Personal Growth

Anxiety: Beyond the Psychobabble

Those who suffer from anxiety and its related disorders understand it isn’t just disheartening, but an often-debilitating, life-destroying condition. And even worse, there’s a flood of books on the market conveying half-baked techniques that rarely actually work.

But that all now stops thanks to NLP practitioner Kevin Mullin and his new book, ‘Anxiety, It’s Time to Go’.

Just like the title, Mullins’ breakthrough text marks anxiety’s “grand finale” for its sufferers around the world, as they prepare to step into a new life free of the condition.

Synopsis:

Anxiety, It’s Time to Go is not just another self-help book. It is ‘the’ self-help book. It uses cutting-edge tried and tested methods that have been used time and time again to remove anxiety from people each and every day. Anxiety, It’s Time to Go will explain everything in simple terms and then show you exactly how to combat the things that hurt and control us when it comes to anxiety. The easy-to-follow exercise and instructions have been made straightforward without all the psychobabble that most people use. We say it as it is and then show you exactly how to remove it. This might just be the best thing you have done when it comes to beating crippling anxiety once and for all.

“The over-riding goal with this book was to make it as straightforward and actionable as possible, with no fluff and no BS,” explains the author. “The fact of the matter is that anxiety is an epidemic in society these days and, unless someone steps in to do something about it, it’s going to continue destroying lives around the world.”

Continuing, “You need no prior understanding of NLP to use my book to change your life, and you also don’t need to fully understand your own anxiety. If you suffer, or even think you do, what I have to teach will radically improve your mental health and the overall quality of your life.”

Reviews have been extremely positive. One reader writes, “I was given the book to read and I loved it. It was one of those books that I did not want to put down but equally did not want to finish, as I was enjoying it too much (like saving a new dress ‘for best’). It was all so simple, it made sense and it worked!!! Now, I am not going to elaborate more, because I am now too busy living anxiety-free! Too busy enjoying life. Planning life. Too happy to even think about the old me who wasted so much time feeling anxious, stressed, miserable, not wanting to be here. So, read it for yourself.”

‘Anxiety, Its Time to Go’ is available now: https://amzn.to/2DvLkDQ.

About the Author:

Kevin Mullin enlisted in the British Army aged fifteen years and eight months. He served in several conflict areas and operations around the globe, then at the age of thirty-four, he left the service and became a private military operator. Kevin was contracted to the United States Department of Defense, securing and protecting US Military bases and assets in Afghanistan. Kevin worked there for four years before moving to one of the most valuable targets in Afghanistan in the heart of Kabul – The Serena Hotel. Kevin studied NLP within the British Army and gained a wealth of knowledge and experience, training the trainers in the methods of approaches to NLP. Having suffered the loss of both his brother and mother, he was crippled with anxiety for many years. Kevin searched relentlessly for new, dynamic ways to beat it.

Having taken an apprenticeship with Ali Campbell, Kevin finally found what he was looking for. He understudied and role modelled Ali to great effect. In June 2017, Kevin opened his very own NLP practice based in Central Scotland. The practice has received rave reviews about Kevin’s new, dynamic and direct approach. He has helped thousands of clients become anxiety-free. Kevin has gained plaudits from Italy, Dubai and America for his dynamic and enthusiastic approach to motivational speaking and helping businesses and organisations flourish and grow. He is also a full-time parent. He raises his children with the approach he takes in life and in his crusade to help everyone in the battle with anxiety. Drive, determination and a vigour unparalleled in this modern age.

About the book:

Paperback: 132 pages
Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers (30 Jan. 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1528929748
ISBN-13: 978-1528929745

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Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

7 Tips for Beating the Post-Holiday Blues

Studies show that the third week of January can be the most depressing time of the year. This is due in part to the cold weather in many parts of the country, post-Holiday blues, credit card bills arriving from Holiday over-spending and more.

National wellness expert, Dr. Magdalena Kerschner, better known as Dr. K, is a Board Certified Anesthesiologist and Interventional Pain Specialist. Dr. K’s practice treats hormonal imbalance via natural hormone replacement therapy, as well as overall wellness.

Through her new book, “Get Your Mojo Back”, Dr. K. addresses the most common and emotional and physical problems that many women are facing. The book shares secrets to natural hormone replacement as well as case studies with patients suffering from excessive fatigue, weight gain, hot flashes and night sweats, depression, rheumatoid arthritis, abdominal hysterectomy, and more.

For women over forty-five old experiencing hormonal imbalance, this time of year can be even more excruciating as they are also managing cyclical or hormonal headaches, on-going fatigue, disrupted sleep, weight-gain, hot flashes and night sweats.

With over 57 million women in the US currently at menopause stage, programs dedicated to improving women’s wellbeing in this area are key.

“I want women to know that we do not have to endure sleepless nights, chronic fatigue and a sexless existence. We can enjoy high quality productive lives without premature broken bones well into our late years and beyond menopause,” said Dr. K.

“I am proud to launch the #GetYourMojoBack Challenge, encouraging women to reclaim their power and re-prioritize their health and happiness,” added Dr. K.

The #GetYourMojoBack Challenge encourages women to commit to following a daily Mojo tip, ending with a full commitment to reclaim their power by making an appointment with their health specialist for an annual health plan.

Women can share their commitment online on Dr. K’s Facebook page to enter for a chance to win a $500 luxury health and beauty basket and one of ten autographed books by Dr. K.

Seven Tips on Getting Your Mojo Back:

List Three Things You are Grateful for In Your Life
Breathe in Love, Breathe out Gratitude
Practice Mental Diet. Think Only Positive Thoughts
Get a Good Night Sleep
Celebrate Life by Doing Something Special for You – Learn Something New, Travel
Follow Your Pleasure – Dancing, Cooking, Fashion, Community Volunteerism
Reclaim Your Power – Make an Appointment with Health Specialist to Discuss Menopause / Post Menopause Health Plan

For More Tips on Getting your Mojo Back, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/victoryantiaging

About Dr. K

Dr. Magdalena Kerschner is a Board Certified Anesthesiologist and board certified Interventional Pain specialist. She completed her medical school education, at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit Michigan and subsequent anesthesiology residency at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY.

After many years of practicing traditional medicine and treating illness after it has already developed, Dr. Kerschner realized that preventing disease before it starts results in healthier and happier patients. The concept of prevention of illness has awakened in her an interest in weight management and bio identical hormone replacement therapies as a modern way to promote physical and emotional wellness.

For more information, visit www.VictoryWellness.com

About the book:

Get Your Mojo Back: Dr. K’s Secrets To Natural Hormone Replacement

Publisher: InSPAration Management (November 29, 2018)
Publication Date: November 29, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07L19YMW1

Over the Speed Limit: How to Drive, Ecstatically Alive, Past 55

The day before I turned 55 I received a letter from my bank. The auxiliary checking account I’d opened for online transactions would shortly be assessed an $8 monthly fee unless I a) maintained a $1000 minimum balance, b) deposited $250/month or c) used my ATM card at least ten times per month, none of which was feasible for me.

A bit put out by this parsimonious behavior from a bank I’d found customer-centric until then, I contacted the assistant manager. She skimmed the letter and said confidently, “We’ll find a solution.” After a couple of basic usage questions, she asked, “Are you 55?” I exclaimed, “My birthday’s tomorrow!” She said, “Then the account is free,” and scrawled, “55+ FREE” across the notice in red marker.

This was my first encounter with the unexpected perks of my seniority.

Sea Change in Consciousness

Coming of age as a member of the silver tsunami is a sea change from growing older in yesteryear. As the Boomer wave grays the globe, some members of this tribe have concocted playful descriptions: “chronologically gifted” and “over the speed limit” are two of my favorites.

Language matters, because, like the mirror, it reflects how we see ourselves. Cross-cultural anthropologist and author Angeles Arrien once shared how a child stroked her grandmother’s cheek, crooning, “Grandma, you have such pretty designs on your face.” Too young to “know better,” the little girl viewed her grandmother’s facial lines as fine art. Wrinkles can signify ripeness, wisdom, and a life lived by design, indeed.

Yet even as robustly alive as many of today’s elders are, I’m nowhere near ready for “Gran Central Station,” as I refer to the exuberant participants at the senior center. And therein lies the conundrum.

“Forty is the old age of youth. Fifty is the youth of old age,” wrote French novelist Victor Hugo 150 years ago. Hugo lived to be 83, pretty “ripe old” for the 19^th century. His observation is daunting to me, because I don’t feel remotely on the cusp of old age.

Marc Freedman agrees. Of the description “young old”, the author of The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife asks, “Are most people in their 50s and 60s in anything resembling ‘old age’? Are they elderly? Senior citizens? (Why not child old for those in their 40s, infant old for the late-thirties set, and prenatal old for latter twentysomethings?)”

This can be a juicy time. Visionary OB/GYN Christiane Northrup, MD, author of The Wisdom of Menopause, says midlife brings potential for regeneration. She cites research showing women in their 60s and 70s enjoy the best sex of their lives. Clean out emotional debris, claim your power — and it’s an erotic feast.

A Place of Passionate Possibility

Just as old age was reimagined as “the Golden Years” and retirement as a destination, Boomers now in midlife and beyond are rapidly reinventing this time as a place of passionate possibility.

In The Big Shift, Freedman chronicles how Granville Stanley Hall published Senescence: The Last Half of Life in 1922, when he was 76. Hall characterized this period as “a precious bud of vast potentialities” and urged older people to step up:

“We rarely come to anything like a masterly grip till the shadows begin to slant eastward, and for a season, which varies greatly with individuals, our powers increase as the shadows lengthen.” True to his teaching, Hall’s greatest creativity and achievement came after age 50.

One of my defining moments arrived while reading Deathing by Anya Foos-Graber, an uncommon guide to creating a spiritually informed dying process. The composite protagonist, Selma, in preparing for a grace-filled departure from this life, shares an inner vision of seeing people on a half-built bridge, “spilling into the sea, drowning in their own ignorance because they had no bridge, no reality construct to cross from this shore to the Other Side, from one reality to another.”

As a voice instructs Selma to “Build them a bridge,” I realized with chills of recognition that my recurring childhood dream of a train on an unfinished track jutting out into space was Spirit dispatching my mission statement: Become a world-bridger, build the bridge between mainstream and metaphysical. I was initially shown my life purpose in a dream at age eight, and only completely understood this early message at 55! I reveled in awe and gratitude for this belated awareness — even though I’ve been living “on purpose” for years.

How can we awaken to the clarion call of who we are, whatever our chronological age? Freedman says that by midlife, life has become a run-on sentence in dire need of punctuation, and he proposes a metaphorical semicolon to capture the sense of renewal and redirection.

Becoming An Elder of Excellence

Anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson, author of Composing a Life and Composing a Further Life, calls for establishing “a midlife atrium”: a sabbatical of sorts that functions as an opportunity to let in more light and air — which is precisely how Kathy Bates describes this shift in the film Fried Green Tomatoes. When her perplexed husband asks his quintessentially evolving wife, “What’s changed?” she muses, “Oh, the air and the light.”

Bateson writes, “The doorway to this new stage of life is not filing for Social Security but thinking differently and continuing to learn.”

We all have the choice to become “Elders of Excellence,” a Louise Hay euphonic. Even the word “elder” confers an essence of wisdom and respect that seems lacking when we append “ly”, transforming the vibrant, vintage noun into a frail, forgotten adjective.

Rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi, author of the wise guide, From Age-ing to Sage-ing, says we become elders not by accruing years, but by harvesting our wisdom in service to others — future generations, yes, but also our peers who may be aging fearfully.

Elders, he writes, “have an ongoing responsibility for maintaining society’s well-being…They are pioneers in consciousness who transmit a legacy to future generations. Serving as mentors, they pass on the distilled essence of their life experience to others. The joy of passing on wisdom to younger people not only seeds the future, but crowns an elder’s life with worth and nobility.”

Wonder and Wisdom

Perspective shifts as we do. I learned this profoundly from my lifelong friend Ellie, who lived alone after her husband’s transition until she was nearly 96. At 72 she began writing letters to the editor of her local newspaper, expressing strong opinions about the salient issues of the day. Most of her letters were published, and in 2009 the paper ran a front-page profile lauding Ellie’s 22 years of chirographic activism.

When I interviewed her at age 92, Ellie shared how she was a surrogate mom to “lots of young people.” I was 48 at the time and wondered what she meant, since to me “young people” were in their teens and early twenties. I was amused by her reply: “In their fifties.” By the time you’re 92, fifty is young.

Ellie’s enduring gift has been the joy with which she greeted each morning, her gratitude for “being accepted” by Source for one more day on Earth, keen to give it her best and create a little more beauty in the world. The last time I saw her, she scampered down three flights of stairs (yes, at 95) and pressed her nose against the glass prior to opening the door to her apartment building, causing me to giggle.

“I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,” sang Lee Ann Womack, and she might have been channeling Ellie. Although my friend never learned to drive a car, she lived over the speed limit in every sense of the phrase. As elders-in-training, we can all embrace this teaching: when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, DANCE!

About the Author:

Amara Rose is a guide for conscious evolution. A former personal health columnist for Nation’s Business magazine, she’s written for numerous body/mind/spirit and holistic health publications. Learn more at LiveYourLight.com, where you can subscribe to Amara’s resource-rich monthly newsletter.

Photo by Annie Spratt

Life In the Middle Ages: Facing the Feisty Fifties

I see my folks are gettin’ on
And I watch their bodies change
I know they see the same in me
And it makes us both feel strange

No matter how you tell yourself
It’s what we all go through
Those lines are pretty hard to take
When they’re staring back at you.
– Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt

I got my period on Valentine’s Day. Talk about a literal red-letter day! Never have I been so unabashedly joy-filled at the sight of blood. For the first time, I truly appreciate a euphemism both girls and women have used for generations to refer to their Moontime: “my friend.”

Perhaps I should explain that I am not thirteen. I’m not 37. I’m 50, and this is my first cycle in five months. Menopause swooped in without warning last fall and I dried up like the Sahara. To suddenly bleed after a week in which I did, in fact, feel premenstrual is confirmation that my body’s still experimenting with this shift. It’s not a done deal. There’s yet time to adjust to the idea of being a Crone — and being eligible for membership in AARP (you’ve got to be kidding!)

Embracing the “F” Word

Now that the largest cohort in history is graying en masse, someone turns 50 approximately every eight seconds. Even this formidable fleet can’t stem the tide of aging jokes, however. At 50, the good-natured ribbing begins in earnest. My friend Faith, who celebrated her 50^th just weeks before me, recalled a card she received when she turned 40: “I’m going to have to say the ‘F’ word: forty! Forty! Forty!”

We lamented that the greeting card industry doesn’t seem to think we have a sense of humor a decade later. Why isn’t there a card for 50-year-olds that reads, “I’m at the age where I can freely use the ‘F’ word: fifty, fifty, fifty!!”

My parents, who do not perceive themselves as “old” in their eighties, sent me a hilarious Dr. Seuss parody of “Thing One” and “Thing Two” called, “It’s a Fifty Thing!” The birthday card included lines such as, “Thing Fifty can groove to the latest CD. (And with bifocal lenses, Thing Fifty can see!)”

Hm. It’s one “thing” to major in gerontology and enjoy working with elders in your twenties; quite a different matter when you’re on the cusp of joining a collective that’s marginalized in Western society and rendered virtually invisible.

I remember my mom telling me with pride about a man at the Department of Motor Vehicles flirting with her when she retook her driver’s test at age 65. I was 35 at the time, and even then, wondered aloud in my public speaking class “how much longer” men would continue to flirt with me.

From the vantage point of an additional fifteen years, I find my 30-something fear rather quaint.

Redefining Wrinkles and “Cool”

The fifties promise to be an intriguing balance of living in an aging body while possessing a certain ineffable wisdom and spirit we hadn’t accessed in our younger years. Although the twenty-somethings and teens I meet today often seem wise far beyond where my generation was at their age, due no doubt to the rapid evolution of humanity as a whole, there is much to be said for the joie de vivre that accrues with vintage.

Wrinkles signify ripeness. There’s a reason the honorific, “sage” is usually conferred on an elder.

I met an 83-year-old woman with close-cropped silver hair streaked fuchsia, wearing peace sign earrings. I commented that it was so cool to see “a woman of her maturity” thus attired, to which she replied, “Oh, I wasn’t cool when I was young!”

Reconciling body image with spiritual awareness is, paradoxically, only an issue if one chooses to focus on the physical. When the body becomes background — as it often is de facto in youth, with parts that are well oiled, shapely, firm, and thus, easier to “ignore” — our essence shines forth, and that’s what people see when they read the story in our eyes.

A Bountiful Harvest

Fifty is a time to harvest our joy — and acknowledge evidence of our mortality. While several of my contemporaries have already matched wits with serious illness, and a few have transitioned to the other side of life, I’ve also watched three dear friends meet and marry their life partners in their fifties. As I’ve been casting my soul mate net for a while now, this is heartening news.

Life in the Middle Ages can be bountiful, as Oprah Winfrey, our ultimate generational role model for accomplished aging, said of her 50^th birthday: “All these years I’ve been taking lessons from life experiences and feeling like I was growing into myself. Finally, I feel grown. More like myself than I’ve ever been. If it’s true what Maya Angelou says, that the fifties represent everything you were meant to be, all I can say is, watch out.”

Riley Mackenzie* embodies Angelou’s decree. In her fifties, she studied the subtleties of Argentine Tango, became a serious ceramics artist, and swung from a high trapeze. Now 68, she’s just back from a leisurely road trip around the periphery of the U.S. with her husband of almost, yes, 50 years. She’s also reinventing her marketing business with a partner, another vital woman in her late fifties. Mackenzie says emphatically, “It’s the most fun I could ever imagine having!”

Hot Flashes…of Inspiration

Age, like everything else in life, is a matter of perspective. Six months before my milestone birthday, I fell into conversation with a lively older gentleman as we waited to cross the street. He was searching his pockets for his eyeglasses, and, after I helped him find them, we walked together for a few minutes. He told me he was 100 years old, and regaled me with tales of his life. As we reached a parting of the ways, he turned to me and asked, quite seriously, “So tell me, young lady, have you graduated from college yet?”

Now, that’s the ultimate tonic for the “chronologically gifted”!

As I sit in a local teahouse, sipping rooibos and savoring my feminine cycle along with some exquisite chocolate mousse, I’m tickled by these words from The Reconnections website, on meeting the beloved: “I saw a license plate the other day, on a car belonging to a woman aged 50 plus: ‘Give me chocolate, and no one gets hurt.’ I thought that one was pretty neat until I saw a better one: ‘I’m over 50 and I’m still hot — except now, it comes in flashes.'”

How true. Flashes of insight. Flashes of inspiration. Flashes of unmitigated delight at just how extraordinary life on this beautiful blue-green planet can be. One author refers to the second half-century as “Jubilee Time.”

I’m ready to party. Considering how many playmates I’ll have in the galactic sandbox, it’s destined to be an unsurpassed blast. Bring it on: fifty! Fifty! Fifty!

* name changed to honor her privacy

About the Author:

Amara Rose can pluck a graying hair from her scalp at 25 mph; driving any faster, she waits for a red light. To see what she’s done with her first half-century, visit LiveYourLight.com. Offer her dark chocolate and you open the doorway to friendship.

Photo by Mert Guller on Unsplash

100 Year Olds Share Their Life Lessons

By Greg Thurston

Longevity Secrets from Centurions

If you watch videos of people who have lived to 100 years and beyond, you start to see a theme.

They seem content.

That might be shocking to younger people, especially anyone who fears old age. Maybe we fear missing out on opportunities in life, and worry that we’ll find ourselves too old to do things.

But we have many interviews of people 100 and older, and they love to share about their lives and offer advice to the rest of us.

Dr. Mercola (of the Mercola Video Library) interviewed three centurions for this very information, and many other people have as well.

Quite a few of us (more now than ever) have relatives or know someone who is 100 or over.

One lady I know who is 104 is full of sassy attitude and enjoys talking to people.

From this wealth of information, we can form the following ten lessons.

1. Happiness comes from what we do

At 100 years old, or older, people don’t seem to sit around and smile about the things they accumulated in life.

Rather, it’s more about their life experiences. Happy memories can go a long ways toward happiness later on!

One man over 100 years old said he did all he wanted to do. Now he wants to be helpful and keep going.

“I have so many beautiful memories,” said a woman over 100. “I got to do all the things I wanted to.”

That tells us to jump in and live life – remember that it’s about really living and making memories with people we love.

Science backs this up as well. We know people derive more happiness that is long-term from experiences such as vacations rather than from possessions.

2. Happiness comes from a positive attitude and optimism

People over 100 seem to remember life through rose tinted glasses, making it sound like an adventure even through hard times, like war.

“I’ve always been lucky,” says one centurion despite living through 2 great wars!

She also talked about how “everything makes me happy. I love talking to people… going shopping.”

Common advice from people who are doing well at 100 is to “Decide to be content.” Others say, “Don’t chase happiness. Just be satisfied.”

Deciding life is good changes our perception and makes life better, and apparently it helps you live much longer!

3. Happiness comes from living in the NOW

Age is only a number. You live for the day and keep going.

This is wisdom from someone with a very long past-but they enjoy the present.

The past is the past; we can’t change it. But we can rob ourselves of our present happiness and good emotional health by hanging onto old regrets, grudges, and pain.

4. Love and Partnership is critical for long life

Centurions often talk about their “good” marriage, all their happy memories, and all their good times together. It’s another area where they might be applying rose-tinted glasses, but it’s apparent that they got emotional support and felt like they have a life partner.

They also say that people today give up too easily these days-so there was hard work involved, but at the end of their life that part isn’t really important anymore.

“Being happily married and happy in general is the remedy for all illness.”

We don’t have studies on how marriage or long-term relationships affect life span, but you don’t have to be a scientist to take note: centurions all speak about their decades long marriage with a smile on their face.

Even people who have been widowed for a few decades say they have many, many warm memories about their married life, and that still makes them happy.

5. Eat natural, real food to feel good and live long

Many people who are 100 say they feel strong and like they’re 69 or 79. These are the people who stay active physically and mentally, and have a lot to share with other people.

Many people over 100 talk about eating fresh food that they grew themselves.

And older people will tell you over and over: eat in moderation!

6. Learn to adapt for a better and longer life

“Life goes on regardless” is a common theme. People who live well into old age understand that there is hardship in life but they know life goes on and they must too.

If you live 7, 8, 9, 10 or more decades, you’re going to see a lot of change.

People who adapt and change with the times do better. It’s part of having a positive attitude-they’re excited for new opportunities instead of fearing change.

7. Help others

Helping others is one way to build relationships and connections, and it makes you feel great.

It’s another common theme among people who live to be over 100.

Being kind and helping others gives you a sense of purpose too, and it fights depression and anxiety. Not only that, it’s a way of staying active and productive after you retire.

It’s a win-win for everyone involved, and being older and retired can mean having more time for volunteering.

8. Always learn!

Older people will advise to get a good education to help you go far in life, and science has shown that people with a Bachelor’s degree actually do live about a decade longer than people who don’t have one. (From the U.S. Centers for Disease an Control Prevention)

Older people will tell you to keep learning all through life, both in and out of school.

Be curious-it makes life more interesting and fun. And it helps you stay engaged with life and the changing technology and times. That helps you adapt too.

9. Practice Mindfulness

People over 100 tend to live in the moment as it comes, rather than worrying about plans, regrets, and getting caught up in pressure and worry.

They cherish special time with family and friends, the colors and smell of a new flower in spring, or the feel of the grass on their feet.

When life is enjoyed in the moment, it’s just better…

…And people who live in the moment more tend to live longer, happier lives!

For a simple and easy way to get started with mindfulness, I highly recommend that you check out 7 Minute Mindfulness.

This method will make your mind as calm as water…

It’s a method that will allow you to sink into relaxation, and feel abundantly positive and happy within minutes…

Actively practicing mindfulness is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

When we disconnect from the mental chatter (the past, future, worry, expectations and judgements), we are able to approach life with greater perspective – we tend to see the opportunities, instead of carrying around the weight of worry and mental baggage.

There’s a wealth of research on the long term and short term health benefits of mindfulness, including boosting your immune system, Preventing cellular aging, and reducing the likelihood of age-related diseases. (UCLA)

If you’d like disconnect from the mental chatter but don’t have time for long drawn out meditation, then why not try 7 Minute Mindfulness.

In just 7 minutes you can release the stress that builds up, wipe away the mental chatter, and relax your mind and body… so you can enjoy a long and prosperous life!

About the Author:

Greg Thurston is the creator of 7 Minute Mindfulness. Want to try a free sample? Lightwork Review has made an arrangement with 7 Minute Mindfulness so our readers can try Greg Thurston’s techniques for free. It’s a mini-course that includes 7-days of short exercises and a downloadable e-book. Check out the Free 7-Day Mind & Soul Cleanse Here.

Photo by Huyen Nguyen on Unsplash

Co-operation is a Spiritual Principle

‘United we stand, divided we fall’ is a well-known and some would doubtless say well-worn phrase, although I have to say I haven’t encountered it anywhere recently. Central to the Masters’ teaching is the tenet that in order to literally survive, let alone thrive, the human race must learn to cease competing with itself and begin to co-operate instead. The idea that competition drives success, promotes excellence and somehow brings out the best in people has brought us to the very brink of planetary destruction. It belongs perhaps only on the sporting field – but even that particular arena is driven nowadays by big money, corporate sponsorship and greed.

“Was our quote competitive?” the bank manager asked me a year or two ago. The business world of course is rife with it, since competition is central to the current economic model, driving ‘growth’, ‘escalation’ and of course the all-important profits. Sadly, what has emerged inevitably in the race to be top dog is a small number of ultra wealthy and dangerously powerful ‘winners’ and a great many relatively or indeed completely unsuccessful ‘losers’. So it is that the giant corporations stand astride the Earth, sucking it dry for their precious billions. But it isn’t just big business at fault: individuals, couples, families, businesses and nations all vie for dominance. The result is never-ending conflict. For competition is essentially a selfish principle.

Humanity has become like some giant machine in which all the various components are in constant conflict and discord with one another, rather than functioning as a loving and cohesive whole. And perhaps this analogy is doubly apt in the era of capitalism where so many of us have come to feel depersonalised and dehumanised, where cash is king and everything is a commodity, and the very meaning of life itself has become reduced to a price tag and monetary value. This gross materialism must be replaced of course by a renewed spiritual imperative, where we recognise ourselves and by extension everyone else as souls, and unity naturally replaces separatism as a result.

Imagine a world where all this aggression stops, where we put down our weapons, literal and metaphorical, and begin to co-operate instead – not merely as individuals, but as souls. Not even as one family – the human family – but as a spiritual force to be reckoned with. Imagine humanity oriented toward the General Good, united in that will, recognising our common needs and interests and acting as custodians of the planet, rather than merely feeding off it. Competition promotes separateness; co-operation fosters unity and banishes the illusion that we are all alone and therefore it’s ‘every man for himself’. This is the future that the Masters of Wisdom foresee for us and fully intend, and that Maitreya the World Teacher has come to instruct: “A world where no man lacks, where no two days are alike.” A global civilisation of peace, love and splendour unlike anything seen before.

Maitreya has said, “You can have one world: it is so simple.” We must learn to co-operate, but more, we have to learn to SHARE. Indeed one could argue that sharing is the highest form of co-operation, giving freely without expectation of recompense. We teach our children to share and not be greedy, but sadly as a race in general, we forget this principle. The new world so many of us long for will be based very much upon this one simple precept. We need to realise that “enough is as good as a feast.” When the nations, large and small, learn to share the world’s resources equally, rather than the West in particular grabbing all it can for itself, justice will be seen to be done. Justice alone, the Great Ones teach us, will create, finally, world peace. Hence the essential formula is simply Sharing = Justice = Peace.

It’s all coming, it really is on the way, and the eve of destruction will be seen to herald the dawn of resurrection. ‘Might is right’ and ‘divide and conquer’ will give way at last to caring, sharing, altruism and trust. Maitreya’s and the Masters’ presence, albeit behind the scenes for now, guarantees it. So bring on Team Humanity.

(More information is available through Share International.)

About the author:

Julian Middleton is a White Eagle Astrologer and author who has been writing fiction for many years, actually mostly children’s books, and studying spirituality, in particular the works of Alice Bailey and Benjamin Creme.

His works can be found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/JULIAN-MIDDLETON/e/B00ANNHGXI/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1523439387&sr=1-2-ent

Photo by Perry Grone on Unsplash

The Avoidance of Intimacy

In her new book The Anatomy of Loneliness, Teal Swan discusses how loneliness is reaching endemic proportions in our society and that now, more than ever we need to find a way to connect. In this excerpt, Teal writes about avoiding intimacy and how to create it…

Some people are absolutely terrified of intimacy. As a result, they avoid it, often without even realizing that they are doing so. They are terrified that intimacy is going to lead to something that feels bad. For example, we might be terrified that if we let someone really see the truth of us, they won’t tolerate or accept it. If they know the truth of us, they may use it as leverage to control us or use it against us later. If they know our weaknesses or vulnerabilities, they can capitalize on them to our detriment and conversely for their own best interest.

If they give us closeness, we may feel like we are obligated to make them happy in return, which is a kind of indebtedness and we stand to lose our freedom as a result. If they find out things about us that they might judge as bad or wrong, then they might increase our shame, abandon us or reject us. If we let them in, they might find a way to engulf us completely so that we don’t even have ourselves at all and, worse yet, if they leave we will be left with nothing.

Here’s another way to approach this. I suggest spending some time imagining being completely close to someone and having no distance between the two of you. Imagine that person being able to see, feel, hear, understand you and be permanently linked to you. At first you may feel a very deep imprint of fear arise when you try to imagine this and there is a good reason for that. It’s based on a childhood response where we were told that our feelings, thoughts and desires would not be tolerated. This section will help you start to understand and overcome this fear, but first it’s necessary to understand where it came from.

When a child is born, it’s born with a natural compulsion and instinct to be close to its parents. Intimacy comes naturally to us all. Being close to our parents is how we guarantee having our needs met and experiencing protection and comfort in times of distress. But how a parent responded to you dictated how safe closeness and intimacy was or wasn’t. If we have a fear of intimacy, our parents either dismissed our neediness and shamed us for it or used it against us.

As we have already discussed, in households like this, parents usually respond to feelings, thoughts or desires with intolerance and non-acceptance. The message that the child most often gets from this experience is that the way he or she feels, thinks or wants is invalid, shameful and in direct conflict with the parent’s feelings, thoughts and desires. As for us, since we were only children when this happened, instead of seeing how ridiculous this was, we decided that our parent must be right. The result was that they swallowed our own personal truth in the same way that a predator swallows its prey. And we let it happen. It was a strategy to keep us safe from conflict and avoid being abandoned. But nonetheless we felt engulfed. We lost ourselves.

In essence then our heart was broken long ago and never healed because we never found a way to resolve that pain and have a different experience relative to being seen, felt, heard and understood. We have no frame of reference as to what it feels like to have someone who can meet our needs in a consistently loving and warm way. Instead, we simply forged forward with a broken heart and, as a result of not even knowing what we needed in order to mend that heart, we entered into scenarios where we experienced more heartbreak. It does explain a lot. Closeness inevitably involves feelings of vulnerability because the person who fears intimacy has learned to cope with their own feelings with avoidance. This naturally leads to suppressing needs, feelings and desires, as well as avoiding anything that would induce these feelings. Thus, closeness is to be avoided at all costs, even though closeness is our most suppressed need.

And, unfortunately, we cannot dismiss our own needs, feelings and desires without doing the same to other people. We don’t want to see, feel or deeply understand someone because that would bring up deep feelings of unfairness that we must accept, tolerate and take care of someone else is but that we won’t receive the same treatment in return … just like in childhood. If you struggle with intimacy, realize that you tend to repeat what was done to you as a child in your relationships. Recognize the way you meet other people’s wants, needs, feelings, thoughts and desires are with intolerance. If you can remember how painful that was, you can recognize what you needed instead and provide that experience to other people. Imagine that every time you are giving that to them, you are giving that to the child in you that had to suffer in that way and helping to create a world where that kind of pain no longer exists.

Intimacy is a brand-new thing

If you are afraid of intimacy or struggle with connection, one of the best ways to proceed is to first accept that you will be learning how to be intimate, close and connected with someone for the first time from scratch. Start by admitting that you have no idea how to have a good relationship and prioritize learning it from the ground up now. The truth is that you didn’t have role models for a good relationship, so how could you know how to do it? You don’t. Become OK with starting again and throwing your old paradigms away. This is similar to the moment that a scientist realizes his current theory is rubbish and he has to crumple it up and throw it in the trashcan. We have to be willing to do this and be open to entirely new ways of having a relationship.

If you fear intimacy, you need to discover the parts of you, your Inner Twins, who don’t want to be intimate with someone. These are the inner parts of you that were wounded by your parents when they refused to accept and tolerate your feelings, thoughts and desires. You also need to face he inner parts of yourself that you created in order to protect those hurt parts.

Once you find these parts, talk to them, understand them, feel them, see them and give them the intimacy that they didn’t receive when you were a child. From this space, those inner parts of you will tell you what you need to do and what they need other people to do in order for them to allow for intimacy and closeness to happen. Also, make a practice of noticing social cues. When you decided to shut people out because you felt you could never be acknowledged by them or be supported by them, there is a strong potential that you tuned other people out. You decided not to be attuned to them at all. This means you either ignore or dismiss subtle and not-so-subtle cues from other people all the time.

This can become a vicious cycle because it makes the world and intimacy more dangerous. When you don’t pick up on social cues and adjust your behavior accordingly, other people feel as if you don’t have their best interests at heart. They perceive you to be a heartless person who can’t be trusted. As a result, they decide to be in defense mode and not care about your best interest either. It becomes an antagonistic relationship, which is not safe to either party. However, the more you notice social cues and respond to them in a way that makes people feel safe near you, the more they will want to care-take your needs, your personal truth and your best interests. So throughout your day, in every social interaction, practice reading the emotions of others and check in with them about whether what you are perceiving is accurate or not. This is a kind of attunement, a concept I will be explaining in more detail further on in this section. If you fear intimacy, you have not been living authentically. Trying to be authentic around your parents is an intimate thing because trusting them with the truth of you had consequences. But notice the pain involved in living an authentic life. Anaïs Nin once wrote that, “The day came that the risk it took to remain tight in a bud was more painful that the risk it took to bloom.”

Have you reached that point yet? Has that day come? If so, commit to being authentic.

About Teal Swan

Author of The Anatomy of Loneliness: How to Find Your Way Back to Connection, Teal Swan was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico with a range of extrasensory abilities, including clairvoyance, clairsentience, and clairaudience. She is a survivor of severe childhood abuse. Today she uses her extrasensory gifts as well as her own harrowing life experience to inspire millions of people towards authenticity, freedom and joy. Her worldwide success as a modern spiritual leader has earned her the nickname “The Spiritual Catalyst.” She is the bestselling author of three books; The Sculptor in the Sky, Shadows Before Dawn and The Completion Process.

Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

New Book To Help Americans Understand Each Other

Why do folks in the United States of America have such different versions of the truth? A new, award-winning book explains this disparity as well as taking a look at how the two opposing camps could come to know one another more constructively rather than being so judgemental.

Are you wondering how Americans can currently be so divided over political and religious views and even hold opposing views of truth and what is real or fake news? If so, you’ll be drawn to the acclaimed new book by Carol E. Richardson exploring why people believe what they do.

Written to pave the way to understand each other while expanding our abilities to access ultimate truths, Truth and Illusion: The Politics of Spirituality and How One Person’s Lie Is Another One’s Truth teaches readers:

How to cultivate inner wisdom
Why we must harmonize dualistic thinking such as East/West/, male/female, left brain/right brain, rich/poor, and individualistic/communal so that we can find truth
How the body’s seven chakras represent our progress in understanding life, truth, ourselves, and one another and how to heal them
‘How patriarchy has overpowered humanity culturally and religiously, limiting our human development and blocking our access to ultimate truths
How feminine qualities, masculine qualities, love, fear, and the worldviews of each of our seven chakras combine to explain why we see the world the way we do

In essence, Richardson explains, Truth and Illusion explains why we are who we are and how we all can progress in our quests for truth. It offers both a model of psycho-spiritual development and a developmental epistemology. Ultimately, she says, “I wrote Truth and Illusion to help readers transcend duality into a state of oneness in which we can discover truth and create harmony together.”

For her efforts, Truth and Illusion: The Politics of Spirituality and How One Person’s Lie Is Another One’s Truth received the Silver Medal from the 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the category of Religion (Eastern/Western).

“Truth and Illusion is a powerful and enlightening compilation of thought-provoking ideas that shifted my mindset on religion and spirituality. It encourages self-awareness, which leads to replacing fear and judgment with love and compassion. Carol demonstrates how the state of the body’s seven main chakras influences behavior and how healing them can foster a more peaceful and harmonious existence, therefore revealing truth in all we experience. This book answered question after question for me…”
– Kimberly Vorberger, Mother, Interior Designer, Essential Oils Instructor

About the author:

Rev. Carol E. Richardson, MDiv, MPH, is an integrative-intuitive life coach, energy healer, and hypnotherapist in the Washington, D.C. area. She works out of her own practice, Highest Harmony Healing & Coaching, as well as the Washington Institute of Natural Medicine and National Integrated Health Associates. Having practiced Raja Yoga Meditation for more than 21 years, she teaches meditation classes, stress reduction workshops, and lightworker training and gives talks and inspirational speeches. Born on the equator in Africa in what was then the Belgian Congo (Dem. Rep. of Congo) , she grew up moving between Africa and the U.S. multiple times, ultimately living in three African countries and three states in the U.S. Her encounters with different cultural and nationalistic versions of “truth” thus began early, and she learned to question different versions of truth by age ten. Her parents both had Ivy League graduate degrees, yet chose to be missionaries to the Congo.

Raised in this intellectual, multi-cultural, and religious milieu, Richardson developed both an inquiring mind, and a deeply spiritual approach to life. Introduced to feminist theology at Vanderbilt Divinity School, she has brought a feminist understanding into her experiences of Eastern traditions, including the philosophy of yoga. Ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), she served traditional churches for over 15 years. She then began an Eastern course of spiritual studies, with most of her training coming from a spiritual centre in England. She has practiced Raja Yoga meditation and Kriya Yoga for almost 20 years. Through her meditation practice, she has become a mystic, experiencing visions and even a few miracles. She looks forward to introducing more people to an integrative, holistic understanding of truth that creates health and wholeness for all life on earth and for the earth herself while expanding our consciousness into full Oneness.

About the book:
Truth and Illusion: The Politics of Spirituality and How One Person’s Lie Is Another One’s Truth
Paperback: 354 pages
Publisher: Highest Harmony Healing & Coaching (March 25, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0692886729
ISBN-13: 978-0692886724
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds

Photo by Devin Avery on Unsplash

Spiritual and Broke

police car

How to Stop Struggling with Money and Live Your Purpose

Have you ever had a moment in your life that was so shocking, so horrible, and yet appeared so absurdly random, that you were compelled to wonder, “How the heck did I end up here!?!”

I had that exact moment at 6 AM, one crisp, fall morning in Venice, California. The sun was just peeking out over the eastern horizon, painting the sky with a rich palette of reds, oranges, and yellows. The dazzling colors, enhanced by a thick, noxious, and ever-present layer of infamous LA smog, illuminated the city with breathtaking splendor. As this new day dawned, I watched this glorious sunrise from a perverse, unfamiliar, creepy, and totally unthinkable place…

The back of a police car.

What?

Yes, that’s right! I wasn’t enjoying the sunrise from my deck, while savoring a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Nor was I heading out for a quiet morning run or catering the dietary whims of a finicky pet cat. Instead, I was anxiously sitting in the back seat of a police car, reflecting upon the ugly sequence of events that led up to this horrifying situation.

Many leaders, teachers, Saints, and even the Merriam-Webster dictionary refer to an experience like this as an “Aha!” moment: “A point in time that provides a keen and sudden insight into our life.” It is often characterized by a sense that time is “standing still.” In a state of shock, we watch our life unfold, from a vantage point somewhere outside our body. This surreal moment forces us to reconstruct our very essence on the spot. We know without a doubt, that we will never be the same person we once were.

In my case, my “Aha!” moment acted as a profound catalyst for change – an opportunity to make a significant “course correction” in my life.

Looking back, I was way overdue for a major shift.

Negative Net Worth

Before my “Aha!” moment, I felt incredibly stuck. My life was a constant, never-ending, painful, depressing, and long-suffering struggle with money. I always felt like I was spinning my wheels in a state of fathomless desperation.

How did I, an intelligent, level-headed, college-educated, and supposedly savvy woman, end up incredibly broke? More specifically, how did I end up with no money, copious amounts of debt, and no savings?

Let me describe my previously pitiful state of financial affairs.

First of all, my checking account was on life support; my balance always hovered well below the arbitrary “minimum daily balance,” prompting the bank to levy a significant (and annoying!) monthly fee.

Second, I had accumulated thirty-five thousand dollars of credit card debt and the substantial interest payments that came with it. Speaking of interest, isn’t it ironic that the bank charges us money, for having no money? Our financial institutions penalize us for being broke, yet, when we’re wealthy, they give us more money. The bank is like the antithesis of Robin Hood – it robs from the poor and gives to the rich! In my case, my interest alone surely rivaled the average monthly food bill for a family of four!

Third, in addition to my credit card debt, impressive interest charges, and whimsical bank fees, I also owed one-hundred thousand dollars on a business line of credit. Now one might argue that a commercial loan is not necessarily a bad thing, if it eventually generates a return on investment. However, in my case, this loan wasn’t funding any sort of business growth. Instead, it was the only lifeboat keeping my business afloat. Without it, I would have been forced to close the doors.

Finally, to cap it all off, I had absolutely zero savings. I was in no position to handle unanticipated expenses, such as car repairs, a sudden dip in business, a visit to the dentist, the adoption of a kitten, or an emergency fix to a leak in the plumbing. And forget about having money saved to pay for a down payment on a house, a vacation, or even a trip to see the family. Like many people, I was living pay check to pay check.

Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed, what appeared to be, a wonderfully abundant lifestyle. However, my copacetic way of life was only possible because I was highly skilled at borrowing money! For example, I had an “interest only” mortgage on my dream home in Hawaii! Unfortunately, as many of you may know, this type of loan behaves like a ticking time bomb; once the “interest only” period expires, the mortgage payments increase by a substantial amount! Hence, I had a beautiful house I couldn’t afford long-term. Also, I made sizeable monthly payments on a bright, shiny, “fire engine red” Mazda Miata convertible, which I absolutely loved, especially on sunny days! Unfortunately, it also contributed an additional thirty-thousand- dollars to my total debt! Furthermore, I frequently splurged on makeup, sparkly shoes, a personal trainer, new clothes, and expensive linen throw pillows – all of which was possible, thanks to MasterCard!

Taking the thirty-thousand-foot view of my financial portfolio, I had:

a one-hundred-thousand-dollar business loan
thirty-five thousand dollars of credit card debt
a mortgage I couldn’t afford
an auto loan, and
zero savings.

Sadly, I wasn’t just broke; I was beyond broke! In fact, I actually needed to raise money just to bring my net worth to zero! Regrettably, my life of costly creature comforts came with a steep emotional price tag as well. I always felt anxious and stressed about money (or more specifically, the lack thereof!)

Follow Your Heart and The Money Will Come?

All of my financial troubles began when I quit my “real job” to follow my Heart. I may have been naïve, but at that time, I was under the impression that if I did what I loved, the money would come. However, I was dismayed to discover that this ideology wasn’t true for me.

Not at all.

Here’s what happened.

Previously, I was working as a software developer and while I wasn’t in love with my job, I appreciated the reliable paycheck and benefits that came with it. Although I was financially solvent, I was emotionally bankrupt. I felt disillusioned by my work, and often wondered, “Is this all there is?” I believe that we are all put on earth to do something meaningful, and for me, it was not writing software in a cold, lonely cubicle, day in and day out.

Everything changed when I attended a lecture by Richard Gordon, the founder of an energy healing company called “Quantum-Touch.” As you may know, energy healing is a form of alternative medicine based on channeling healing energy to facilitate physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. During his talk, I fell in love with Richard and his mission to teach energy healing all over the world. And as we all know, falling in love can inspire us do insanely wonderful things! Just two months after we met, I threw all caution to the wind, quit my “real job” and moved in with hm.

Unfortunately, Quantum-Touch was on the verge of going out of business. In fact, shortly after I settled in with Richard, the current CEO of Quantum-Touch quit! Prompted by an uncertain future, she wanted to find a “real job” – a secure position at a profitable and stable company. Ironically, she wanted the exact same type of job I had just left! And who could blame her? I certainly understood her desire to jump off a sinking ship! Hence, she invited me to take over her position and that’s how I became the CEO (or “Chief Magical Officer,” as I like to say) of Quantum-Touch.

Despite the bleak state of the company, I loved my new role. I felt extremely passionate about the philosophy behind energy medicine. Although conventional medicine views the body as physical matter, Quantum-Touch sees the body as consciousness, information, and energy, all of which can be dramatically influenced by our love and compassion. In other words, we all have an incredible ability to heal ourselves, using the power of our love. I longed to share this inspiring message with the world and Quantum-Touch was my vehicle to do just that!

Unfortunately, as much as I loved living my purpose, working with Quantum-Touch did not create the financial abundance that I was so eagerly anticipating! In fact, it created the opposite – lots of debt and stress around money. We were always teetering on the edge of going out of business and unfortunately, I was acquiring debt faster than a hyper hamster, running in his wheel. When I pondered my negative net worth, I couldn’t help but wonder what went wrong.

How did I end up spiritual and broke?

Love Versus Money

Although I loved honoring my true calling, I felt more financially frustrated than a benevolent butterfly, hopelessly trapped in a cage, with no place to fly! When I contemplated how to fix my negative net worth, it seemed like I only had unhappy, heart- wrenching, and impossible options.

For example, I considered going back to the “real world” and getting a normal job. On the upside, I would, once again, enjoy that nice steady paycheck and perhaps I could slowly dig myself out of my massive and unfathomable financial hole. This idea seemed extremely tempting at times, yet in my heart, I knew I couldn’t do it. I would be going back to feeling unfulfilled, depressed, and miserable at my job. What sense would that make? I knew I had a unique purpose on the planet. No matter how I framed it, getting a “real job” would be selling out; I would no longer be following my Heart. I would be sacrificing my soul for money.

Cutting back on my spending seemed like an obvious solution, but that didn’t work either! Every time I tried to lower my expenses, I felt like I was depriving myself of something that was essential to my well-being. Organic food is more expensive than fast food, yet I felt it was necessary to take care of my health. Like many healers, I am extremely sensitive to the energy of my environment, so I spent a lot of money on a quiet, peaceful, and nurturing place to live. I purchased a brand-new car, every five years because I didn’t want to risk breaking down in the middle of nowhere. Hence, lowering my expenses felt like a dangerous and ill-advised crash diet, with unhappy and even perilous consequences. To me, saving money meant sacrificing my health and happiness.

To avoid either of these tough decisions, I rationalized my debt, telling myself that it was inconsequential because someday, one day, my ship would come in. Sooner or later, the Universe would reward me for all of my hard work and eventually, I would receive the abundance I had so greatly earned and deserved. I had fantasies of going to the bank, and proudly writing a substantial check to pay off all my debt. I dreamed of the day that my money worries would be a distant memory. Essentially, I was treating my debt as a way to buy time; I was waiting for the Universe to deliver on the debt that I felt it “owed me!” After all, the Universe should reward us for having the courage to follow our Heart and share our love with the world!

Right?

Yet, there was a big problem with this rationale: the money never came! Year after year, nothing changed. I was working so hard to help others, yet I felt like a victim and martyr for my cause. I talked about the power of love, yet behind closed doors, I was angry at God. Overall, I felt betrayed by the Universe.

Did we really have to choose between love and money?

Misery Loves Company

As the old saying goes, “Misery loves company!” Just like me, many of my friends and colleagues were living their purpose, yet felt frustrated, angry, and disappointed by their complete and utter failure to make ends meet. Clearly, I was not alone in my financial despair!

For example, I knew other spiritual entrepreneurs who had no savings and hence no resources to handle regular, let alone any unexpected expenses. Believe it or not, I actually met life coaches who were living out of their cars or “couch surfing,” unable to afford a place to live! Many of them had maxed out their credit cards to fund their mission, only to discover that their mission never paid them back! Worst of all, despite my own financial problems, I loaned money to other seemingly conscious business owners who needed help funding their own heartfelt dreams. Sadly, these loans usually turned into unintended “gifts.”

Overall, it just didn’t seem fair that so many beautiful, amazing, heart-centered people were living their purpose, yet extremely stressed about taking care of their family, loved ones, and employees.

Why? What is the Universe trying to tell us? Should we stop trying to follow our Heart?

Police Car Epiphany

As the bestselling author H. Jackson Brown Jr. observed, “Every great achievement was once considered impossible.” Like those living paycheck to paycheck, I felt trapped in a vicious cycle, always struggling to make ends meet. I used to believe that I would never achieve financial inner peace; I would forever suffer under the seemingly impossible weight of my insurmountable debt; I would never be able to save money; and I would always remain hopelessly spiritual and broke.

I felt like I was doomed forever, until I had my “Aha!” moment, in the back of a police car. Later I will share the gory details of exactly how I ended up there – the one place I thought I would never be! As I watched a glorious sunrise illuminate one of the darkest moments in my life, I experienced an epiphany that radically altered my worldview. I finally understood why I was struggling with my finances, and other aspects of my life as well. My “police car epiphany” was the catalyst I so desperately needed to turn my finances around.

Financial Alignment

Now, I am debt free and no longer burdened by one hundred thirty-five thousand dollars of unsecured financial baggage. I have established a real savings account, instead of using my credit card as the “emergency fund.” I have more than enough money saved for car repairs, plumbing leaks, fancy cat toys, a new couch, a vacation, or even a down payment on a house! Also, I consistently save money each month. My net worth went from insanely negative to comfortably positive. More importantly, I turned my finances around without any feelings of deprivation or sacrificing my well-being. During this time, I never felt like I was embarking on an unsustainable financial crash diet. Above all, I no longer constantly agonize about running out of money!

Now, I want to clarify something. This book is not about making lots and lots of money or becoming a multi-millionaire. Nor is it about sacrificing our happiness and well-being to save money. Rather, it’s a guide to what I’m calling financial alignment, which is a harmonious co-existence between our Heart and our money. In other words, we have enough money so that we don’t need to worry about money, and we are living our purpose. We don’t have to sacrifice our soul to make money or sacrifice our finances to follow our Heart! We can joyfully pursue our true calling in life, without worrying about how to make ends meet. And here’s the best part about financial alignment: it frees up our energy to do what we love! It actually supports our true calling by allowing us to fund it!

So, what does financial alignment look like?

First of all, we are doing what we love! We don’t just show up at work for a paycheck. Instead, we are passionate about what we do. We are helping others and we know, without a doubt, that we are fulfilling our true purpose.

Second, we have no debt. This means no credit card debt, no car loans, no bank loans, and even no money owed to friends and family. The only exception to this is debt that actually builds wealth such as an affordable (non-interest only!) mortgage. Debt is a massive emotional burden that can weigh down our creative Spirit and actually thwart our mission in life. Not to mention, the interest alone can feel insurmountable and downright depressing!

Third, we happily and easily live below our means. After all our monthly expenses are paid, there is money to spare. Please note, I said “happily” living below our means because I believe that anyone could all drastically cut their expenses if they are willing to endure enough pain and suffering. Anyone can pitch a tent in the woods, ride a bike in the snow, and eat ramen noodles as their only source of sustenance. This book, however, is about financial and emotional abundance, not deprivation. We can live below our means and still have money left to enjoy the little luxuries in life such as dinner out, organic cat food, a pedicure, skydiving, or whatever it is that makes our Heart sing!

Finally, we have a decent-sized savings account. It’s very tempting to think of a credit card as the “fund for emergencies.” But relying on credit is the mentality that creates debt in the first place. Hence ideally, we have at least one year of expenses saved. Also, because we are cheerfully living below our means, we consistently and painlessly save money, month after month.

In the process of turning my finances around, I realized that financial alignment has very little to do with how much money we actually make. I hear stories of people who make millions upon millions a year, yet they have mounds of debt and spend every penny they make, proving that it’s possible to make lots of money and still be broke! Although I believe that we have the power to attract infinite amounts of money, I don’t want to encourage, in any way, the mindset that we need to wait until we have more money before we can improve our financial situation. In fact, we don’t need to wait for anything or anyone; no need to wait for a raise, or for our spouse to change, or for our children to move out, or for someone to die, or for an act of God. We can create financial alignment, right here, right now, regardless of our current situation.

In this book, I describe everything I did, step-by-step, to create financial alignment, without feeling deprived. My financial turnaround was possible only because I didn’t feel like I was suffering in the process; I never felt confined by an unrealistic and painful budget. In fact, as I got out of debt and started saving money, I felt incredibly empowered, inspired, and free!

We all have the power to create more than enough money to follow our Heart, live our purpose, and enjoy the life of our dreams…

Or at least pay the rent on time!

About the author:

Jennifer Noel Taylor is an energy healing practitioner, self-help motivator, and the CEO of Quantum-Touch, Inc. She has dedicated her life work to helping people discover the healing power of their love.

Jennifer graduated from Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo, CA) with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science and a Minor in Philosophy. After graduation, she started her first job as a Software Engineer at a big company in San Diego. Like so many people, she felt incredibly trapped and depressed at a job that paid the bills but didn’t align with her true passion in life. She innately knew that she had a purpose and felt keenly aware that she was not following her true calling in life.

To cope with the social isolation and depression she felt at work, she studied bodywork and alternative healing. She attended the International Professional School of Bodywork, Esalen Institute in Big Sur, and the Maui Academy of Healing Arts. While working on people, she started to feel the “energy fields” emanating from people. She became fascinated by energy healing and studied various energy healing modalities, including Reiki.

She met Richard Gordon, the founder of Quantum-Touch as his lecture on Maui. She fell in love with the vision of Quantum-Touch and received a very clear message from the Universe that energy healing was her true calling. Shortly after training in Quantum-Touch, she quit her job, took a leap of faith, and finally followed her Heart. She took over as CEO of Quantum-Touch in June 2002.

As CEO of Quantum-Touch, she continues to promote optimal wellness by helping people connect more deeply to their love. Not only is Love the basis of all healing but it also is the guiding force behind the business itself. Her business practices include spiritually rewarding jobs, loving service to the world, environmental responsibility, and financial abundance. Quantum-Touch has grown from a regional U.S company to a Multinational corporation.

More Info on Jennifer can be found at: www.jennifernoeltaylor.com

Helping Women Be More By Doing Less

The Lost Art of Being is a new book that empowers women to be more by doing less. Anyone who is sick and tired of today’s busy, modern life should read on and find out.

Calling on both the wisdom of ancient sages as well as her own eclectic life, Jacqui Macdonald’s ‘The Lost Art of Being: Secrets to a Calm, Happy, Easy Life’ offers a unique and refreshing shake-up to the mantra that the only way to succeed in life is through gruelling, slogging hard work. By truly separating the “human” and the “being”, readers can now enjoy a life that is far less difficult – replacing their inner workaholic with a vibrant, boundless beacon of potential and happiness.

As an awakened Mindfulness Teacher, Jacqui Macdonald has met hundreds of people who have innocently bought into the mindset that the only way to achieve true success and fulfilment is by working to the point of exhaustion.

As summer approaches, Macdonald has a bold message for people – particularly women – everywhere; that doing less is going to rapidly propel them to “being” more.

In her celebrated book, ‘The Lost Art of Being: Secrets to a Calm, Happy, Easy Life’, Macdonald calls on ancient wisdom and modern living to prove that anyone can be happy in a way that’s shockingly simple.

Synopsis:

The Lost Art of Being is a little book about doing less and being more. Capturing the wisdom of ancient sages on how to be happy and roll with the Universe, it applies these sacred secrets to our busy modern lives. Offering direct teachings illustrated by remarkable personal insights from the author’s own experiences, it encourages the reader to discover the immense power of slowing down, letting heart rule head, and remembering how just to be.

It is based on the premise that as human beings, it is only when we look after both aspects of ourselves – human and being – that we can fully relax into our lives. It teaches us how to over-ride the mind to get in touch with our being and receive greater guidance from the Universe.

The book encourages us to release the need for incessant doing – choosing instead to pause long enough to realise that our thoughts are not real. This allows us to tune into Universal guidance and let our lives unfold far beyond the barriers of convention.

The Lost Art of Being combines a short mystical story, inspirational teachings, a selection of Q&As and a practical lifestyle guide. It is funny, full of wisdom and easy to read – a powerful antidote to 21st century stress, recalling ancient secrets about how to ease into the flow of life, relinquishing the need for all effort.

“It’s amazing,” explains the author. “We already have the magic and ability within us to thrive in any way we want; we don’t have to drive ourselves to the point of breakdown in order to satisfy the “do more”, “be more” and “achieve more” pressures that life puts on us. The answers are already in us all, and the ancient wisdom in my book will ignite that fire.”

Continuing, “It’s actually very easy to feel happy and calm, and to in-turn achieve our full potential and biggest dreams. The book offers a very different take on the traditional meditation and mindfulness techniques millions of women around the world adopt, and will provide the inner peace and happiness we all crave. But that’s all I’m saying here. If you want to know more – you will need to read the book!”

‘The Lost Art of Being: Secrets to a Calm, Happy, Easy Life’, from Troubador Publishing, is available now: https://amzn.to/2MfsPoI.

For more information and resources, visit the book’s official website: www.thelostartofbeing.com.

About the Author:

Based in the United Kingdom, Jacqui Macdonald is an awakened Mindfulness Teacher who lives with her family and animals on the edge of a beautiful forest in Berkshire. Jacqui has spent years studying with Enlightened Masters, Goddesses and Sages, and her funny, down-to-earth way of passing on their wisdom makes her a relatable and much-loved teacher. Describing herself as lazy, lucky and loved by the Universe, Jacqui’s life is proof that the art of being works. Three years ago she was broke and living in a too-small, scruffy house, struggling to make ends meet. Today she describes her life as magical with a beautiful home and her dream lifestyle. All of which happened without her even trying. Her mission these days is to show others how they can do the same.

About the book:

Paperback: 96 pages
Publisher: Troubador Publishing (June 28, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1789013666
ISBN-13: 978-1789013665

Photo by Kaylah Otto on Unsplash