,thinkabout,anddreamofwhatwetrulydesirein life.Wecannevercreate the lifeofourdreams ifwearen’twillingtoaskforit!

Put down the change can, step away from the bench, and ask yourself: What do you really

want to create?

6

Inspiration

ByJeffGitterman

Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve had this underlyingsensethattherewassomethingspecificinlifeIwassupposedtobedoing.ManypeopleImeettellmetheyfeelthesameway.Butoftenthey’renotsureexactlywhatitis.Ortheyhavesomethingtheylovetodo,butdon’thavemuchtimeorenergytodevotetoitbecausethey’retoobusymakingaliving.

Asafinancialadvisor,Imeetalotofpeoplewhosharethe belief, often reinforced by their life experience, that beingfinancially successful and doingwhat they love are somehowincompatible.Wemayseeotherswhohavea“gift”ortalentthattheyloveandareabletomakemoneyfromit,buttheseindividu-alsseemliketheexceptionratherthantherule.

I’mnotonlyconvincedthatwemakea livingwithouruniqueexpression,Ithinkit’sarguablytheonlywaywecantrulybe successful. It’s often estimated that the average adult willspend80percentofhiswakinglifeatwork.Ifwe’respendingallthattimeinajobwehate,onethatdrainsourenergysomuchthatwehavehardlyanyleftfortheremaining20percentofourlives, thenwecouldsay thatenergeticallywe’re livingbeyondourmeans.Onceworkisover,we’llfindourselveshavingverylittlelefttogive,andneedingtogetenergybackfromthepeoplearoundus,particularlythosewelove.

Theonlywaytostarttofindourwayintheworldistotakeresponsibilityforthedirectionofourlives.Ittakesfocusandcommitmenttofind,develop,andowntheparticularexpressionthatwehavetocontributetothisworld.Mostpeoplewilladmitthat theyare theirownworstenemy.For reasonsweperhapsdon’tfully(buthopefullysomedaywill)understand,wejudgeandcriticizeourselvesmoreharshlythananyoneelseweprobablyknow.Andwithall thisself-criticismgoingon inourminds, it’sverydifficult toshowup in theworldas thepersonwe’resup-posedtobe.

The most important step in finding and owning ouruniqueexpressionistolearnhowtotapintothemoreintuitive

partofourselves.This isbecausethe identificationofour trueuniqueexpressiondoesn’tcomefromourminds,andinordertoaccessadeeper,moreintuitiveplace,weneedtolearnhowtodisengagefromourmind’sendlesschatter.Inadditiontoutiliz-ingourintuition,authorDanSullivan,inhisbook,UniqueAbility;Creating the LifeYouWant, cameupwith fourways to knowwhenwe’vediscoveredourcreativeexpression:

1)it’sanabilityotherpeoplenoticeandvalue,2)welovedoingitandwanttodoitasmuchaspossible,3)it’senergizingforusandothersaroundus,and4)wekeepgettingbetter,neverrunningoutofpossibilitiesforfurtherimprovement.

TheseobservationsechothepioneeringworkofDr.Mi-halyCsikszentmihalyi,authorof thebest-sellingFlow: The Psy-chology of Optimal Experience.Csikszentmihalyidefinedandex-ploredtheconceptof“flow”—asin“intheflow”—asanexperienceofoptimalfulfillmentandengagement,andidentifiedsomeofthekeycharacteristicsofthisstate,includingafeelingofcompleteim-mersioninanactivity.Othercharacteristicsoffloware:

1)asenseofbeingstretchedbutnotoverwhelmed,2)anaturalforgettingofallthethingsthatbotherpeopleineverydaylife,3)areducedawarenessoftheselfasanentitysepa-ratefromwhatisgoingon,4)afeelingofbeingpartofsomethinggreater,and5)anexperienceofbeingcarriedalongwiththelogicoftheactivity.

Aswebegintoexploreourowncreativepotential,theinsightsofthesethinkerscanbehelpfulinilluminatingthepathforward. So many people are looking to the outside world toshowthemwhattheyshouldbedoingandtoprovidethemwiththeenergytodoit.Startrightwhereyouareandlookwithin.

Themostcriticalthinginlifeforanyhumanbeingistoknowwhattheywanttobedoing.Thenyoudon’thavetofigureouthowtobehappybecausehappinessisanillusion.Thepeo-plewhoaretrulyhappyarethosewhoaresofocusedonwhatthey’redoing that theydon’thave time to thinkaboutwhetherthey’rehappyornot.Everymorningwhen theywakeup, theythinktheyhavesomethingtocontributetotheworldandiftheydon’tdoit, they’resimplygoingtoburst.Whenwestartfocus-ingonwhatwewanttoexpressandcontribute,wediscoverasourceoflimitlessenergyandinspirationthatisfargreaterthanpossessionofanyexternalobject.

Jeff Gitterman is an award winning financial advisor and the found-er and CEO of Gitterman & Associates Wealth Management, LLC. www.gawmllc.com. He is also the co-founder of Beyond Success, www.BeyondSuccessConsulting.com, a consulting firm that brings more holistic values to the world of business and finance. This ar-ticle is adapted from his first book, Beyond Success: Redefining the Meaning of Prosperity, which was published by AMACOM, the publishing house of the American Management Association www.amacombooks.org.

•••••••••••••••

7

wayyourlifeworks.Asyoureadthis,doyouunderstandthatyouabsolutely

mustseeeachwordnexttoeachotherinarowtogetthemes-sage?How limiting!Whynot just take thispaperandeat itsoyouhavethewholemessageatthesametime?Theanswerisobvious.You’rerestrictedinyourperception,anditmustcomeinaslow,limited,linearfashionandbedonewithyoureyesandbrain.Thisiswhywemustuselineartermstohelpyouunder-standhowthisworksinyourreality.Further,areyouawarethatthere’snowordinyourlanguagetoindicateanobjectthathasnobeginningorend?Iftherewere,wewouldhaveusedit.Sowesayancientoroldtoindicatewisdomandexperience.

Thoseofyouwhowishtodebatethesekindsofthingswould be better to suppress the intellectual urge to discuss“chickenandegg”scenariosand insteadgo right for thegold:Becomeinterdimensionalsothatthetrueanswersmakesensetoyouwithouteveraskingaboutthemonapieceof2Dpaper.

Question: DearKryon:Wouldyoupleaseexplaincropcircles?Whatistheirorigin?Whatistheirimportancetohumanity?Howcanweinterpretthesymbology?Isitconnectedwithinterdimen-sionality?We know that some of the crop circles are hoaxes,butmanyarenot,especiallytheonesthataresomathematicallycomplex that they defy common explanation.The question is,howarethesecropcirclescreated,andbywhom?

Answer: Igiveyouonlythisfornow:(1)Definitely interdimen-sional.(2)FromHumans,butfromadifferenttime.(3)Thesym-bologyis12-basedmath.ThemessagesaretohelpwithpeaceonEarth.(4)Yes,manyarehoaxes.

Question:DearKryon:Howlongdoesahumanentitywiththiskindofmission[aLightWorker]havetogothroughthesein-and-outlesson“cycles”?Isitpossibletobreakthiscyclesomehow,andnothavetoreturntolesson?

Answer: Doyouseehowcompletelythishidesfromyou?Whywouldyouwishtobreakacycleofsuccess?Whywouldyouasktobereleasedfromsomethingasgrandaswhatyoucameherefor?Allyouseeisthesufferingandthecycleofapparentdespair.Youfeelthatyou’reavictim,neverunderstandingthatthisistheroleyou’replayinginthegrandplayofEarth...andthatyou’reinyoursweetspot.Youdon’tseethewholepicture.Someofyouevenseeitaspunishment!

BlessedistheHumanwhoknowsheislovedandthatwhathe’sdoingismakingadifferencefortheplanet,nomatterwhatisbeforehim.Thisistheonewhosays,“Bringiton,foralliswellwithmysoul.Iamtheengineerofmyownexistence.”

Lee Carroll/Kryon will be in Sarasota, FL, for a special current events program on Sunday, July 1. Enjoy an intensive five-hour lecture with LIVE Kryon Channeling. The event will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, 8270 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, (across from SRQ Airport) from 1pm to 6:30pm. Doors open at noon. Cost: $95. Reservations are recommended. Call 970-389-4200 to register or email kryonsarasota@kryon.com. Hosted by Janet McLaughlin (941-323-2167) and Adriana Jacobson (941-587-5300).

Tools & Tips

•••••••••••••••••

ByLeeCarroll

Have you ever wondered if you’re a Lightworker oran“oldsoul?”Doyouhavequestionsaboutcropcirclesorlifecycles?TheentityKryon,aninterdimensionalbeingwhoworkswith the ascended masters, may have the answers you areseeking. Channeled by LeeCarroll for the past 22 years, hiswordsofwisdomareupliftingandpositive.Below isasampleofsomequestionsaskedandansweredthroughtheyearsthatmayhelpyouonyourspiritualjourney.

Question: MyquestioniswhatisaLightworker?AmIone?

Answer: WedefineLightworkerasanyHumanBeingwhohasexaminedhisownconsciousnessandhasdecidedthatthere’sadivinepart,andthatitcanbeusedtohelpboththemselvesandtheearth.There’snodoctrineconnectedtothisattributeoranyorganizationaroundit.

Are you one? Letme ask you:Whywould you everwriteaquestiontoadisembodiedentitycalledKryon,whoveryfew believe exists, andwho also claims to be an interdimen-sional worker from theGreatCentral Sun?That’s the kind ofthingLightworkerswoulddo.[Smile].

Question: DearKryon:Ihaveaquestionconcerningthenatureoftheterm“oldsoul.”Youstatedinoneoftheconferencesthatalltimeisnow.Thatpast,present,andfuturearealloccurringat thismoment. Ihappen toagreewith that ideabut, if that isthecase,howcouldtherebesuchathingasanoldsoul,giventhatallofourlives,includingthisone,areoccurringatthesamemoment?Wouldn’tthatmakeusalloldandnewsoulsregard-lessofthislifetime,andthereforestripusofanyneedtoplaceourselvesinasoulcategory?Ifonepersonisan“old”soul,andanothera “new”soul,doesn’t that just implyseparationandasoulcastesystem,insteadofequalityandunity?Ifyouhaveanyinsightintothisquestion,I’dappreciateit.

Answer: Youalreadyknowtheanswer,andit’ssemantics.Ontheothersideoftheveil,whereallisseenasinterdimensional,there’snolineartime.Therefore,you’resimplyaneternalsoul.Onyoursideoftheveil,you’reanoldsoul,sincelinearityisthe

Connecting withConnecting with

8

Tools & Tips

ByLindaTenney

Inthesetimesofacceleratedchange,ascycleswithincy-clescometoanendandnewonesbegin,uncertaintygoeshandinhandwiththemanytransitionsandtransformationsweface.Sincenoonecanpredictthefuturewith100percentcertainty,itisdifficultformanyofustoseeclearlytheroadaheadthatawaitsus.Whatwillbegained,whatwillbelost,whatwillberelevantoneyear,twoyears,tenyearsfromnow?

What should we be working on within ourselves and adding to our “tool bags” for a very

unpredictable future?

If our consciousness is expanding, andmoreof our in-herent, heightenedperceptiveabilitiesare “comingonline,” thenwe can probably be certain that at the very least, our imagina-tivefacultieswillplayahugepartintherealityweco-createandexperienceinourfuture.Therefore,honingourabilitiestointend,imagine, and intuit our visual perceptionswill serveuswell andwecanlooktotoolssuchasSoulCollage®tocreatesymbolicandmetaphoric imagery that inspires our creativity, ignites imagina-tion,anddevelopsintuition.

Thisquote,attributedtoMeisterEckhart,the14thcenturyChristianmystic,sumsuptheimaginativeabilityofthesoulsoelo-quently:

“When the soul wishes to experience something, she throws an image of the experience before her

and enters into her own image.”

ThismaybeamoreliteraldefinitionoftheUniversalCre-ativeProcessthanwethink!

SoulCollage is a psycho-spiritual framework and collageprocess thathones thesecreativeand imaginativeskills. InSoul-Collage,whichwasdevelopedbySeenaB.Frost(soulcollage.com),cardsarecreatedbycuttingandpasting imagesfrommagazines,catalogs,greetingcards,brochures,etc.andmeldingthemtogethertorepresentoneenergyorconceptpercard.Asvariousimagesareintuitivelyselectedandarrangedonmatboardcards,wesubcon-sciouslyexpress the voicesandstoriesof ouruniquesouls.Thissimple, yet powerful, technique awakens our creative inspirationandintuition.

Onceacardiscreated,wejournalordialogoutloudwithourcardusingthe“IamOneWho…”exercise,whereweenterintothecardimage,andimaginespeakingtoourselfastheperson,be-ing,orenergyofthecard(aformofrole-playing).Itisanamazing,

insightfulexperienceto“hear”thesepartsofourselvesspeak!Thepsycho-spiritualaspectofSoulCollageincludes

theconceptof“theOneandtheMany”—Sourceandourin-dividualSoulEssencesexpressingourselvesandourmanysub-personalities (forexample, the InnerChild, InnerCritic,theArtist,etc.)andarchetypes(theSeeker,theCreator,theGreatMother,theWiseOne,etc.).

Tohelpcategorizecardsandpreventoneself fromcreatingthe“same”cardoverandoveragain(energetically,thatis),Seenadevisedfoursuits:• Council(archetypes)• Committee(innerpersonality,andsoulparts)• Community(actualpeople,pets,andotherbeings

thathavehadameaningfulimpactonus)• Companions(poweranimalsdwellinginourchakra

energycenters).

These cards all have light and shadow sides andspeaktous.

Finding GuidanceManypeoplebenefitgreatlyfromSoulCollage,and

they create decks of numerous cards that they can thenconsult in readings by asking open-ended questions anddrawingcardsrandomlytoseewhohasguidanceforthematthattime.

For example, one SoulCollage creator recentlysharedatouchingstoryabouthowhercard“grew”inmean-ingandbroughtcomfort toagrieving friend. “Wendy”had

9

created a card featuring two young cancer patients (seenabove) in a loving embrace, smiling broadly at one another,whichshefeltembodiedhertwowell-lovedbrothers.Shefeltdrawn to place one boy on a background of water, and theotheronabackgroundofrocksandautumnleaves.Unknownto her conscious self, she felt pulled to turn the rocky land-scapeonitsside.Inaworkshop,Iobservedthisasshewasassemblingthecardandcommentedthatitwillbeinterestingtoseewhatthecardhadtosayaboutwhyit“chose”tobecre-atedthatway.

Whenshespoke“ashercard”inthegroup,thisiswhatshesaid:

“We are brothers. We are the ones who will never be sep-arated, even by death. Our love for each other is from our birth, perhaps even before. Our world’s been turned on its side. We are sharing an experience but we are in different places on the journey. Still, we are loving. Perhaps if our world had not been turned, we would not be sharing this moment…of pure joy.”

Severalweekslater,WendywassharingherSoulCol-lageexperienceandhercardwithafriendwhosehusbandwasrecentlydiagnosedwithterminalcancer.Whenshesharedhercard’smessage, her friendexperienceda profoundemotionalrelease. Within her tears and sorrow, she realized they, too,

wereindifferentplacesontheirjourneys,butitwasokaytostillfeelandexperienceloveandjoywithherdyinghusband.

In a later spontaneous art exercise, Wendy’s ownbrother emerged in a poem. She pulled out her SoulCollagecard,andthistimesawintheimagehowcloseshehadbeentohimwhentheywereveryyoungandthattheirsharedworldhadbeen“turnedonitsside”byparentalalcoholism.Shewept,re-memberingthelovebetweenherselfandherbrother,withwhomshehasmadecontactjustintimeforhis60thbirthday.

CreatingSoulCollagecardscanbearelaxing,healing,creative,andmeditativeexperiencethatdrawsusintothepro-cesstoco-createwithoursoul.Ourcardsthenintroducethem-selvestousandimparttheirsagewisdom,andwecanconsultwiththemtohelpguideourlivesasweuseourimaginativeabili-tiestoco-createournewworld.

Linda Tenney is a SoulCollage® workshop facilitator, intuitive tarot consultant and teacher, and spiritual coach. For other workshops, SoulCollage events, or private consultations, you can reach Linda through The CreativiTree Center site at CreativiTreeCenter.com or email Linda@CreativiTreeCenter.com.

•••••••••••••••••

Ricky Roberts III is the author of three books, an internet-radio host, youth advocate, inspirational speaker, and founder of YOU ARE VALUED, an organization devoted to promoting the value of the individual. His volunteer work includes Life Rolls On – a surf-ing program for individuals with spinal cord injuries and Surfing for Autism – a surfing program for individuals and families affected by autism. Ricky resides in St. Petersburg, Florida with his wife and their two dogs. www.rickyrobertsiii.com

••••••••••••••••••

Spirituality

Be CREATIVE!

As young people we give ourselves the freedom toexpressourcreativespirit.Wemakehousesoutofcardboardboxes,masksoutofpaperbags,colorwithoutfearofwhatoth-ersthink,andsingourheartsoutwhennooneislooking.Simplyput,weallowthecreativespiritinwhowearetoberevealedin

mostofwhatwedo.Unfortunately,aswegothroughourlifewetendtobepulledawayfromourcreativity.Weno longerallowourselves the freedom to express or explore our desire to becreative.

Nomatterhowcreativeweare,orthinkwearenot,itispartofwhatwearedesignedtodo.AsadearfriendKeithBurn-sonsays,“Wearecreatedtocreate.”

Despite how long it has been or how much we try to ignore the creative nature of our

existence, it is always yearning to be explored.

There isnosecret that it takesmucheffort tosustain?ourselves?inthesocietyinwhichwelive.However,regardlessofhowcrazylifemayseem,orhowbusyweget,wemustgiveourcreativespiritthetimetoexpressitself,always.

Give yourself the freedom to be creative. Use yourimagination,color,play,anddream.Thereisnorightorwrongtobeingcreative.Beingcreativeisnotonlyrestrictedtodoingartpersay,itactuallyhasnorestrictionsatall.Letbeingcreativede-fineitsownmeaningtoyou.Itisinyou,itisinme,itiswithinusall.Theabilitytobecreativehasandwillneverleaveyou,evenifyouhavenotseenitsinceyouwereakid.Becreativetoday!

10

ByTerezHartmann

“Life imitating art imitating life—and the wheel goes ‘round…” “Reel Life”—Terez Hartmann

Manypeopleoftenthinkofcreativityintermsofcraftingworksofartormusic,butregardlessofwhatwedoforalivingorforahobby,everylifeisaworkofartandeveryliving,breathinghumanbeingisindeedcreative,simplybyvirtueofbeingalive!EachofusiswhatIcallaCEOwhichmeans:

Creator = We are the ones who create our life experience.Experiencer = We are the ones who experience what we have been creating.Opener = We are the ones who open the door to ALLOW our creations of choice to manifest—or not.

Whenyou rememberhowmuchcreativepoweryouholdand that theLawofAttractionrespondstowhateveryouarefocusingupon(throughyourthoughts,words,oractions),choosingtodeliberatelytuneintoorcreateathingofBEAUTYgivesYOUthegiftofenjoyingyourjourney,therebyaligningwithyourideaof“fabulousity,”andputsasongoutintotheworldthathasthepowertoupliftanyonewithearstohear!

Beauty and Allowing Success: Our natural state of being

“Beholding beauty with the eye of the mind, he will be enabled to bring forth, not images of beauty, but realities (for he has hold not of an image, but of a reality), and bringing forth and nourishing

true virtue to become the friend of God and be immortal, if mortal man may...”—Plato

Ifyouhaveeverlostyourselfinamagnificent:• sight,suchasgazinguponawaterfall,redrocksormountains,amesmerizing

photographorpainting,lookingintoyourbaby’seyes• sound,likethepuretonesofachime,amagnificentpieceofmusic,thelaughter

ofsomeoneyouloveorthunderousapplause• smell,orangeblossomsinfullbloom,freshpopcorn,yourfavoritecologneor

perfumewornbyyourlover• taste,insertfavoritefood/beverageshere

• tactileexperience,feelingsilkagainstyourskin,aplushwarmblanket,anicesoothinghotorarefreshingcoolshower

…you know firsthand whatThePowerofBEAUTYcandoforyou!

Perhapsitisbecause,asKe-ats would say, “Beauty is truth, truthbeauty,” there is a deep place withineachofusthatresonateswiththees-senceofbeauty.

Beauty IS our natural state of being, which is why it feels SOOO good

to experience it.

Whenwerecognizethebeau-ty in a thought, thing, or experience(therefore eliciting positive emotion),weseetheworldthroughtheeyesofourSource.Wheninthisstate,weareinmac-daddyAllowingmode andwestretchoutabig,fatredcarpetforourdreamsandintentionstosaunteruptousingrandfashion!

• Beautyisaplacefromwhichinspirationisborn.

• Beautyisan“E-Ticket”or“Fast-Pass”toadestinationofjoy.

• Beautyhasmagneticpowertoattractmoreofthesameonmultiplefrontsanddrawitforthfromwithin.

• BeautyisagatewaytoThePowerofPRESENCE.

• Beautyiswhoweareandthetruenatureofallthings.

• AsForrestGumpmightsay,“Beautyisasbeautydoes.”

Invite The Power of BEAUTY by focusing on it throughout the day.

Have you ever noticed thatthe more you talk about or noticethings,themorepronouncedtheybe-come in your life? Sometimes whilein themiddle of amajor life change,spending time with people who can

Spirituality

and the law of

11

your shining example—of just how beautifulALLOWINGSuc-cesscanbe!

Welcomehome,beautiful.

“...The power of beauty, profound and clearMy timeless yet familiar friend

She delivers me to my ever-present nowAnd brings me home again...”

“The Power of Beauty”—Terez Hartmann

Terez Hartmann is the President/CEO of ALLOWING Your Success & BEYOND!, LLC, author of the book ALLOWING Your Success! and a professional Keynote Speaker, Retreat and Workshop Fa-cilitator, Coach, Recording Artist, and Singer-Songwriter. For more about Terez, access to FREE Allowing resources and “Words, Music, Adventures & BEYOND for LETTING Good Happen and ENJOYING the Journey!” visit: www.AllowingYourSuccess.com To order the book, ALLOWING Your Success! visit: www.Transforma-tion-Publishing.com.

••••••••••••••••••

bechallenging,ordriving througha run-downsectionof town,it isall tooeasy foryoureyesandears to focuson theshad-owsof life. In contrast,whenyou stop toallowyourself to bemoreawareinthesemomentsandmakethedecisiontolookforbeauty,youbreakthespelloftheshadowsandstartinvitingandexperiencingmoreandmore light.When itcomes tocreating,experiencing,andopeningyourselfuptothebeautifulthingsinlife,focusiseverythingandNOWiswhenyouAllow.Themoreyou focusonbeauty, themorebeautybecomes thenatureofyournow,yourlife,yourexperienceandYOU!

Increasing your RDA of Beauty greatly contrib-utes to staying in and Allowing flow.

Beautyismusictothesoul.IncreasingyourRDA(Rec-ommended Daily Allowance) of beauty can greatly help yourmind,body,spirit,andlevelofproductivity,aswellashelpyoumaintainorreconnectwithyourawesomeAllowingflow.Some-times,whenIhaveprojectsthatrequiresittingatmycomputerkeyboard forseveralhours, I takemy laptopouton theporchwhere I can hear the birds singing and pause every so oftenenjoythebeautyofthetreesandflowersaroundme.Atnight,Ilightcandles,burnincenseorputonsomemusictoaddsomebeautytomyworkexperience.JustasMaryPoppinssaid,“Justaspoonfullofsugar...”

Allowing yourself to be in beautiful surroundings also gives you great material for

future creations!

Doeshavingdinneratafive-starrestaurantsoundlikeyour ideaofbeautiful?Even ifyougoonceaweekormonthjust fordessert, coffee,orabeverageof choice, youhelp topavethewayforthatfulldinner,justbygettingyourbeautifulfootinthedoor!

Creating something beautiful is a two-for-one special!

Inmyownexperience, I havediscovered thatwritingsongs or articulating ideas that increase beauty in the worldgreatlyhelpmestay ina feel-goodflowand reconnectwithasenseofwell-beingwhenneeded.Takingthingsastepfurtherbysharingthesecreationsandpotentiallyinspiringafellowtravelerisaway-cooltwo-for-onespecial,indeed!

Creating and sharing the beautiful things, gifts, experiences, or ideas YOU have within

you truly IS the gift that keeps on giving!

The Bottom Line on The Power of BEAUTYExperiencing, creating, and expressing beauty in the

worldisoneofTHEgreatestjoysofbeingalive!ThemoreyoufocusonthepresenceofBEAUTYinyourlife,themoreyouat-tractandAllowyourbeautifulexpanded realityandSELF.Youfullyenjoythejourneybyrecognizingthatlifetrulyisadynamicworkofartandbydoingso, light theway forothers—through

Specialty Food Product Company

for saleProducer of Natural Products Made With Organic Ingredients

For information contact: David L. Ganje P.A.511 West Bay Street • Suite 350 • Tampa, Florida 33606Office: (813) 321-6884 • d.ganje@davidlganjepa.com

Developed and successfully sells non dairy cream substitutes, coffee creamers and whipping cream.Products are unique relative to any competition and to other non dairy alternatives.Maintains a patented product line that has a proven wide ranging appeal to the discerning consumer public.Uniformly favorable consumer quality reviews.Established retail markets in the US, Canada and Asia.Significant growth in its specialty markets over the last 2 years.Growth has matched the internal growth of the company’s equity.Demonstrated a stable core business and has established specialty product lines that allow for significant expansion.

Products include a certified organic line.Track record of success within its niche, and maintains broad, established distribution channels.Existing private label capabilities. Firm intellectual property portfolio with numerous patents.Well positioned for growth, this manufacturer is becoming the dominant player in its market categories. With a well capitalized acquirer, the company will complete its penetration of its existing specialty markets. Additional international markets in development with current distribution in Japan and Australia.Received six product awards from food publications and national trade events over the last several years.

12

ByBrendaRenee’

NowthatspringhasfullyawakenedMotherEarthfromherdeepwinterysleep,thefeyfolkarebusilyworking!Treespiritsunfurltheirleafycloaks;flowerfairiespaintdelicateflowerpetals;gnomeshavepreparedsoilforplanting.Inatriumphantre-birthoverdeath,theworldblossomsintovibrantTechnicolor—thankstothefairyfolk.

Divine has a multi-tiered staff of helpers. Thestaffoffeyfolkgoesbymanynames:fairies,weefolk,Elementals,goodfolk,andfairfolk.Theterm“Elementals”isthelargerorderandindicatesthetruenatureofthisspeciesofbeings.Inthenaturalworld,wehavefourelements:fire,water,earth,andair.Theelementalsareimprintedwiththequalitiesoftheirrespectiveelement,andtheyaidinbalancingtheplanet.Thesebeingsholdancientknowledgeoftheirelement’smysteries.

Fire elementals are of the salamander species that live amongall thingsfiery,includingsunlight.Theyigniteandexciteenergies,especiallythesexualdesires.Theyinspireidealismandaction.Thewateryelementconsistsofwaterspritesandun-dinespecies.Thesebeingsencourageemotions,artisticendeavors,andpsychicrealms.Waterspiritsassistinchangesofconsciousness.Theearthelementals,characterizedbygnomes,resideamongrocksandinsidetheEarth.Theystabilizeandgroundener-gies.Gnomesareexpertteachersincreatingformsfrommatter.Earthelementalscarrywisdomofbodilymaintenanceanduseofthefivesenses.TheAirelementalsconsistofthewingedSylphs,whicharemasterfulinareasofcommunicationandthoughtpro-cesses.Tomosthumans,theelementalsgounnoticed;however,theyleavetheirlegacywherevernatureisenjoyed.

Fairies are very different than our preconceived ideas. Artwork ismassgeneratedwithimagesofthesebeingsappearingaschildlike,sweet,andcuddly.How-ever,theirformisotherworldlyandnotquiteasdefinedasthepopularimagesportray.Typically,manpersonifiesthatwhich isnotknownorcomprehended.Fairiesareveryancientandverywise,andtheyarenotparticularlyconcernedwithhumanaffairs.Theirprimaryfocusistotendthenaturalworld.Ifrespectfullyapproached,however,thefeywillofferassistancetohumans.

At the beginning of our fairy realm adventures, we will want to first open our mind to their true existence. Therearemanydifferentrealitiesthatexistparalleltoours.Whenwestepoutsideourfivesensesandcultivateoursixthpsychicsense,wecanopentotheserealmsandthefantasticalcreatureslivingwithinthem.Oursixthsensewillteachushowtoseewithourinnereye,hearwithourinnerear,andfeelinsideourskin.

Fairies resonate with child energy. Thus,contactwiththefairyrealmwillrequireustogetintouchwithourInnerChild.Next,weneedtoseethemasequalsandnotunder-

lings,meaningweneedtotreatthemwiththeutmostrespect—ifwedon’twanttobecaught in their trickery! Remember talesof leprechaunswhorefusetobecaught?Thesebeingsareofadifferentrealmwithdifferentlaws,andwecannotimposeourbeliefsystemsonthem.

Making a ConnectionConnecting with the Elemental

world can take many different paths. You can find many clues into the fairyrealmby reading fairytales.These fablesholdmysticaltruthsforthosewhoreadbe-tweenthelines.Also,youmaychoosetoworkwithafairytarotdeck;however,Irec-ommend thesedecksmore for fairycon-nectionrather than fordiviningpurposes.Thefairiesenjoytrickeryandfun,soread-ingsmaynot beof theutmost accuracy.Also,keepinmindthattherearebothposi-tiveandnegativeineveryspecies.

Invite the elementals into your environment by creating “elemen-tal spaces.” Provide for all four of theelemental groups when creating theseenvironments.Installasmallwaterpondand circulate the water with a gurglingfountain. While friendly frogs (who arefairy messengers) gather at the water’sedge,undineswilldelightandfrolicinthiswater source.An outdoor fire pitwill bemost enjoyed by dancing salamanders.Hang wind chimes, mobiles, and wind-socks to harness the power of Sylphs.Scattervariousrocksandnaturalcrystalclustersoutdoors.Thegnomewillchargethecrystalstoaidplantgrowthandattractbeneficialenergytoyourhome.

Encourage plant fairies by planting a fairy garden. Use dwarfplantssuchas:Irishmoss,corsicanmint,veronica subulata, candytuft, and thriftphlox. Plant flowers with bell and lan-ternblossomslikesnowdrops,bluebells,foxglove, columbine, morning glories,andpetunias.Herbssuchasthymeandrosemary encourage fey, while basil at-tracts dragons. Blooming shrubs suchas roses, gardenias, and hawthorn arealso fairy favorites.Tree spirits found inbirchtreesprovidedoorwaysintothefairyrealm,whereasappletreesarehometothemysticalunicorn.

Decorate your garden with sparkly, colorful garden artandfeyfolkstatuarytomarkyourdeliberateintentfor

Tools & Tips

Connectingwith the

13

plants.Listenforthesoundoftinklingbellsandlaughter.Thefeyfolkareallaround—justwaitingforyoutorecognizethem!

Brenda Renee’ holds a Master’s Degree in Parapsychic Sciences through AIHT. She is a Holistic Life Coach who uses her refined Metaphysical talents such as: feng shui, astrological chart analy-sis, shamanism, aromatherapy, color therapy, tarot divining, and creative visualization to achieve life altering results. Brenda is passionate in her quest of teaching others how to manifest their dreams. For more information: www.themysticalempress.com

know. If not for this Intelligence, couldwe thinkevena singlethoughtonourown?Couldwecommunicatewitheachotheratalliftherewerenocommonmentalconnection?

What It MeansAsanOmnipresentPower,Itisinme.Thatmakesme

anexpressionorextensionofIt,endowedwithItscreativity.Andthat is extraordinary! It’s the IntelligentForceandSource thatcreatedtheentireuniverse.Ididn’tmakeitthiswaybutitworksinmyfavor.

My mind is a doorway to Universal Mind, just as is yours.

Thereisnodistance.It’spresentinme,andthismakesmeOnewithItsAll-KnowingIntelligence.IcanaccessthatMindforwisdomandguidance,anytimeorallthetime.Youcantoo.

AspartoftheAll-KnowingPowerandPresence,IturnmyattentiontoitandaskforwhateverIneedtoknow.Ialsogettowatchfortheanswerrevealedindifferentways.Sometimesit’saninnerpromptingorflashofinsight.Sometimesit’saseren-dipitousevent.Sometimesit’sjustknowingthatIknow.

WhenIunderstandhowitworks,IcanconnectwiththeCreativePowerthroughtheuseofmyownmind.Mymindcon-nectedtotheMindthatcreateditall.Imaginethepossibilities!

WhatIholdinmindisthemoldforeverythingthatfillsmy life. It consists ofmy thoughts and beliefs, and it’s easiertochangemythinking than it is tochangetheoutsidecircum-stances.WhenIchangemythinking,itopensupmyentireworldandletsinnewpossibilitiesforgreatandwonderfulthings.Newideas,sparkedbytheIntelligentPresence,lightupthedarkcor-nersofmymindandmylife.

More thananythingelse, youhave control overwhatyou think.Nomatterwhat’shappening inyourworld,onlyyouhavepoweroveryour thoughts.Make themgood.Make themcreative.Makethemsomethingyouwanttoliveoutasyourlife.

Thought is creative. Believe it, use it, and rejoice.

••••••••••••••••••

Marla Sanderson has been a student of spiritual practice for more than 35 years. She began as Assistant Director of The Next Step, a psychic and spiritual community in a New Mexico ghost town. As workshop leader, teacher, practitioner, and minister, she has led relationship and personal growth workshops, taught psychic development and meditation, Living Love, and the Science of Mind. Marla is available for workshops and speaking engagements. She recently founded the New Thought Center for Creative Living at the Unity Peace Cottage in Clearwater (see ad ). Attend the Mid-Week Faith Lift service, Wednesdays at 7pm. www.newthoughtctr.org

Creativity—It’s Exactly What You Think

Thereismuchtosayaboutcreativity,butwhat’smoreimportantisknowingthatwecreatealltheconditionsandsitua-tionsinourlife.If(orbecause)wedidn’tknowthisbefore,muchofourlifemayhaveseemedlikeitjust happened.

The Creative Source of all things is Omnipotent (allpowerful),Omnipresent (everywherepresent), andOmniscient(allknowing).WecancallitDivineIntelligence,Spirit,CreativeMind,UniversalMind,God,BOB,orsomethingelse.

WesayItisOmnipotentbecausethereisnootherforceorsource,anditisGOOD.Thereisnopowerforevil,nonefordi-saster,noneforharmofanykind.Nothingfightingforoureternalsoulnordamningustoeverlastingpunishment.Therejustcan’tbetwoOmnipotentForces.

AswerecognizeItasOmnipresent,weknowthereisnot a single place in theUniversewhere It is absent. It is in,about,over,around,andthroughallthings.Itisrightwhereweare,alwaysandforever.ThinkofitasLifeandIntelligenceflow-ing throughus, and It enablesus to think, see, perceive, and

••••••••••••••••••

Spirituality

connection.Avoidharsh chemicals andgoorganic asmuchaspossible.Remember,feybelongtothenaturalworld,whichmeansimperfect,unpredictable,andwild.Theappearanceofwildlifein-habitantswillsurelyconfirmyourgrowingfairypopulation.

Once you have designed your outdoor areas, spend quality time there to directly experience the fairy folk. Peaktimesforfairysightingsare:sunriseandsunset(knownas‘tweentimes),MayDayandSummerSolstice.Relaxyournor-malvisualandmentalfocus.Ifyounoticeflickersthatracebyorseesmallfiguresfromthecornerofyoureye,acknowledgethatyouareopeningtothefairyrealm.Payattentiontosuddenchillsasgustybreezeswhiskthroughhangingitemsandtreeleaves.Allow facesand shapes to form in the contours and colors of

14

Inspiration

ByJoMooy

Thefirstimagewasnotpresentto theexternalsenses. Itappearedwhile in meditation, forming pre-cise geometric shapes andsymbols.InthisalteredstateI felt like “something” wascreating a new patternfor seeing, thinking, andbeing, and it was re-vealing itself in amostsubtleway.Aftercom-ing out ofmeditation Isketchedtheimage.Itwasanelongateddia-mond shaped facetedprismwithacircleinthecenteroftheprism.Theentireimageoftheprismwithallitsfacetsanddeepinner meanings was con-tainedinanoutercircle.

Some might ask if an image like this is created by the artist or practitioner or if it is imagined.

Asbothalife-longmeditatorandanartistthelinescansometimesblur.Medi-tationisaprayerfullyinducedstateofconsciousnesswhichleadstoanalteredstateofperceptionandreception.Imagination,ontheotherhand,canactivateinanintuitiveflashwhiledrivingacarorwhiledaydreaming.

Working on a painting or piece of art, the artist also can enter a state of consciousness that is both meditative and

creatively active.

Fromlongexperienceswithbothmeditationandcreativeartthisimagewasnot inmy consciousness. In the great unconscious, it came unbidden as thoughsomeoneorsomethingelsewascreatingit.Iwassimplyanobserverwatchingtheimageunfoldwithallitsnuancesandmeanings.IwasoverwhelmedwithitsmessagethatanetherealPrismofLightwastobeimaginedandcreatedoverthisareaandthatinafuturetimeitwouldbearfruitasacrystalcityoflight.

ThisimagewhichcalleditselfThe Prism of Light alongwithitsmessagewassharedwith nine leaders of the spiritual community. Theyunanimously affirmed itheldareverentmessageanduniqueintention.Onthesummersolsticeof2008theyembracedit.Usingceremony,ritual,creativity,andimagination,hundredsofpeoplecreatedaPrismofLight,ethereallyandfiguratively,oversixty-fivesquaremiles.TheyheldaloftthevisionofaPrismofLight,settingtheintentionthatthisareawouldbe

foreverplacedandheldasafuturespiritualcityoflight.

Moreimportantly,themessageof thePrismof Light hadextended

itselftoJerusalemwhereagath-ering of spiritual leaders frommany different religions hadbeen working for peacefor over twenty years.They learned about themessage of the Prismof Light. They heldthe same vision thatthe Prismwould be abeacon over a “new”Jerusalemofpeaceinthe future. As thoughin confirmation of thisshared endeavor, acrop circle appeared inthe barley fields of Eng-landinthesameshapeas

thePrismofLightwithanex-tendedcircleinitscenter.

Eventually,themessageof the entire vision was released to

thecommunity inamandalacalledThe Crystal of Peace (shownhere).Theprismwas embedded into the center of a threefoot mandala with progressive lotus pet-alsemergingfromtheprism. Eachof theoriginal nineanchorswereasked to bringtheirintentionsforpeaceintothemandalabypaintingoneofthefacetsofthecentralprism. Over several weeks, themandalatook form in color, intention and paint. Itwas sanctified and anointed by Tibetan,Hindustani, Buddhist, Balinese, NativeAmerican and Sufi mystics and spiritualleaders.AttheWellnessFestin2009,over200children,mothersandfatherswroteinabook their intentions forpeaceonearththenpaintedoneofthefacetsoftheCrystalofPeacefacets.

It went around the world whenDrunvaloMelchizidek publicized theman-dalainhisSpiritofMaatonlinemagazine.ItwasusedinceremoniesinAustraliaandadornedthealtarsofpeopleinFrance,Bel-giumandJapan.AnartgroupinSpaintookthe drawing of the mandala in black andwhiteandhadlocalartistscreateblessings

Sacred Images, Sacred Messages

15

andintentionsforpeaceonearth;sharingbackwithusoveronehundredCrystalofPeacemandalas.

This is a living mandala. It holds the prayers and wishes of this generation for those of

future generations still to come.

Its organic roots live on, not only in thememories ofparticipantswhoshared thevision insouthwesternFloridabutitlivesinthebarleyfieldsoftheUnitedKingdomandthedevo-tionalintentionsofpeacegroupsinJerusalem.

It isameditation,animage,andamessageemergedfromdeepwithin.Avisionwassharedthattookonalifeofitsown.Itlivesnowinconsciousness,maderealthroughtheac-tionsandbehaviorsofpeopleallovertheworld.

The final part of the vision unfolds on 12.12.12 when the Prism of Light will be

created out of sand and earth sent from holy sites all over the world.

Themandalawillhavegonefullcircle,fromsouthwest-ernFloridaaround theworldandback. Itsmessageofhope,harmonyanduniversalbrotherhoodisinherentinthefirstimagethatcame,backin2007.

For more information on the story of the Prism of Light and its ori-gins, contact Jo Mooy at www.starsoundings.com.

•••••••••••••••••

CreativityIn the last twoyears, I’vemovednine times. I’vebe-

come a Goldilocks of sorts, assessing the comfort of variousbeds and processing the distinct night noises made by eachhouse and its neighborhood. I’ve explored three counties anddiscovered geographic nooks and crannies that life-long resi-dentsdon’tknowabout.I’manexpertatpackingandunpacking.Andmostimportantly,Ihavelearnedhowtomanagemyenergyinthemidstoftheunfamiliar.

Youmightthinkthatthesecircumstanceswouldthwartcreativity.To thecontrary, theyhave fueledmine. In thissametime period, I have written dozens of articles and columns,pennedashortstorythatwassoldtoa literarymagazine,andsculptedahundrednewHaikus.I’veauthoredabook,createdaboardgame,craftedstoriesandsharedthemwithaudiences,andhelpedotherstohonetheirownstories.Inthemidstofwhat

couldbeperceivedasenormouschaos,Ihaveexperiencedpin-naclesofcreativity.

Why?Becauselifeisthedrivingforcebehindmycre-ativeexpression.

Sortingthroughthedetailsofrentingstoragefacilities,organizingfriendstohelpmemovethe100boxesthatcontainmylife...again,meetingclientduedates,expendingenergyonmyownspiritualdevelopmentandsupportingotherswiththeirs,drovemetocreate.It ismysafetyvalve-thereleasebuttononmyinternalpressurecooker.Creatingbringsmecomfort.

Thatdoesn’tmeanI’malwaysabletodoit.

There are times when I allow the appearance of chaos to prevent me from doing what I

know will make me feel better.

I’ve blamed it on themuse not liking change. “She’llonlywakeupwhenthingscalmdown,”I’vejoked.WhenIwaswillingtolisten,Ilearnedmymusecravesthecalmofthepeacewithin,notserenitybornofsomeexternalutopia.

Creativityisn’tanelusiveentitythatonlyappearswhenlife istranquil. If thatwerethecase,wewouldn’thavemostofthegreatworksofart, literature,andfilmthatwedo.Theonlythingthatisrequiredforcreativeexpressionisfocus.Withalittlepractice,youcanlearntodothatnomatterthelevelofchangeoccurringinyourlife.

By creating—bringing non-physical energy into three-dimensional form—Iaccessthepeaceandjoythatsometimesseemssofaraway,butisalwaysavailabletome.Lifewillalwaysbefilledwithchange.Butcreativity,likemyhome,issomethingIcarrywithme.Itisnotsomethingto“find.”Itisnotover“there.”Itisinside-waitingpatientlytobeexposed.

••••••••••••••••••

An Intuitive, Author, and Storyteller, Staci shows other how to remove the blocks that keep them from knowing who they really are. She’s the author of the novels The Fifth Goddess and Where Fat Girls Haven’t Gone, and created the Out Your ego! book and card deck. Staci offers messages of Light, Love & Laughter at events and gath-erings and can be heard every Wednesday at 4 pm on GSHRadio.com. For more information, visit www.StaciB.com

Tools & Tips

16

What can you do when creativity runs wild?1. Write down your ideas. Whenacreativebursthits,itmaynotbepracticaltobringalloftheideastofruition,eveniftheyaregood.Writethemalldownsothatyoucanreviewthemlaterwhenthenexcitementlevelcomesdownandyoucanbeobjectiveinanalyzingtheopportunities.2. Carry a small journal or utilize a notepad app on your phone. Ideasoftenhitatinconvenienttimes.Havingaplacetorecordthemandreferencethematalatertimeisinvaluable.Forexample,EvernoteisafreeappfortheAndroidoriphonethatcanbeaccessedlaterfromyourcomputer.Thecomputerprogramitselfalsocanfacilitatescanning,searching,anddatastorage.3. Prioritize the ideas.Review your creative ideaswhen youhave somequiet time.Decidewhichprojectsaremost important to tackleduring thecurrentweek.Setasidetheotherideasandjustworkonthemostimportantonesforthatweek4. Create an idea box or wall. Whenideashitandyoufearlosingthemorhavingthemtakeyouoffcourse,capturetheminsomeway.Abasketoradecora-tivephotoboxcanhouseinspirationsofmanysortssuchasscrapsoffabric,colorchipsfromthepaintstore,photos,quotes,etc.Foranewtwistonthebulletinboard,trytheonlinevirtualbulletinboardatpinterest.com.5. Have creativity sessions. Even the most creative people have timeswhentheydrawablank.Creativitysessionsgetyououtofthethinkingmindandintothecreativemind.Breakoutpaintsandenjoythefeelingofpaintmovingonthepaper.Turnonmusicanddanceinthelivingroom.Trymakingacollageoutofmagazinepictures.Don’tworryabouttheoutcome.Thecreativesessionisabouttheprocessnottheresult.6. Limit stimulating activities.SurfingtheInternetcanbeagreatsourceforinspirationwhencreating.Italsocanbecomeoverwhelming.Thesameprincipleringstruewhenlookingthroughmagazinesorreadingarticles.Theseactivitiescanenhanceyourlifebutarebestenjoyedinshortincrementsofaround30minutes.7. Get feedback. Whenideasarefloodingin,itcanbehelpfultorunthembyatrustedfriend.Sometimeshavinginputfromsomeonethatissupportivecanhelpexpandtheideaintoacohesiveobjectiveorgoal.8. Let go of what others think. Thistipisdifferentfromgettingthefeedbackofatrustedsource.Creativitycanbestifledifyoutelltoomanypeopleyourideasandtheygetshotdown.Inthespiritof“helping”peoplewillfreelyoffertheiropinionswithoutrealizingthattheymayhaveacounterproductiveinfluence.9. Be kind to yourself. Ifyoufeelpulledintoomanydirectionswithawildfloodofideas,begentleonyourself.Theideasarepartofyourbiggerprocess.Trymeditatingortakinganapatthesetimes.10. Follow your passion.Learntotrustyourideas,andfollowtheonesthatyouaremostpassionateabout.

It’s important tomakesureyourcreativity isanassetandnota liability.Thesetipsmayseembasic,buttheydotakedisciplinetofollow.Forcingyourselftowriteideasdownactuallyfreesbrainspaceformoreideas,whilegettingintothehabitofprioritizingandreviewinglistswillhelpyoutofeelcalmandfocusedduringtheprocess.Ifyouarereadytotakethereinsandharnessyourcreativity,thereisnolimittowhatyoucancreateinyourlifeandbusiness.

Tracey Ashcraft, MA, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Coach based in Boulder, CO. She also has a vintage trailer restoration business. Tracey is passionate about helping people to live their best lives. Coaching sessions are offered via phone or video chat. For more information, visit www.bestlifetherapy.com.

Your creativity can be like an untamed wild horse running

on the range.

It’sabeautifulanimal, fullofenergyand potential. Imagine this horse stops tosplashinashallowpond,andapersonfullofanticipationcomesupfrombehindandtriestoharnessittoride.Thehorse’seyesbulgewithfearandfurybecauseitdoesn’twanttosub-mit.Itwantstobefree!WatchanyoldWesternmovie, and you’re likely to see a scene likethis,whereacowboyistryingto“break”awildhorse.Nowsuperimposethisvisionwithsome-onetryingtochannelhisorherunbridledideasanddreamstoreachlifeorbusinessgoals.Inbothcases,withoutanorganizedstrategyandstep-by-stepapproach, theperson is likely togetbuckedtothegroundmanytimesandmaynevergetinthesaddle.

Althoughafloodofideascanbede-sirablewhenwritingastory,preppingacan-vasforpaint,planningathemedparty,orcre-atinganewbusinessplan,atothertimesthedelugecanbe souncontrollable that it getsinthewayofcompletinganythingworthwhile.Ontheseoccasions,newcreativeideasenterthemindandoverthrowanycurrentprojectsat hand because they can seem far moreinteresting or viable than the ones beingworkedon.Ifyouneedsomehelpgettingup,brushing off the dust, and getting back intothe saddle to evaluate, prioritize, and actu-allyexecutecreativeideas,thereare10easywaystotamethewildsteedinyourmind.

Tools & Tips

••••••••••••••••••

ByTraceyAshcraft

17

herboundariesreleaseandtheenergythatsheperceivedwas“her”mergedwiththeenergyoftheobjectsandeventhewallsaroundher.

The “connectedness” that she experienced was described in her words as Nirvana.

Infact,itwassoheavenlyshewasnotawarethatshehadaproblemuntiltheleftsideofherbrainwasabletocomebackonlineandscream,“Youneedhelp!”

Muchtohersurprise,sherecountedthefact thatshereallydidn’twanttobebackincontrolandratherpreferredthestress-freeenvironmentthattherightsideofherbrainoffered.

She ended upmustering the energy to call for help,andafteryearsinrecoverysheisnowisabletorelateherex-periencesverywell.Thisstoryoverlapsmuchofwhat isbeingpresentedbymanyoftoday’sconsciousnesspioneers.Forex-ample,EkhartTolle’sbookThe New EarthdescribestheegoandabsencethereofwithstrikingsimilaritytohowDr.Taylorrelatesherexperience.

InmystudyofChineseMedicine,theconceptofyinandyangalsorelatestotheopposingsidesofthebrain,whichthepracticeconsiders interrelatedandmutuallydependent inhowtheyexpresssignificantlydifferentpersonalities.Theyinsideismostrelativetotherightsideofthebrain,whereitencompasses“justbeing.”Theleftsideofthebrainismoreyangandactivelytellsstoriestolimitoursenseofpossibilityandcreativity.InChi-neseMedicine,bothyinandyangareneededforhumanstoliveharmoniously.The thought isprovocative,however, towonderwhatlifewouldbelikeifwecouldturnofftheleftsideofthebrainatwillandstoptheendlessself-limitingchatter.Ofcourse,inthisscenariowealsowouldnotbeabletocommunicatebecausetheleftsideofourbrainhousesthespeechandlanguagecenters.

An alternative and more practical approach may bemeditation,assomemastersprofessthatdeepmedicationandotherspiritualexperiencescreatethesametypeofNirvana.Arewepreparedasaculturetoletgoofcontrolandpursuesuchapathtoopenourconsciousnesstotherightsideofthebrain?

Are we prepared to bring into existence who we truly are, which is powerful energy beings

with abilities to heal ourselves?

Orarewestillstandinginlinetopickupaprescriptionatthepharmacy?

I hope that nobody has to experience a life-alteringeventsuchasastroketoawakentothepossibilityofconnectingmore intimatelywiththeenergythatcreatesourworldandev-erythinginit.However,IhopethemessagesfromDr.Taylorandotherspiritualteachersencourageustostepoutoftheconfinesofourbelief systems toexplore themorecreativepotentialofallowingourrightbrainstodominate.Nowisthetimetoprepareforthisopportunitybecauseweneverknowwhentheuniversewillopenthedoorandallowustowalkthrough.

Christina Captain, DOM, AP, SLP, FSC is a board certified acupunc-ture physician and the founder of The Family Healing Center. She earned her degree in Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine from the East West College of Natural Medicine, Sarasota, Florida, where she is now a senior faculty member and advisory board chairper-son. Christina received additional training in acupuncture injection therapy and earned a Masters degree in Speech Language Pa-thology and Communication Disorders and is an expert Feng Shui practitioner and teacher.

Preparing for Life ChangeAs hurricane season approaches on theWest Coast

ofFlorida, the thoughtofpreparednesscomes to the forefrontofmostpeople’sminds.Asanativeofthestate,IexperiencedAndrewwhilelivinginMiamianddevelopedatoleranceforthefearssurrounding thehurricane issue.Preparation isanaturalprocessformenow.

Pondering on the concept of being prepared, I oftenwonder:

Do individuals feel equipped to handle whatever life might bring them.?

Thequestioncomestomind,“Whatshouldwebepre-pared for?” Life-changing events such as acute illness, injuryfrom accidents, a sudden diagnosis, or just everyday issuesassociatedwithaging,tonameafew.Orwhataboutspirituallytransformingevents,suchasanopeningofconsciousnessandcreativity?

Ofcourse,followingahealthylifestyle,includingcleaneatingandexerciseforthemind,bodyandspirit,helpstopre-pareusforstressesinourdailylivesandenhancesourspirituallife.However,whatifsomethingtrulylife-alteringhappens?

I recently had the opportunity to view an 18-minutevideocliponTED.combyDr.JillBolteTaylor,aHarvard-trainedneuroanatomistwhowokeonedaytodiscovershewasexperi-encingastrokeinprogress.Shewasn’tpreparedforitbuttookan intellectual perspective and began to study herself as herbrainandbodyfunctionsslowlydegraded.Thestrokewashap-peningintheleftsideofherbrain,whichisthesidethatkeepsouregoalive.Itisthepartofthebrainthatgivesustheboundar-iesofourbodiesandwhichtellsus“constantly”whoweareandaren’t.Itis,inotherwords,thesideofthebrainthatlimitsus.

Since the stroke was evolving on the left side, thishemispherewouldperiodicallyshutdownandturnoffthevoicethatdefinedherlimitations,andwhenthischatterwassilenceditallowedtherightsidetotakeover.Asshedescribesit,whenthe right side of her brainwas in full control, she could feel

••••••••••••••••••

Healthy Living

18

19

Gregg Sanderson has a rare view of the metaphysical universe. He traveled the road from Christian Science through Judaism, Agnos-ticism, Atheism, Living Love, Psychic Development, Spiritualism, Teaching of the Inner Christ, all the way to the International Centers for Spiritual Living where he is a licensed practitioner. He is the au-thor of What Ever Happened To Happily Ever After? and Split Hap-pens – Easing the Pain of Divorce. Gregg’s latest venture is Spirit With A Smile — The Way It Is (Unless It’s Something Else). Email to gregg@spiritwithasmile.com.

Beware the RACE Trap

“If my thoughts create my world and I think good thoughts, where did all this crap come from?”

It came from two factors:PreponderanceandQualityofthought.

PictureBOB,theBeingOfBliss,playing“WhackAMole”withyourthoughts,andtheonlythingItcanwhackis“Yes.”Yourmorningmeditationpopsup“I’mprosperous”andBOBwhacks“Yes,you’reprosperous.”Thenyoulookinyourwalletandyouthink,“I’mbroke.”ThatthoughtpopsupandBOBwhacks“Yes,you’rebroke.”

Lunchtimeyoubringyourbaloneysandwichandthinkofthemoneyyousavedbynotgoingouttolunchwithfriends.BOBwhacks“Yes,yousavedmoney.”Notexactlythethoughtsofaprosperousbeing,and theprosperityscalehas tipped to-wardthelackend.

By theendof theday,after reading thegroceryads,clippingcoupons,andcheckingthesales,your“I’mprosperous”isobscuredbyallthe“I’mnots,”sowhatdoyouthinkyoucreateforyourself?BOBisWhack-a-Mole“Yes”24/7.

Thesameholdstrue,ofcourse,forgoodhealth,happyrelationships,andanythingelseyouwanttocreateinyourlife.

An affirmation or two just doesn’t do the trick when you spend more time dwelling on the problem.

Nomatterwhatyouwant,BOBwillwhack“Yes”toev-erymessageyousend.

That,however,isonlyhalfthepicture.Yourcreativethoughtsarepropelledbyyouremotional

energy,andsinceBOBisaBeingofBliss,it’sonlyreasonableyou’llgetahappierresponsetoLovethantofear.ThemoreyouavoidtheRACETrap,thehappierwillbetheworldyoucreate.

“RACE”is,ofcourse,theacronymthatstandsforRigh-teousnessandApprovalComplicateEverything.Whenyourcre-ative thoughts are colored through theRACETrap,motivatedeithertoproveapointorgainapproval,(Somecallit“ego”)theresultsaresimilarlycolored.

Forexample,supposeyouaffirmforyourperfectrela-tionship,butbeneathyouraffirmationisafearofbeingsociallyunacceptablewithoutapartner,orfearofbeingalonebecauseyoubelieveyouneedsomebodyto“complete”you.

Whetheryourfearisconsciousorunconscious,itcre-atesonitsownlevel,soyoujustmightgetthatperfectrelation-ship...perfectforyoutogrowoutof.Forgottomentionnodrink-ingprobleminyouraffirmation,didyou?

Thegoodnewsisthatfearhasonlythepoweryougiveit.Love(BOB)istheantidote.Justastothelightthere’snosuchthingasdarkness,so it iswhenyou’re feeling love, there’snosuchthingasfear.

Ofcourseit’salittlemorecomplexthanjustflippinga“loveswitch,”butit’salongwayfromimpossibleandfuturecol-umnswillgiveyoumethodsyoucanusetoincreasetheflow.

Just as Love banishes fear, so Gratitude obliterates lack. Nobody can be grateful and

needy at the same time.

Worthinessalsoerasesanxiety.Feelingsofunworthi-nessareoftenthebasisofanxietiesandinsecurities.Again,thehappynews,theycan’tcoexist.

SofirstbeLove,beGrateful,andrealizeyourworthinessasapartofBOB.Thenallowyourthoughtstocreateyourlife.

Onthatfoundation,youcanonlycreateawesome.

••••••••••••••••••

Spirituality

20

raffletickettowinacar.IthoughtifIwonthecarIwouldsellitandusethemoneytoturnmysituationaround.Astheraffletimeapproached,Ifeltadeepresistance.Partofmesawthatitwouldbeagreatblessing.However,theotherpartofmebelievedthatifIwontheoutcomewouldbetellingmethatIreallywascreat-ingmylife,bothgoodandbad.WasIreadytohearthatandtofully live in that reality?TheanswerwasNO!Hence, Ididnotwinthecar,muchtomyrelief,buttheexperiencedidteachmeavaluablelesson.

Lesson 2. Youcannotattractsomethingwhenatyourcoreyouhaveresistancetoit.Considerwhetheryouhaveeverresistedsomethingyoubelievedyouwant-edbecauseitwouldchangewhatyouarecomfortablewith,evenifwhatyou’recomfortablewithisnotwhatyouwant.

Manytimesweformattachmentstothingsinlife,eventhe things that hold usback.Ask yourself,what is your resis-tance?Howwouldyourlifechange?Aretherepossiblenegativethingsthatyouthinkmaycomefromit(likehavingitchangeyourrelationshipwithsomeone)?

At this point, I fell back into my comfort zone and IstartedtounconsciouslyboycotttheLawofAttraction.However,withtimetheintriguedrewmebacktothismagicalworldofpos-sibilities.

With practice, I noticed that not all of my intentionswherebecominga reality, so Iworkedon releasing the thingsthatmaybeholdingmebackfromreceiving.Iwasdoingevery-thingright:Ihadtheintention,visualizedwhatIwanted,workedtowardsit,andevenhadtheemotionbehindit.So,whywasn’twhatIwantedmagicallyappearing?Duringthattime,Iremem-berwaking up in themiddle of the nightwith a drive toworkonsomethingortowritesomethingdown.InsteadItoldmyself,“WOWthatisagreatidea,howeverthebedistoocomfortable—I’llwriteitdowninthemorning.”InthemorningtheonlythingIcouldrememberwashowtohitthesnoozebuttonasmanytimesaspossible.ThenIhadanotherrealization.

Lesson 3. Learntolistentoyourinternalvoiceanden-vironment.Followyourinspiredactionwheneverpos-sible.Theideas,opportunities,andinsightscancomeatanytimeandinanyway.

Carry around a notepad andwrite downmoments ofclarityandinsightandmakegoalsandcommitments.Mostim-portantly,followthrough.

Forexample,Iwasworkingatacollege,attheendofmycontractualyear,andintendingtogetmycontractrenewed.IenjoyedwhatIdid,eventhoughpartofmehadavisionofwork-ingandlivingonatropicalisland.Ididnotgetthecontract,butwasofferedaposition inDominica, abeautiful tropical island,withasignificantlyhighersalary.Atfirst, itwasadreamcometrue,butbeforeIwastostartIdevelopedsevereresistance,andtheopportunity leftas fastas itcame.Why? Iquickly realized

A Skeptic’s Perspective on The Law of AttractionIfyouarereadingthisarticleyouprobablyhaveheard

about the Law ofAttraction,which states that you can attractthingsintoyourlifebasedonwhatyouthinkabout.WhenIfirstbecameawareof it,many yearsback, I felt intrigued, excitedabout thepossibilities,andat thesame timeskeptical. I don’tknowaboutyou,butIamanaturalskeptic.IknowifIwasafishIsurelywouldnotbetheonereadytobiteintothebestlookingshrimpwithahook,nomatterhowtemptingthe“bait”seemed.

Withthisattitude,IbegantotestwhetherornottheLawofAttractionreallyworks,startingwithsmall things likegettingsomethingfreeeverydayorfindingagoodparkingspot.AtfirstIwassurprisedattheeasethatsomeofthosethingsmaterial-ized.However,IaskedmyselfifitwasjustbecauseIwasmoreawareand lookingfor them.Hmm,Imustmovetobiggerandbetterthings,Ithought.

So Idecided tocomeupwith the ideaofopeningupa photography company with the intention to make a certainamountofmoneyinashortperiodoftimethatallowmetoquitmyjobandpursuewhatIfeltwasmytruepurpose:entrepreneur-ship.Tomysurprise,inthreedaysIreceivedagreatcontractoutoftheblueandquitmyjob.However,Ihadoneproblem.Ihadtolearntheinsandoutsofphotographyandusingprofessionallightinginjustoneweek.IdidwhatanyinsanepersonwoulddoandspentmanysleeplesshourswatchingYoutubevideosandpracticing.Attheend,everythingfellintoplace.

Lesson 1. Youhavetomakeacommitmentandputineffort.Theuniversediditspartandopenedthedoors;however,unlessIwaswillingtospendthehourslearn-ingwhattodoandactuallydoingit,Iwouldhavegot-tennothingoutoftheopportunity.

At this time Iwas in attraction heaven, but then cer-taineventsinmylifethrewmeforaloop.Ihadtocometotherealization thatmaybe, justmaybe, Ialsohadattractedall thenegativestuff too?During thisprocess, Idecided topay fora

••••••••••••••••••

Joeel A. Rivera, M.Ed., Ph.D. (ABD) holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling and is currently completing his dissertation for his Ph.D. in Psychology. Joeel’s extensive career as a relationship coach includes certifications in P.R.E.P, a 30-year research-based program for couples, Nurturing Father’s curriculum, and Parenting 21st Century. Contact Joeel at joeel@transformationservices.org

Transformation

21

thatitmayhavebroughtmeabundanceandauniquelifeexperi-encebutnottruewealth(happiness).Iwouldbeawayfromfam-ilyforlongperiodsoftime,somethingIdidnotwant.

I got what I thought I wanted but then realized that my intentions where not

fully aligned.

ThisexperiencebroughtaboutalotofuncertaintyinmyliferegardingwhereIwantedtobe,whatIwanted,andevenhowIwasgoingtopaymybills.

But then I learned to let go, and everything fell intoplacebetterthanIcouldhaveimaginedandinawaythatwasinconceivabletomylimitedreality.

Lesson 4.Sometimeswhatyouthinkyouwantisnotwhat isgoingtofulfillyourHigherSelf.Createclarityaboutwhatyoutrulywanttofeelandexperience.It’salsookay toadmit toyourself thatwhatyou thoughtyouwantedwasnottrulywhatyouwantedandthentoletgoandsearchforanewpath.

Atthesametime,youhavetocometoacceptancethat:

Even negative experiences can be necessary to take you down the most amazing paths.

IlearnedthatIcansetmyintention,butIhavetoletitgoandtrustinmyjourney.Imustrememberitisnotaboutthegoal,it’saboutthepath.

Manyofusexperiencethe,“Itmayworksforothersbutnotforme”mentality.Intheend,however,IconcludedthattheLawofAttractionworks.Rememberthatourrealityisinfluencedbyourlimitedexperienceofwhatrealityis.Beopentothecre-ativemind and infinite possibilities. Thismeans being able toletgoofattachmenttooutcomesandtrustingandenjoyingthejourney. Italsomeanscomingto therealization thatnomatterhowmuchyouintendit,youcannotchangesomeoneelse.Theyhavefreewilltosettheirownintentions.

Keep in mind that you can’t fully attract something “better” if you cannot find joy and

peace where you are with what you have.

Whenyou learn to trulyappreciate theblessings thatyou currently have, you open yourself for other blessings. Inhindsight,Ishouldhaveallowedmyselftowinthatcar.IfIdid,Iwouldhavelearnedmylessonsooner:IAMaco-creatorofallthingsgoodandbadinmylife,andthatIhaveachoicetochangetoadifferentpathwheneverIwanttodoit.Sinceacceptingthis,Ihavemanagedtobreakrecurringnegativepatternsandlearnthelessonstheyweredesignedtoteachme.Intheend,Itookthebaithook,line,andsinkerandrealizedthatahigheraspectofmyselfwasreelingmein.

22

sometimeinthecreationmodeforthesakeofourhealth.Forexample,Ifindwomenwhoaredisconnected from their creative seeds oftenformabnormalovariancystsandhaveotherre-productiveproblems.

Getting in the MoodSo what DO you need to get in the

moodforcreation?Ifyoulackenergy,dothingstoactivateyourthirdchakraatyourdiaphragm.Tryliftingthisareaasyouinhale,exhale,andre-lease.Repeatthisatafastpacewhile“sniffing”airinandout.Spendsometimeupsidedownin“downwardfacingdog”yogaposeorbysimplylettingyourheadhangofftheedgeofthebed.Letthebloodflowtoyourbrain.Playsomemusicthatfitsyourmoodorthemoodyouwanttobein.LightacandleandprayforDivineinspirationorinvitetheMusesintoyourlife.Cleanseyour-self and your working space with white sage,lavenderwater,ortheSpaceClearingAustralianBushFlowerEssence.

In the stages of Creation, you don’t always need to know the

final result or how you are going to get there.

Setthemoodandjustdowhateveryourbeing feels inspired to do. That’s Creation….being inyourbodyat thepresentmoment,notplanningaheadorfocusingonpastfailures.

So turn off the television. Get yourdoodlepads,coloringbooks,orjournal,andtapintothatrightsideofyourbrain.Makeroomforgrowth!

Reverend Maggie Batt is a spiritual and holistic health consultant, certified TriYoga® teacher, herbalist, Certified Advanced Kahuna ARCH® practitioner, Usui/Tibetan Reiki Master, and a Certified Karuna Reiki® Master Teacher from the International Center for Reiki Training. She has been practicing and teaching her knowledge for 11 years. Maggie’s yoga teaching paths are Hatha Flow, Kundalini, Kids, Parent/Child, and Prenatal. Her other practices and studies include meditation, ear coning, flower essences, holistic health and natural medicine, feng shui, natural childbirth, natural mom counseling, and magic. In 2003, she was cast in “Health Cops: New Or-leans.” for the Discovery Health Channel. She also appears as an alternative practitioner help-ing to change someone’s life in 12 weeks on the FitTV channel. For more information, email info@wheelsoflight.org or visit www.wheelsoflight.org.

ByMaggieBatts

Whatmotivatesustocreate?Let’sfaceit,mostofuscannotjustpickupapenorpaintbrushandgo.Weneedtosetamoodandcreateasacredspace.Itislikeputtingtogetherarecipe.Youbringalltheingredientstogether,oftenbe-cominginspiredalongthewaytoaddalittlemorespiceorsweetnesstothemix.

Let’sstopandlookatCreationforamoment.Theprocreationprocess,forexample,stemsfromourovariesortestes—theseedsthatweplantandwatchgrow.However,itisnotjustbringingababyintoourworld,butacourseoffertil-izationonalllevels.Asanenergyhealer,Iperceivecreationasbeginninginthesecondchakra(bellyorsacralchakra),which isbeingfueledby theprimordialenergyofthefirstchakra(baseofspineorrootchakra),whichalsogovernsourabundance.This isabundanceonall levels,not justatthefinancialendofthespectrum.Theseedsofcreationgestateinthesecondchakra,andthenneedtheenergyofthethirdchakra(ourwillpowercenterorsolarplexus)tomanifestthecreation.

Theupperchakrasalsoareaffectingthisprocessasourfourthchakra(theheart)hasopeneduptobecompletelyabsorbedwithunconditional lovingenergy.Thenourfifthchakra(thethroat)beginsopeningtocommunicationwithourguides,whileatthesametimewetapintotheknowledgecontainedinourhigherself(throughthethirdeyeorsixthchakra).Whilegainingdivineinspirationorchanneling,theseventhchakra(thecrown)filtersinformationtofuelourwholecreativeprocess.Whew!

Creativity really is a whole body experience. As a result, our entire being needs to be working optimally.

Wedon’t need to be an artist orwriter to be creative. Creativity cancomeinmanyforms:decorating,cooking,gardening,teaching,dancing,howwepaythebills,howwegettoworkeachday,etc.ItisallaboutgettingfrompointAtopointB.Askyourself,“Areyouregimentedwithascheduleandself-imposeddeadlinesordoyouallowthingstobecompletedbasedonyourenergylevelsandyourneeds?”Weeachmustcreateatourpaceandflow.

Wearetrulybeingcreativewhenweallowtheinformationtoflowthroughourbeingandnotstifleit.Ifwereceiveacreativespark,weneedtomanifestitrather than suppress it.Maybewe don’t have the time or believewe are notcreativeasaresultoflowself-esteem.Moreover,itisimperativethatwespend

Transformation

•••••••••••••

23

evenpreoccupiedwithatask,allofasud-denthesolutiontoaproblemyou’vebeenmullingoverforweekspopsintoyourhead.You can’t help but wonder why you didn’tthinkofitbefore.Inthiscase,aconnectionwasmadenotonlytotheelementofAir,butalsotoyourcreativespirit.

When Air taps into the creativesideofeach individual, it stirsupadesiretoexploreand innovate ideasand then tobring them into formand reality.However,sinceAirisallaboutthinkingandthementalrealm,someofourownthoughtsandbeliefsystemscouldinterfereandlimitourselves.Here are three questions you can ask tohelpimprovethecreativeprocess:

1. Are there any old and thoughtsandbeliefsthatneedtomove???doesthismakessense?togetclearandcur-rentformylifedreamsandcreationstocomeintobeing?2. Whatlifeperspective(s)doIneedtoshifttoenhancecreativity?3. DoIneedtoclearoldthoughtsandbeliefsystemsthatno longerservemetoopennewchannelsofthought?

Soaring on the Air currents, much like a bird flying above

the planet, we can see the larger perspective of our life.

From this vantage point, we canlistentothewhispersofthewindforwaystofinally tuneour frequencyandconsciouslycreateourlife.

Dolores J. Gozzi is a nationally certified Li-censed Massage Therapist and the founder of Healing Thru Bodywork & Nature’s Cycles (www.naturescycles.com). The company in-corporates several modalities including aro-matherapy, massage, bodywork, element bodywork, and meditation. Through contin-ued education, Dolores is able to perform holistic therapeutic services and offer class-es and workshops that promote healing. The mission of Healing Thru Bodywork & Na-ture’s Cycles is for each individual to be able to reconnect with his or her inner strength and guidance and create a personal world that is harmonious with the elements and guided by nature. For more information call 239-826-6960.

••••••••••••• ••••••••••••

Inspiration

ByDoloresJ.Gozzi

TheArchetypeofcreativity,Gemini,promotes the importanceof themindandlovesfreshideas,whimsical imagination,fun,games,change,communication,writing,speaking,andnetworking.Thiscreativitycanbeversatile, curious,humor-ous,andreminiscentofperpetualyouth.Italsocanseemjustoutofreach,justlikeabeautifulfeatherfloatingonthebreeze.Indeed,creativitydefinitelyisintheAir,andcapturingitsessencerequiresanunderstandingofthisrealmanditsqualities.

Creativitymeansdifferentthingstodifferentpeople,aswecanseefromtheword’sdefinition:

Cre•a•tiv•i•ty, noun: 1. the state or quality of being creative. 2. the ability to tran-scend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progres-siveness, or imagination: the need for creativity in modern industry; creativity in the performing arts. 3. the process by which one utilizes creative ability: Extensive reading stimulated his creativity.

Thebigquestionis,“Howdowegetnewcreativeideas?”IfwecantapintotheelementofAir,itcanteachusaboutthementalrealm,communication,intention,consciouslanguage,andsettingourown“vibrational”tone.EventhoughAirisconsid-eredtobeaninvisiblerealm,itflowsthrougheachandeveryoneofus.

Air is the realm where our thoughts are turned into creative ideas and then manifested into physical form.

WhenwelearnhowtolistentotheelementofAir,itcanprovideuswithmanythoughtsandideastofuelourambitionsandprojects.Beingreceptiveandbeingabletolistenopenlyandwellarecrucialskillsinvolvedingettingthecreativejuicesflowing.Inthisprocess,Aircanhelpusgowithinourselvesandlistentoourthoughts,aswellastopickupother’sthoughtsandintegratethemwithourownideas.Forexample,aMassageTherapistandHealerthatlivesinacommunity“receives”theideatoopenupametaphysicalpractice.Oncesheisoperatingthebusinessmanypeoplecomeinandstate,“Ihavebeenwaitingforaplacelikethistoopenup.”

Ormaybethefollowinghashappenedtoyou.Whileyouarebusyfoodshop-ping,drivingdowntheroadlisteningtosomenicemusic,talkingarelaxingwalk,or

24

Marcia began her career as a school teacher, working with pre-school through inner city high school students. She has worked with all aspects of Metaphysics for over 40 years and specializes in Tarot and Numerology. Marcia’s clients and students are in every state and throughout Europe. Marcia has taught over 400 students to “read” the Tarot for the purpose of self-guidance and to use the powerful symbolism of the Tarot to reach higher levels of spirituality. Her column, Spiritually Speaking, originally ran for 8 years in At-titudes Magazine in the Sarasota area. Email marlou2000@aol.com

Crystals and Gems, Part 3: Semi-Precious Stones

Thisisthelastofathreepartseriesoncrystals,stones,andgemstones. If youhavenot readpartsoneand two, visitwww.suncoasttransformation.com. I have been involved withcrystals formanyyearsandhaveacollection thatwould rivalmostretailoutlets.Mystudyofcrystals,theirlore,andlegendsisanongoingonethatbeganmorethan30yearsago,butIdonotconsidermyselfanexpertbecausethisfieldissovast.Ihaveusedinformationfromtwoexcellentsourcesinthewritingofthisseries of columns:Crystal Enlightenment byKatrinaRaphaellandCunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystals, Gems and Metal MagicbyScottCunningham.

Civilizations have worked with the power of crystals and stones from the

earliest of recorded history to our present Age of Aquarius.

Differentculturesandcivilizationshaveusedthepowerwithincrystalsandstonesforaslongashumanshaveinhabitedthe earth.Theoldest lore and legends of crystalmagic comefrom theancient “lostcontinent”ofAtlantis.The inhabitantsofthisevolvedandadvanced raceusedcrystals to channelandharnessthepowerofthecosmos.Theyalsousedcrystalpowerintheireverydaylivesregardingmedicalsituations.Itissaidthat

thesurvivorsofAtlantisrelocatedtomanypartsoftheglobeandcontinued to use the knowledge of crystals inSouthAmerica,Egypt,andTibet.Ascivilizationscontinuedtoriseandfall,muchofthewisdomandknowledgewaslostbutasignificantunder-standingcontinuestobepassedfromgenerationtogeneration,culturetoculture.

Hereare justa fewexamplesofcrystals’ legacy. It isrecorded inExodus in theBible thatAaron (brotherofMoses)woreabreastplateof12preciousjewelstoenablehimtocom-municatewithGodand toenhancehisspiritualpowers.Kingsin ancient India collected themost precious of gems to wearandprotect themselves fromharm.Medicalpracticesofmanyancientculturesincludedthewearingofamuletsandtalismansaroundthenecktohelp in therecoveryof illness.TheGreeksandRomansworestonesforprotection,knowledge,andhealth.American IndiansandMayansusedcrystals fordiagnosisandtreatmentofdisease.Ourowncivilizationusesquartzcrystalsinultrasounddevicesandwatchesandasmemorychipsincom-puters. Metaphysical practitioners use stones and crystals inmeditationandforthedevelopmentofgreaterintuitivepowerforspiritualconnections.

Nowlet’stakeacloserlookmytoplistofusefulcrystalsandsemi-preciousstonesandsomeoftheirmanyproperties.

Quartz crystals. These are themost common, affordable, and easily found ofallcrystals.Thereareover30varietiesofquartzcrystals,andwewilltalkhereaboutclearquartz.Quartziscomposedofsili-condioxide,which isoneof theearth’smostcommonmineralcompounds. Human beings are also largely composed of sili-condioxide,whichisinterestingtosaytheleast.Eachcrystalisuniqueandunlikeanyother.Theyareusedinhealing,alteringconsciousness,andmagical rituals. Iuseclearquartzcrystalsin the storage of and reading of theTarotCards, as they aresaid to increase psychic abilities.Quartz is used as a protec-tivestonewhenplacedinthehome,car,carriedinapocket,orwornaroundtheneck.Ialwaysgiveaclearquartzcrystaltomystudentswhentheybeginastudywithmeandoftentoclientswhoaregoing throughadifficultcycle in their lives. Ifyouarejuststartingtoworkwithcrystals,Isuggestthatyoubeginyourcollectionwithaclearquartzcrystaltowhichyouaredrawn.

Amethyst. This is thestoneof the“thirdeyechakra,”and it isoneof thebeststonestouseformeditation,tranquility,andconnectiontotheHigherrealmsofConsciousness.It isastonethatteachesthelessonofhumility,aswesubmittoallowingtheHigherForcestoguideus.Itisastoneofcomfort,wisdom,andunderstandingandgivesconsolation to thosewhoareexperiencing lossandchangeintheirlives.Itisoftencalledthe“soulstone,”asitallowsustotapintoandunderstandthereasonsforlife’sexperiences.Ithasacalmingmentaleffectandisoftenwornbythosewhoareoverworked,overstressed,oroverwhelmedmentally.Itissaidtoeasetension,headaches,andmentalanxieties.Amethystcrys-talsareabundantandeasytofind,anditissaidthatthecleareranddarkerthestone,themorevaluable.

••••••••••••••••••

Spirituality

25

Rose quartz. Thisstonerelatestotheheartchakra,anditsenergyworkstoproduceinnerpeace,healing,andcomfortforthosewithinternalpain. It teaches that love comes fromwithin the self and thatanywound,nomatterhowdeeporpainful,canbehealed.Manypeoplewhohavehadnegativechildhoodexperiencesworkwithrosequartzandconfirmitspowerfulemotionalreleases.Itisalsousedinloveandromanceritualsandissaidtodrawlovetothewearer.

Hematite. Thisstoneisusedforhealing,grounding,anddivination.Hema-tite isabeautiful, silvery-blackstoneand isoften found in theformof jewelry. It ismostlyworn for groundingand stabilizingpurposesandforsituationsinvolvingthephysical/materialreal-ity.Itisalsosaidto“drawillness,”bothphysicalandmental,fromthebody.Itcanbewornbyhyperactiveindividualsforitscalmingeffect.

Fluorite. Thisisamultidimensionalstonethatissaidtomanifestthehigh-estaspectof thehumanmind,as it relates to thespirit. It isa“thirdeye”stoneandenablesonetomaintainameditativeandcenteredspaceinthemidstofphysicalactivity.Itisusetoworkwithpeoplewhoareexperiencingmentalillness,aswellaswithpeoplewhowanttoincreaseintellectandmentalachievement.Itissometimescalledthe“geniusstone.”

Amber. This is one of the oldest known substances used for humanadornment.Itisnotastone,butratherfossilizedresinofconifer-ous treesof theOligoceneera. It often contains fragments orcompletespecimensofinsectsandplantsthatfellintothestickyresinmillionsofyearsago. It iswarmto the touchand issaidtopossess life.Amber isworn toenhancegood luck,healing,strength,protection,beauty,andlove.

Adventurine. This is consideredagood luckstoneand isoftencarriedandwornbygamblersasa talisman toattractmoney. It is said tostrengthentheeyesightandtostimulatecreativity.

Lapis Lazuli. Thisstonehasalwaysbeenassociatedwithroyaltyandismostoften found in the form of jewelry. It is said to aid in healing,bringjoyandloveintoone’slife,giveprotectionandcouragetothewearer,helpbringfidelityinlovepartnerships,andenhancepsychicabilities.LapisisalsousedasanamuletforchildrenandinIndiaisstrungongoldwireandplacedaroundachild’snecktoensurehealth,growth,andprotection.

Moonstone. Ancient loreconnects thisstoneto themoonandto themoongoddessenergy. It isusedforattractingandsustaining love inone’s life,divination,enhancingpsychiccapabilities,promotingdeepandsoundsleepthatisfreefromnightmares,gardening,

protectionwhenswimmingorboating,andhelpingindieting.

Garnet. Thisfierystoneisworntoenhancebodilystrength,endurance,and vigor. It is also thought to relieve skin conditions, inflam-mations,and isaregulatorof theheartandblood. In the13thcenturygarnetswereworntorepelinsects.

Jade. This is the sacred stone of China and has been since earlyrecorded Chinese history. Jade is usually worn as jewelry orcarvedintoimages.Itisconsideredalove-attractingstoneandisoftenexchanged inChinesemarriageceremonies. It issaidtohavethepower toprolong life,both forhumansandplants,andisoftenusedingardeningintheEast.OtherusesforJadeincludeattractingmoney,enhancingpsychicabilities,protectingfromenemies,andgainingwisdom.

Turquoise. ThisisasacredstonetomanyAmericanIndiantribes.Itisanall-aroundgoodluckstoneaccordingtoourIndianforefathersandisusedforprotection,courage,money,love,friendship,healing,andluck.Itisrare,eveninmoderntimes,tofindanIndianthatisnotwearingsomeformofturquoiseatalltimes.Turquoiseisalsoprizedforitsbeauty.Legendsaysthatringsandjewelrywithturquoisestoneswillalwayscontainanoddnumberofstonesandeachstonemusthaveaflaw,nowmatterhowslight,asonlyGodcanmakesomethingthatisperfect.

Peridot. This stone is worn for general healing purposes. It is said topromote healing of insect bites and to help in liver alignment.It isusedtoattract loveandtocalmangerand issaid tohelpbalance thenervous system, relievedepression, andpromoterestfulsleep.

Chrysocolla. Whenheld in thehand, this stone,which is alsopopularwithAmericanIndians, issaidtodriveoffunreasonablefearandil-lusions. It isalsosaidtobringpeace,wisdom,and lovetothebearer.

Ihopethatthisseriesofarticleshasignitedaninterestincrystalsandotherstones,andthatyouwillseekmoreknowledgeabouttheseamazinggiftsfromMotherNature.Ifnothingelse,perhapsyouwillnowlookatjewelryinanewandenlightenedmanner.

Remember, knowledge is the greatest power, so walk in the Light.

26

•••••••••••••••••Question: I’vebeendatingmyboyfriendforclosetosixmonths,andIlovehimdearly.Butsincewe’vebeengoingout,hehasdeveloped a relationshipwithmy two closest female friends,and it’sdrivingmecrazy.He talksabout themfrequentlyandspendsmore time on the phonewith them than I do. I don’twanttocomeacrossasjealousorpossessive—thiswouldputboth the relationship and my friendships at risk—but I don’tknowhowelsetohandlethis.AmIoverreacting,orshouldIbegladthatthey’regettingalongsowell?

Dr. ZZ:Especiallyinarelativelynewrelationship,thetendencyistoletyourimaginationrunwild.Becauseyourboyfriendhasstruckupafriendshipwithmorethanjustoneofyourbuddies,chancesarenothingunderhandedisgoingon.Butyou’refeel-ing left out; and, because these friends are women, you’reafraidthattheymaybethreats.Obviously,you’regoingtohavetoaddressthiswithyourboyfriend.Thisdoesn’tmeanthatyouneedtobeconfrontational.Youcansimplytellhimit’sgreatheandyourfriendsgetalong,askhimwhattheytalkaboutonthephone,andexpressthatyou’d liketospendmoreofthetimewithhimthatheputs into talking toyour friends.Thepoint isnottocomeacrossasifyou’rejealous,buttolethimknowthatyou’reenvious,andyou’dliketobemoreinvolved.Inall,youmayhavetosimplyacceptthathemayjustlikeyourfriendsformanyofthesamereasonsyoudo.

Question: Myclosefriendofmanyyearsis intheprocessofgettingadivorce.ThoughIhavetwochildrenofmyown,sheexpectsme tobaby-sit her kids, runerrands forher,and lis-tentohertalesofwoe.I’mexhaustedandneedtoreclaimmylife,butIdon’tknowhowtoextractmyselffromherneediness.Help!

Dr. ZZ: Your friendprobablycanprobablyuseanextradoseof supportduring this rough transitionalperiod,but shecan’texpectyoutobetheretofulfillhereveryneed.Ifyoutry,she’llonlybecomemoredependent,andyou’llendupresentingherandneedinghelpyourself.Onepossiblealternativeistomake

a standing date, perhaps two or three times aweek, and toencourageher tobemoreself-reliant.While you’rewithher,youcanofferadviceandcompanionship,butmakeitclearthatyou need to stick to the schedule you’veworked out. If sheexpectsmoreorwantsyoutorunerrands,you’llhavetoflexyouremotionalmuscleandtellher thatbecauseofyourownobligations,youcan’ttakeonanymorethanyouhave,andthatit’sessentialyouallocateyourtimecarefully.

Whensomeoneasksyoutodosomethingyoudon’twanttodo,itcanfeelcompromising.Peopleoftenconcedeandgoagainsttheirownsenseofinnerreluctancebecausetheywanttheoth-erpersontolikethem.Theyoftenthinkthatsayingnowillhurttheotherperson’sfeelings.Thoughit’sbesttobehonest,say-ingnocanfeelrisky.Somefolksaresuch“pleasers”thattheyvolunteertohelpautomatically--evenbeforeanyoneelseasksforassistance.Blindtotheirownanxietytokeeppeaceatallcosts,theyignoretheirownrights,sacrificetheirowntranquil-ity,andendupfeelingmistreatedorunappreciated.

Muchliketheyoungwomeninthequestionabove,sayingnodoesn’thavetoannihilateyourfriendshiporbeconfrontational.Youcancourteouslyreportyouropinionswithoutbeingunkindorcritical,andyoucanbedirectwithoutexpectingyourfriendto change.People generally appreciate a sincere yes all themoreafterbeinghonestlyapprisedofanauthenticno.Com-passionatecommunicationlaysthegroundworkforenhancingandstrengtheningyouremotionalties.

Asforherkids,youmayhavetosuggestthatyoucancareforthemonly incaseofanemergency.Thismaysoundsharsh,but if she isa friendworthhaving, shewon’t object tobeingremindedthatyoutoohavealife.

Question: Aftera20-yearmarriage, Iamnowasinglemomwithtwokidstoraise.Suddenly,Ihavetotendtoall thelittlechoresthatmyhusbandusedtodo.Recently,Iwenttothecarmechanictoaskhimaboutaproblem,andhewassoconde-scending,hepracticallypattedmeonthehead.ThesamethinghappenedwhenIwenttothehardwarestore.HowcanIstanduptotheseguysandstillgettheadviceIneed?

Dr. ZZ: Bravotoyouforgettingoutthereandbeingwillingtopinch-hit for yourself!While you can’t be expected to take acrashcourseinautomechanicsorhomerepair,simplylearningabitof thebasic jargoncangoa longway.Often, ifyoucanthrowoutatechnicaltermortwo,youstandabetterchanceofbeingheard. It sometimessets theseguysbacka fewstepswhen theyhear yousay, “Howmuch torquedo Ineed to re-placethisvalvehead?”Ifspeakingtheirlanguageisn’tenoughtoearnyourespect,thenIsuggesttakingyourbusinesselse-where.Anddon’tbeafraidtotellthesecondescendinggreasemonkeyswhyonthewayout.

Disclaimer: All information provided in this article is intended as general information only and is not to be misconstrued as medical or psychological advice, or as diagnosis, treatment or cure for any condition or ailment. Send queries or comments to askDrZZ@yahoo.com. All identifying information is kept strictly confidential.

Dr. ZZ’s bold, upfront, directive style plays an inspirational role in the lives of people she touches. Drawing on a non-traditional Ph.D. in counseling and natural healing, ZZ works in Sarasota with shaman elder Jack Alexander (“Golden Feather”), who offers land blessings, shamanic training, Life Purpose readings, and all-faith, community-based spiritual guidance. This forum proposes potential solutions on health, emotional, and personal matters. For more, see www.shaman.mosaicglobe.com.

27

beginningandend. It iseternal.Consciousness iscre-ative.Asquantumphysicshasproven, it is thesourceofallmatter.Becauseitisthesourceofallawareness,consciousnessisall-knowing.

Wemostoftenattributethesequalitiestoapoweroutsideourselves,butwhenwefocusonourinnerworldandbecomeawareofour“Iam-ness,”weunderstandthatthesequalitiesbelong tousaswell.We,as individuals,areafocusofthisgreaterConsciousness.Inthephysicaldimension,wecallthatfocus“Mary”or“John”.Takeawaythelabels,thepersonalities,andthelifetimeofindividualbeliefs,andtherewefindtheTrueSelf.

Thisisthemeaningof“oneness”.Intheend,thereisonlyConsciousness.

You, as a focus of Consciousness, are a co-creator with the Artist of Life.

Youaregivenawhite canvaseverymoment.Whatdoyouwish tocreate inyour life?Morepeace?More love? More happiness? Your beliefs are yourbrushes;yourdesiresareyourpaint.

When you harness your consciousness, all of life can be your masterpiece.

Suzanne Giesemann is an author, speaker, and teacher focusing on “love-centered living” as a way to bring more peace and joy to every moment. A former Navy Command-er and Commanding Officer, Suzanne is also an evidential medium who brings unique perspective from her teachings from over 400 private readings. An author of many books, Ms. Giesemann became a Hay House author with the publication of The Priest and the Medium. Her latest book, Messages of Hope, also has been developed into a docu-mentary of the same name. For more information email tkawas@gmail.com or visit www.LoveAtTheCenter.com.

•••••••••••••••

BySuzanneGiesemann

BenjaminFranklinsaid,“Nothingiscertainbutdeathandtaxes”.Franklin was pretty smart, but he was wrong about that one. There issomethingelseofwhichwecanallbecertain,andthat“certainsomething”isnothinglessthanthefundamentalessenceoflife:theunquestionableawarenessthat“Iam.”

Consciousnessisthenamewegivetothisawareness,butcon-sciousnessisnotafeeling,norisitathought.Consciousnesscannotbeobserved,becauseconsciousnessistheobserver,itself.Itisnottheex-perience,butthe“experiencer”.Withoutconsciousnesstherewouldbenoexperience.

Justasthelightweseewithoureyesisbutasmallsegmentoftheelectromagneticspectrum,ourexperiencesduringwakingconscious-nesstakeplaceinonlyoneofthemanydimensionsofconsciousness.Weexperienceothersegmentsalong thespectrumof consciousnesswhensleepingordreaming,andoftenwhenperformingarepetitiveact.Wecanaccessalteredstatesofconsciousnessbeyondthedreamstatethroughhypnosisormeditation. It is then—whenwetranscendthe limitationsofordinaryawareness—thatweopenourselvestohigherlevelsofcreativity,insight,inspiration,guidance,andwisdom.

Consciousnessisineverylivingthing;fromone-celledorganismstoplants,animals,andhumans.Itisomnipresent.Consciousnesshasno

Transformation

28

orthat.Shelovesmeorshedoesn’t.Youarewithusoragainstus.Youarepro-Americanoranti-American.Haveyoueverwan-deredwhypoliticianscannotproposeserioussolutionstomajorissues? These people are stuck in either/or thinking. Most ofthemcannotcontemplateathirdorfourthchoicethatmightentailcompromiseoranewdirection.Nothavingchoicesbeyondtheirprescribedpartypositiondiminishestheircreativityandvaluetothegreatergood.Wewouldbebetterservedifmorepoliticianswereindependentbecausethatwouldsuggestreceptivitytoal-ternativechoices.

Whatmanypeople learnwith thehelpof therapyandtheir lifeexperiences is thatmost circumstancesoffermultipleoptions. The most creative people among us presume thesechoicesandtheirtinkeringoftenleadstonewproducts,newin-dustriesandnewparadigmsleadingtopositivechange.

I recall an artist friend in San Diego who decided tomaketumbleweedshisobjectforcreativeexpression.Thiscul-minated inoneof themostamazingholidaydisplays I’veeverseen. A round and squatty tumbleweed forever changed mypictureofwhataChristmastreeissupposedtolooklike.Morethan that, itmademequestionwhatothersymbolsweuseasabsolutesandwhattheconsequencesaretoourabilitytothinkcreatively.

MyfavoritepartofthestoryisthatafterChristmasmyfriendcarefully removedallofhisornaments,pickedoffeverysilvericecycle,openedhisdoor,andgavethelittlefellowawelldonenudgebeforesendingitonhisway.Webothlaughedaswewatched the tumbleweed rolling down the road to its nextadventure.

Theproblemwitheither/orthinking is it limitsourper-spective.Thisiswhycreativityissoimportanttohumanityandwhyart inevery formhas intrinsicvalue. I’mnot talkingaboutcommercialart,butratheroureverydayexperienceofcolor,tex-ture,objects,andotherartelements.It’stherelationshipeachofushastoeverythingweencounterwithoursenses.That’stheartthatmattersmostbecauseit’stransformative.It’sanaspectofrealitywecreatethroughourawarenessandreflection.

I have seen amazing art around the world, but thegreatest treasure is the art my son Bryan made growing upinMinnesota.His collection of doodles, drawings, earlywaterpaintings,andasmallceramicholderallsitquietly inabox inmyhome.Thecollection ismoremeaningful tomethanthosepreciousthingsinTheLouvre.Ipeakinsidethebox,butmostly,I’mtouchedbyaconnectionI feel toourartisticnatures. It’saconnectionthatlinkseveryone.

Creativity expands when we realize the fork in the road is only one perspective and possibly

an illusion.

Perhapsthefork ismorelikeaspiderwebwithmanypathslinkingusfromwherewestandtowhat’spossibletomor-roworthenextday.It’sokaytogointoreverseortakethepathasecond time.Maybe it’snotevenabout thisor that, rightorwrong,goodorbad,oreven learning to livea lessprescribedlife?Maybeit’saboutthesimplejoyofthejourney?

Beyond Either/Or ThinkingMostchallengesinlifeinvolvemakingchoicesbetween

twooptions.Somethinghappensandwefindourselvesstand-ingattheproverbialforkintheroadconsideringournextstep.Dowegorightorleft?Doweactordelay?Dowegathermoreinformationormakealeapoffaith?

The idea of seeing the circumstances of our lives as a series of forks in the road is the

product of linear thinking.

It’sadominantmindsetbecausemostofuswereraisedbylinearthinkingparentsinalinearculture.Arelatedideaisourtendencyto“label”everythingasifweactuallyknoweverything.Thereasonweare“humanlabelmachines”isitgivesusasenseoforder.IfIcanlabelsomethingthenIdon’thavetodealwithit. Icansavemybrainpower forother things likemybusinessortheboatsaletomorrow.Unlabeledpeopleandthingscanbethreatening,whichiswhyourmindracestocreateadefinition.Unfortunately,ourspeedinlabelingoftentrumpsourobjectivityandaccuracy.

Beinglinearandlabelorientedisnotallbad.Bothten-dencieshelpussurvive.I’mascubadiverandIfollowalinearprocessinjumpingoffaboatandexploringlifebeneaththesur-face.Asfaraslabelsgo,beingabletoidentifywhateverythingishelpsusprocessinformationmorerapidly.Theproblemiswhenwetrustourlabels(opinions)toapointthattheybecomestereo-types—limitingusandothers.

IdidtheAvatarprogramabouteightyearsago,andIspentninedays trainingmymind to catchmyself labelingev-erything.Atfirst,itallseemedsilly,buteventuallyIrealizedhowmuchmylifewasonautomaticpilot.Evenpeoplewhoarequicktotalkabouttheirconsciousnessmightbesurprisedtolearnhowmuchtheirlabelingnaturedefinestheirsenseofreality.

Psychologists refer to the tendency to reduceourcir-cumstancesto twochoicesaseither/or thinking. It’seither this

Randy owns Triple 3 Marketing based in Sarasota. He’s a long term advocate for positive change having owned a couple com-munity magazines since 1999. Randy sold Positive Change Media in April 2009 and took a year off before launching Triple 3 Marketing. In addition to helping business owners, he also pro-vides private coaching. Randy has a masters degree in commu-nication arts from the University of Wisconsin at Madison where he studied persuasion and attitude change. Contact Randy at randy@triple3marketing.com.

••••••••••••••••••

Inspiration