It’s a story of hope, perseverance and success as told through the eyes of someone who has “made it,” (as society often terms it) but will never forget where I came from. Today life is grand – a wonderful loving husband, 2 amazing beautiful children and a full-time RVing lifestyle that suits our every desire and more.

40 years ago, however, as a child who was the victim of bullying (a label that didn’t even exist way back then) life wasn’t always so rosy…

But deep inside, as I endured harassment from my classmates, my mother instilled a belief system that enabled me to prevail through many of life’s challenges.  And I owe a debt of gratitude to my now departed mother who effectively managed to have a deep, lasting impact on my mindset — allowing me to somehow always put things in the proper perspective — then and now.

As editor of my high school newspaper, it was a tradition to leave a “statement,” as a graduating Senior. Below I have reprinted my outgoing ‘letter from the editor’ that has stood the test of time and is every bit as relevant today as it was when it was written from my heart at the age of 17 – through the eyes of a girl who was ready to face the world…

From 1982, “Comet Gazer” Newspaper – Immaculate Conception High School

Farewell Letter From The Editor:

First off, I could not summarize my high school life without giving due credit to the teachers at I.C.H.S. that have had such an influence on it. Through many a moan and groan I have survived Social Studies Skill I (my first real awakening!), the fateful English III term paper and “Podboy’s Class” which I feared was a dreaded disease which started in one’s junior year and didn’t end until graduation. Instead I found it to be one of the most informative and gratifying classes I was “forced” to take in those two years. (I can say that now without being labeled a “brown noser,” “apple polisher,” etc.)

 

Where I once saw assignments designed to keep me awake nights, and buried forever in books, I now see logical plans and formats for learning. I guess what I’m trying to say is THANK YOU to all of the teachers who gave me the opportunity to gain as well as grumble through four very educational years.

 

Secondly, I want to thank all of my classmates who over the years have taught me the lessons I’ve learned. Valuable lessons that no teacher could teach and cannot be found in any textbook. They are about life, about people, about finding oneself and over the last four years due to the “efforts” of many, I have found myself.

 

“The memories of yesterday will last a lifetime…” To those who were part of the “good memories,” you will always hold a special place in my heart. And, to those responsible for the “bad memories” I owe you a debt of gratitude. Those who thought they were hurting me with their harsh words and actions were actually molding me into what I am.

 

The many painful hours that I went through were well spent, perhaps the best spent hours of my entire life. Because of you, I have grown and matured into a stronger person capable of accepting myself, as well as others, for what I am rather than what you wanted me to be.

 

I no longer look at life beyond the walls of I.C.H.S. through rose-colored glasses; I know what to expect and I have been more than prepared to face it. If it turns out to be better than I expect, and I am fortunate enough to encounter experiences more pleasant than those of the past, all the better, for I will then come to appreciate them even more.

 

As the final school bell rings, and I close my locker upon four years of my life I will get into my car and drive away for the last time. From the experiences both good and bad that have shaped my life, I will smile as I drive away and (as if just between God and I) silently whisper: “It was hard getter here, but I’m stronger just because it wasn’t easy!”

Fast forwarding to today, when I receive accolades about being accessible, down to earth, and the antithesis of a “guru,” I smile inside, because I know exactly what people are picking up on and why they are moved by who I am and what I do.

I know in my heart that as many other children in this world are facing the same challenges as I once did that they too are becoming stronger and developing a survival mindset that will serve them well as they go on to achieve untold success in their own lives.

Sometimes it only takes knowing that there is life beyond those “four walls,” and seeing where life took someone else who stood where they are standing today to give hope to someone in need.

My hope is that if this story touches one life, it will make all the difference in the world.

Please feel free to reprint this article or pass it on to someone who needs to read it. And do leave a comment if you feel moved to share your own personal story or message of hope.

To Your Infinite Evolution!
Stephanie (Lucas) Mulac

After asking several people words they associate with Feng Shui, replies included energy, placement of objects, decorating,  mirrors, chimes, placement of doors, etc. Many perceive Feng Shui as a theory versus an exact science.

Feng Shui is an ancient practice that dates back over 3,500 years to Neolithic China and is literally defined as wind-water.  The life force, energy better known as Chi in the East, is carried by wind scattering it everywhere until chi meets water or other matter.

Throughout time Feng Shui principles were employed in the placement of spiritually connected structures such as tombs, churches, graves, birthing area in correlation to nearby bodies of water, the stars and use of a compass.

There is great significance between chi and it’s relationship with the environment.  The age of a structure, it’s position, construction material, placement on the land, vegetation and quality of the soil are studied.

The practice expanded into all environmental designs including forests, homes, city planning, buildings, gardens, structures of commerce, roads, railroads, palaces and other palatial structures.

Feng Shui’s mission is to create balance and harmony in the environment ensuring that chi flows freely allowing a positive result for the inhabitants well being.  It is understood that the condition of one’s dwelling and property reflect the standing and circumstances of the inhabitants life.

Congealed chi contains the highest degree of vitality and therefore conducts the greatest flow of life.  Feng shui experts take advantage of these life-giving properties by discovering the location with a magnetic compass.  The magnetic compass is an updated version of the liuren or shi, the oldest instrument used in the Feng Shui custom.

The shi instrument is a lacquered board with two sides marked with astronomical values.  These instruments have been discovered in tombs excavated from 278-209 B.C.  The primary function is to detect the origin of congealed chi in order to provide knowledgeable placement value.

The magnetic compass is almost identical to its predecessor, the shi.  Professor Max Knoll conferred in his lecture of 1951 that chi’s origin is solar radiation.  Space weather controls and affects the local geomagnetically induced currents.

Geomancy’s literal translation is “foresight by the earth”.  The discipline gives honor to the conditions of earth and chi flow to determine how it interrelates to our health, balance and harmony.  The ancient Greek took the term from the Arabic antecedent meaning “the science of the sand.”

The magnetic compass’ task is to follow the consequential   change in the quality of chi rising and falling according to the alteration of space weather.  The quality of chi and the level of it’s flow in a specific area is diagnosed and analyzed with a magnetic compass.

There are many schools, form and studies of Feng Shui as would be expected with a divination method of antiquity.  The following chronological trajectory was established from archeological sites and recorded history, though much was destroyed in recent times:

Xinhshi Pai is a form method of analyzing the environment and imaging forms sans compass.

LiqiPai employs the compass  and includes the San Yuan Method which includes time and space methods, flying stars of time and directions, “Secret Decree” or 64 gua relationships.

San He Method uses the compass and includes: Accessing the Dragon, Eight Mansions, Water Methods and Local Embrace.  Other methods are:

Four Pillars of Destiny – hemerology

Eight Characters – time and date of birth

Major and Minor Wandering Stars – Constellations

Five Phases – relationship to wuxing.

Black Tantric Buddhist Sect – westernized methods without classical teachings.

The BTB Method is the modern method highlighting the affects of clutter and prominence of affirmations and intentions regarding change in the individual’s life.

Feng Shui is a complex system of antiquity requiring more than one post to scratch the surface of understanding.   Expect a comprehensive series forthcoming!

The story goes that Lucifer was the angel of light and lost his place of honor.  He became the great accuser.  Lucifer accused mankind which is said to be the gravest offense of the Light.

The essence of the word compassion indicates not only awareness, being full in heart, yet also includes action, stemming from the word passion.  Thus the heart is filled with passion for the highest good of another.

The following story is a poignant offering demonstrating the differences between compassion and judgment, action and passivity, honor and indifference, soulfulness and apathy.

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle.  It looked like he was carrying all of his books.

I thought to myself, ‘Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?

He must really be a nerd.’

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him… They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.

His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him… He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes .

My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, ‘Those guys are jerks.’ They really should get lives.  He looked at me and said, ‘Hey thanks!’

There was a big smile on his face.

It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.  As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.

He said he had gone to private school before; I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.  We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.

He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.  I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends .

He said yes.

We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.  I stopped him and said, ‘Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday! ‘He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.

When we were seniors we began to think about college.

Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.

I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.

He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship.  Kyle was valedictorian of our class.  I teased him all the time about being a nerd.

He had to prepare a speech for graduation.  I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak .

Graduation day, I saw Kyle.  He looked great.  He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.

He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.  He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.  Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days.

I could see that he was nervous about his speech.  So, I smacked him on the back and said, ‘Hey, big guy, you’ll be great!’  He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled…. ‘ Thanks,’ he said

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began … ‘Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.

Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach…but mostly your friends….  I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.

I am going to tell you a story.’

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met.  He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.  He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.

He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. ‘ ‘ ‘   ‘    ‘Thankfully, I was saved.  My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.’ I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.

I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.  Not until that moment did I realize it’s depth.  Never underestimate the power of your actions.  With one small gesture you can change a person’s life.

For better or for worse.  God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.

Look for God in others.

There is no beginning or end, yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. Live the beliefs of your heart, it’s called be-living them, the ultimate definition and action of what it means to believe.

In fact, I would put forth that embracing this quote will actually thwart you from successfully achieving your coveted end results.

Now, in some ways we are simply being playful with semantics as we embark upon the debate of goals vs. dreams, but to delve a bit further into the realm of the universal laws, we rapidly see that the process of setting goals undermines the very intent of their acquisition.

To set a goal, in and of itself, is to illuminate the “lack thereof.”

So to say your “goal” is to drive a fancy sports car is in effect focusing on the lack of that tangible object in your life. And to further set your sights on daily activities that will bring about the acquisition of that fancy car is to continue to focus incessantly on that which you do not currently possess.

In contrast, to “dream” of that fancy sports car in effect puts you in the driver’s seat (pun definitely intended) as you feel the wind in your hair riding the highway of life – embracing the feelings and emotions you associate with being the owner of that prized possession. Feels totally different, doesn’t it?

And in your “dreams,” as you feel the cool leather seats envelop your body, wrap your hands around the powerful steering wheel and shift into high gear, your reverie does not include pulling off to the side of the road to check off your ‘to do’ list for the day, does it? To the contrary, you are in the zone, at one with your dream – reveling in the moment.

But the astute reader could wisely challenge me at this juncture and raise the notion that sitting around “dreaming” all day about being in that sports car isn’t going to make it magically appear in the driveway, now, is it?

Well… yes, and no – and here’s where the rubber meets the road! (Yes, another shameless pun.)

An Introduction to Milestone Mapping

As an Intuitive Life Coach, as well as in my own personal life, I am a huge proponent of staying focused, organized and mapping out plans for milestones that we seek to accomplish. But at the same time, once we set our sights on a target – I am equally in favor of letting the universe take the wheel. But make no mistake, this is not a prescription for passivity – to the contrary, it’s all about action – inspired action in fact.

The technique that I have found to be most successful in accomplishing results is something I call Milestone Mapping. And it came about as a result of my need to stay organized, yet at the same time, my utter disdain for flowcharts and linear ‘to do’ lists.

We’ve all seen flowcharts that start at the top with a topic or a “goal” and then branch out ad nauseam into a million (or so it seems) infinite legs of action items, steps or yes/no scenarios. But the very nature of a flow chart is a downward path – and metaphysically speaking, spiraling downward is direct contrast to the nature of the universe. Likewise, a ‘to do’ list follows that same symbolic, linear descending direction.

Next came Mind Maps – credited to Tony Buzan in 1996 as a means of note taking and brainstorming. In Buzan’s model, this technique encourages a non-linear approach to learning or mapping out a projects and enhances creativity as a means of sorting out a complicated idea. But a Mind Map, or spider map as it is also often termed, focuses on what exists – so it never quite fit the bill for projections into the future. And that’s where Milestone Mapping comes in.

Similar to a Mind Map, Milestone Mapping begins in the center with a topic, concept, or “goal,” if we may use that term loosely now based upon our understanding of its inadequacies. But that’s where the similarities end.

When creating your own Milestone Map, you will illustrate your coveted “prize” in the center of your diagram – you can do this with words, illustrations, a colorful picture if you are so inclined, or even chicken scratch will do – there is no right or wrong way to begin as it is representative of your internal being, without formal constraints to impede your progress.

Consider this first step as “setting your intention” with the universe – and as you put pen to paper, embrace the feelings that are associated with already having attained the milestone you are seeking.

Next, draw 3-5 lines emanating out from the center of your intention (spider legs if you will). These lines will be labeled with your “perceived” initial milestones that will be required to bring about the successful realization of your intention. These milestones can be tangible or physical stages or they can represent emotional and mental accomplishments – and likely, it will be a combination of both.

After you have completed this step… STOP!

Yes, that’s right – for this moment in time and space, you simply stop.

And the reason is, if you haven’t already guessed, is that unlike a Mind Map (which fills up the page with that which exists) you are going to be logging events as they happen, in real time.

You see, this is both the beauty and effectiveness of Milestone Mapping – you are the creator of your own reality as you proceed along the fabulous journey of identifying an intention and embracing the realization of the delicious steps along the way as you head toward the pinnacle of your intention. But unlike other techniques, you are not pre-determining the path you will take – that is up to your higher force and how you interact with the universal laws at work along the way.

So as you proceed in filling up this beautiful blank page, you will be logging the milestones as they become apparent to you and each time you add to the white space, you will practice the art of allowing and embrace receiving the gifts that the universe sends your way.

Even if there is a perceived “detour,” you will be able to visually identify how it ties into the bigger picture and accept its existence as part of the journey, instead of meeting it with resistance as you may have previously had the tendency to do.

Each time you reach a particular milestone related to your central “dream/goal/prize” (we can now see that it really doesn’t so much matter what you call it) you will return to your diagram and record its existence.

But more than simply recording it – you will also allow yourself to be engulfed with feelings of warmth and appreciation that you are one step closer to the realization of your target – thus allowing events to unfold as they are meant to.

Now however, you have removed the significance and urgency of the time line – thus reducing the resistance that often thwarts progress and leaves people feeling uncertain about the entire “ask, believe and receive” process.

So congratulations! You have now discovered the powerful, secret key to the art of remaining “in the moment,” and appreciating the experiences you have along the way by acknowledging and showing gratitude as it happens. And through embracing this technique, you are no longer endeavoring to pre-determine “how” you will arrive – you are simply at ease in learning to enjoy the journey along the way!

“Wait? You say, wait!” my indignant reply. “Lord, I need answers, I need to know why! Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?

By faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word. My future and all to which I can relate hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?

I’m needing a ‘yes’, go-ahead and sign, or even a ‘no’ to which I can resign. And Lord, You promised that if we believe we need but to ask, and we shall receive.

Lord, I’ve been asking, and this is my cry: I’m weary of asking! I need a reply! Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate, As my Master repied once again, ”You must wait.”

So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taught and grumbling to God, ”So, I’m waiting… for what?” He seemed, then, to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,

And he tenderly said, ”I could give you a sign. I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun. I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.

All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be. You would have what you want–But, you wouldn’t know Me.

You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint; You’d not know the power that I give to the faint;? You’d not learn to see through the clouds of despair; You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m there;

You’d not know the joy of resting in Me? When darkness and silence were all you could see. You’d never experience that fullness of love, As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove.

You’d know that I give and I save… (for a start),  But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart. The glow of My comfort late into the night, The faith that I give when you walk without sight,

The depth that’s beyond getting just what you asked Of the infinte God, who makes what you have LAST. You’d never know, should your pain quickly flee, What it means that “My grace is sufficient for Thee.”

Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true, But, Oh, the Loss! If I lost what I’m doing in you! So, be silent, My Child, and in time you will see That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me. And though oft’ My answers seem terribly late, My most precious answer is still, “WAIT.”

                                                                            By Anonymous

Yet, how many of us start our days or travel the highways of career, family, friendships, hobbies, personal, spiritual, financial, all areas of life without direction, focus or knowing how to get there or what we want?

Though we have heard about goal setting throughout our lives many have never been privy to it’s principles, it is not taught in schools and some think it is only applicable in sales or start-ups.  Goal setting creates an important visual, a map that we may easily navigate to achieve the successes of our dreams.  It demands that we ask of ourselves exactly what we want to accomplish, how and when.

There are multiple benefits of journaling and writing ideas down. The process enables us to bring what is subjective to the objective realm. Similar to the mind mapping technique of writing ideas to encourage brainstorming with its non-linear design, goal setting motivates, directs, and focuses ideas with a linear approach.

Make sure plans are written clearly, visibly and appealingly to hold your attention and enjoyment in the constant and consistent review of them.  Place them and the reminders in obvious places that will catch your eye often, such as the refrigerator, bathroom mirror, exit door, in view of the shower, etc.,

Written action steps enable you to cross out what has been achieved, which boosts commitment and the competitive spirit.  The point is to keep the wick of your spirit candle burning brightly within.  This is the motivation and incentive necessary to ignite the engine of perseverance and desire.

Remember to use phrases like ‘I will’ meditate fifteen minutes in the morning versus ‘I won’t forget to meditate’, or ‘I will sell the current inventory in the next quarter’ versus ‘I will reduce my inventory through discounted sales.’

We may write a grocery list by going through our refrigerator/cabinets/pantry/or drawers, yet, if we arrive at an unfamiliar grocery store whose layout we are not familiar with, only half the task is accomplished.

In goal setting writing down what we want is also half the task, albeit important.  The other half of goal setting is the significant reference point it provides to determine where we are in our journey.  It benchmarks the progress made at any particular time.

Goal setting is a world apart from simply stating what you want in your life.  The process asks that you have a clearly defined, thought out, vision and follow through plan.  It is the what, where, how, when, why, which, of your goal.

The steps that must be taken in goal setting greatly increases the odds of achieving the end product.

The following elements are prerequisites in favorable goal setting principles.  The first process is creating the vision you want mirrored in your life.  The vision must be measurable, identifying when and how.

Set dates, strategize how many, how often, all pertinent numbers, timetables and deadlines included in the equation.  The vision must have a specific, clear map that you may comfortably navigate.  We are creatures of crisis so a determined deadline will fuel timely activity.

The attitude you create around your vision is paramount.  See yourself happy and enjoying the given environment, enthusiasm infuses energy to create a solid direction.  A beginning point, a clear path and your ultimate ending point of attainment is essential and clearly defined.

There is a thin line between setting goals that stretch our abilities, challenging us to greater heights and those that are unattainable.  Either end diminishes our intentions and progress.  The ability to set realistic goals is key and not easy because our direction is not always clear nor should it be.  Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men satirizes best laid intentions.  

Woody Allen’s quote, ‘How to make God laugh, tell him your future plans.” holds the same caveat.  Somewhere in between being accountable in setting goals and acknowledging there is no crystal ball lay the horizon between action and acceptance.  The point is not to lose incentive or overwhelm oneself.

“We cannot direct the winds but we can adjust the sails.”  Tracking our progress allows us to adjust any part of the blueprint that is not working.  Our end result, the ultimate goal may not change but the action steps taken to get there should remain malleable and bend to the winds of change.

Setting up a specific and consistent time to review the goals keeps you on your toes and on top of the game. Goal setting is a continuous process that needs tracking, discipline and commitment.  It will organize your priorities, determine direction and save much time and effort.

It is important to share your goals with supportive associates. You should be able to fill them in and share your mission statement within three to five sentences, less than thirty seconds.  These comrades will be a good resource to encourage you in times of doubt or when incentive is a necessary commodity.

Remember to stay focused, “if you chase two rabbits, you will lose them both”  Last but not least, if the goals set take precedence, hold high value and fan your inner flame, seeing them through to the end will not only be satisfying, it will build character, confidence and self esteem.

Sharing a smile, enjoying your morning cup of coffee with someone special, sending your children off to school with hope and love, countering the chaotic world news with thoughts of gentility, gratitude and hope, watering your plants and flowers, wishing your partner a good day, waving hello to your neighbor, patience in morning and evening rush hour traffic, holding the elevator door for another are spiritual practices.

There are many venues to travel on a spiritual journey, it is a highly individual experience and begins with inquiry, the rudimentary quandary of life’s purpose. It is a desire to seek soul fulfillment, to understand one’s place and gifts, the soul becomes a student, a seeker, a disciple delving into union with the Higher Self, the Universe, the Higher Power, Divine Providence, God.

The path is full of tests, lessons, and experiences that lead the aspirant to higher levels of awareness and consciousness.  There are no polar opposites in this quest, both light and darkness is employed to prod the seeker on to elevated understanding in basic and simple laws of the universe.

In Orthodox traditions, spiritual practice is a given, it is fundamental.   In nondualism the intention is key.  It asks the question of a spiritual practice, what do you want?  The noumenal isness of what you are, your true nature, awareness, to be or not to be cannot be practiced, it just is.

Is the committed daily practice of prayer, contemplation, self inquiry, meditation, Kundalini yoga, devotion, emanating love, selfless service, and consciously mirroring God in others productive? Do you program your day?

“The highest spiritual practice is that your presence should remind people of God. What bigger and more powerful miracle than that can there be, that by your very presence you can invoke godhood in people? “ –Yogi Bhajan   Being the creatures of habit that we are, intention, discipline, focus and diligence are essential daily requirements to transmute our human nature to a higher state of being.

 We are bombarded with distractions daily that interfere communion with our inner self.  The still small voice is gentle and does not attempt to overpower the outer planes of sub appearance.

Sub appearance is simply the outer world designed by the separate thoughts, beliefs, perspectives, opinions and negative emotions of mankind.

Just contemplating and acknowledging your spiritual essence does not produce the needed change.  Many of us are negligent in committing to spirit. Similar to physical/brain exercise, education, gardening, cleanliness of environment, child rearing, diet, progressing in business or career, etc.; there is a daily program with goals to be met, a daily ritual in place.

The act of giving thanks is the great attitude.  The energy invoked when one is in gratitude is the most magnetizing force on the planet.  The blessings we acknowledge and are thankful for increase and multiply.  Acknowledge is not just knowledge, it is acting on the knowledge of our focus.

Therefore a daily diet of gratitude is sure to be one of the most productive spiritual programs along with increasing light in every cell, the more we align with the Christ within, the more luminous our being becomes and hence the more powerful our field.

As we strengthen our conviction of developing our spiritual nature, an inner knowing and understanding anchors within the soul.  We are cognizant of the messages and coincidences that present themselves as we move through our pain, anxiety, doubt and fear.

Journeying on a spiritual path organically detaches us from our emotional, physical and mental attachment to the unreal earthly realm.

Just like well-intentioned exercise programs, we slip from our spiritual path and look for solutions to regain our union with spirit.  The other side of slipping away is spiritual bypassing.  This phenomenon is the flip side of the coin, an obsessive attachment to anything spiritual in order to avoid confronting one’s own issues and problems.

A departure from your path occurs when you feel misaligned, stressed, anxious, angry, fearful, displaced emotions and out of balance.  The most important step is to not feel any guilt shame or remorse.  These emotions keep you in the hamster wheel with no light at the end of the tunnel.

Perhaps your ritualized practice is no longer working for you.  There are so many mediums to choose from to regain solid footing.  Do not overlook the glory of the body as it relates to spirit.  “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God?” (lCorinthians 6:15

All forms of body work: reiki, massage, reflexology, acupuncture, yoga, polarity therapy, osteopathic work, etc., also martial arts: tai chi, aikido, chi kung, exercise, hatha yoga, etc., dancing, sports, jogging, hiking, walking meditation, along with breathing, music, toning, facilitate the spiritual warrior in bringing the body to peak performance. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God?” (lCorinthians 6:15

Sallie McFague states, “The most prevalent spiritual disease of our time is not wanting to be here, not wanting to be in a physical body.”

Our body is our honorable friend, a trusted messenger, a guidance system, the body navigates the way and decodes all for our highest good.

When we are overwhelmed and uptight, with tension in our muscles, joints and bones, sweaty palms, irregular breathing, clenched jaws, etc., our body is informing us that we are in unhealthy patterns, identifying with chaos and trauma, spiraling into a familial abyss.

Spiritual practice assists in grounding ourselves when we incorrectly attach ourselves to the overwhelming experiences, wrongly perceiving that we are those experiences.

Do you remember the Bear Hunt story heard as a child?  The chorus line is, you can’t go under it, can’t go over it, you must go through it.

We must walk straight through the storms of life, confronting the fear and going beyond it, facing the frightening and painful memories, the baggage and valley of tears, moving past them to higher ground.

The key is to remain open minded, in trust and faith, be vigilant for messages and signs, within these are necessary lessons, be aware that all that comes our way is a step to climb out of the valley of the shadow of death to the grandeur of the mountain of spirit.

No one has any say in your journey and choices.  We live in a free willed sphere and the journey is a sacred relationship between you and God or the title you choose to identify the Highest Power.  It is the inner voice we must follow and heed and no other.  Dust off your mirror of Divinity and let your light so shine that others will do in kind.

Money is connected to the primal survival chakra, it is in the first tier of the Maslow Pyramid hierarchy of needs and peak experience. This is especially true for the developed western world where money provides food, shelter and clothing.

Maslow believed that our most basic needs must be taken care of before we have the capacity, attention and time for self-actualization, “the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming.”

Maslow indicated with his triangle model that we must have enough sustenance to allow time for higher functions such as contemplation, learning, exploration, and activities that build character, spiritual and value growth, moral development and strength of mind, body and soul.

Surveys demonstrate that people do not care for the health of their accounts and assets because of a basic fear about losses, facing bad habits, an inability to confront spending more than one has, and being accountable and liable for one’s life.  It is similar to caring for our physical health.

Divine Providence has gifted each of us with specific talents.  What do we do with our free time?  What do we gravitate towards to bring joy into our lives?  What is your passion?  Therein lies the answer to success.

Because we spend innumerable hours earning a living, the best outcome is to do what gives our heart and soul meaning purpose and therefore fulfillment.  Finding our passion and developing it makes building wealth so much easier.

Many are looking for jobs, many are in dead end jobs and others are on the assembly line of weariness and boredom.

Wealth building is about exploring that which lifts our spirits and gives meaning and purpose to our lives.  It is a journey that requires discipline, steadfastness, courage, and vision.

Surrounding ourselves with that which enlivens us and explores our gifts and talents unearths our incentive and motivation.  In order to plow the fields of our dreams, we need an unending supply of grit, perseverance and faith to work devotedly towards our goal.

There are fundamental universal principles attached to every aspect of life.  Some of the universal principles of abundance are: aligning yourself with your passion, hard work, focus, service and generosity, honesty, motivation of self and others, the ability to learn every day, sharing that which you reap and departing the status quo.

Achievement is a contagious energy, it is a beacon of light to be shined on all that are ready to board the train you have traveled.  Those that are around you feel the light   emanating by the expression of your passion.

“We make a living by what we take, but we make a life by what we give.”  Once you have lifted yourself out of financial mediocrity, turn around and do the same for others.  Pay it forward, make many keys to the door of abundance and pass them out freely.

With your new found abundance make sure that you are in complete integrity.  A simple guidepost to be in clear conscience is to ask yourself if everyone did what you are considering, would it make the world a better place?  Would it improve the lives of others?

Listen to your gut, be open to energies and what they are saying to you.  The gentle inner voice is always there to guide you in every event and circumstance to higher good.

If it doesn’t feel right there is a reason.  Develop the habit of refining your intuition. It is our connection to the Higher Self.

Be a visionary.  “If you always do what you’ve always done you will always get what you have always gotten.”  Dare to do things differently than others.  Be aware of how much you care about what others think of you and their opinions.

Unfortunately the devil advocates come out of the woodwork when you are testing a new idea.

It is human nature for someone not to want another to do or be better.  You will have plenty of naysayers who will share with you all the reasons why you shouldn’t attempt to leave behind the average mediocre life you both are leading.

Be willing to create something new, that has never been done before.  The three friends who created Crocs bet that an ugly, synthetic plastic shoe with holes would succeed because it was lightweight and ergonomically viable.  They stood apart form the madding crowd and beat the odds.

Creating wealth is about doing what others don’t or won’t do; it is about being different.  Having the courage to do things differently is key, be an outsider of the paradigm, outside the box.  It is about learning, designing new strategies, using the imagination to image in new thought, images, blueprints, perspectives, beliefs, plans, templates etc. open mindedness is a prerequisite.

Look at the environment you are in. Is it conducive to dedicated one-eyed focus in implementing all the necessary components for ease and success?  Creating a supportive unencumbered surrounding is paramount.  Pick and choose your team to ensure that there is cohesion and no rotten apples.

Your business’ goals and mission are at the core of the spoke of the wheel.  The spokes are the team members who support and hold up the structure of the operation and functions of your company. Slowly the new business model of spiritual principles is integrating the professional arena and industry.  The importance of every staff member is recognized consistently.

When a company profits there is an understanding that all who have assisted in the growth, production, and profits be rewarded and compensated relatively.  The old established ways of doing business where staff get end of the year bonuses are over. The new energy pulsating earth is demanding integrity and principled models of operation within organizations.

Our species is a social one by nature, many benefits derive from this mode of behavior yet there is always the thin line, the pros and cons, the other side of every coin.  Being social also precludes comparing oneself to others.

If one feels inferior, another’s success may mirror insecurity evoking negative emotions of envy and jealousy.

Acknowledge this for what it is, desperation.

Rome was not built in a day and similarly, wealth takes time, patience and discipline.  Acknowledging and handling distractions, establishing healthy and balanced habits,

mindfulness with procrastination, creative license and nose to the grindstone attitude will ensure stability and progress through challenges and bumps in the road.

Control your finances like a business, research the most efficient and effective operations of administration available and put them in place.

No need to recreate the wheel when it comes to record keeping, marketing and PR strategies, technological advancements, networking, and financial resources. There is always the latest Standard Operating Procedure that progressive companies employ and it is also standard information.

Lastly, yet one of the most important aspects of running a company is the art of leveraging.  Leveraging puts you on the fast track of formulating wealth.  It allows one to delegate and outsource.

It is the seed to team building and creative license.  It is the panacea for limiting skills, thought, and resources.  Leverage so that you will have more time and work as smart as possible towards your financial freedom.

At birth the anticipated cry brings excitement as the newborn takes in their first breath indicating life and energy.  At death, the last breath brings the realization that the soul has departed and the spirit travels to a different sphere.

Some believe that the soul enters with the first breath of life and departs with the last.  Whatever the belief, it is the first process checked to indicate if a human is alive or with life.

Breathing is so much more than the drawing in and expelling of oxygen to and from the lungs. The air we breathe is not only oxygen, it is filled with the most subtle of energies.

At the base of all language, singing and voice is the breath.  The ancients and all mystical teachings speak to the healing and spiritual benefits of conscious breathing.  It is the spirit of life, in Latin, the animus, without breath there is no passion, mind, courage, energy, or life.

Those of us who have been held under water too long, gone through a bout of asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, or any respiratory illness know all to well the significance and relief of a deep, full breath.

The definition and synonym of breath includes awakening, inspiration, existence, respite, break, moment, pause, breather, hint, suggestion, whisper… all denoting energy, peace, creativity, a blanketing of relaxation, a movement into nurturing the mind, body and spirit.

Breath work attunes the body with the intake and outtake of air.  There is a correct process to proper breathing.  Conscious breathing is a conduit to healing, stress relief, and connection with the Divine.  It is the most primal, yet highest function of our physiology.

Breathing is right under our nose, literally and figuratively speaking.  It is the simplest of activity and in that simplicity easily overlooked.  In order to receive the plethora of benefits afforded by our respiratory system an awareness must be established.

There are times that may be set aside to focus on breathing.  While washing dishes or cooking, driving in traffic, working at the computer, watching TV or reading.  Pay attention that the belly is moving out with inhalation and in with exhalation.

This may be established by creating a relaxed space, stilling the mind, in order to observe the breath.  In a reclining position place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.  If your chest is rising and falling instead of your belly, this is shallow breathing and incorrect.

The observation of rhythmic breathing is a meditative state and will center your being.

Better breathing can change the way you feel vice versa how you feel can change the way you breathe.

Harat Inayat Khan stated, “The soul is the divine breath.  It purifies, revivifies, and heals the instrument through which it functions.”

There is such a need today, at this critical crossroad, to possess tools that enable us to calm our spirits, overcome fear, doubt and the anxiety it brings.  Changing our breathing process changes the way we feel.

Just as Glinda, the good witch of Oz told Dorothy that she always possessed everything  needed to go home, we are endowed with the great power of breath, which connects us with the Vital Life Force, with our God.

In Genesis it is written, “God took the dust of the earth and formed the body of man, and breathed into the nostrils of man the Breath of Life, and man became a living soul.”

Breath is life. Use it to attain peace, relief from stress, relaxation, entry into meditation, oxygenation of every cell, and connecting with the sacred energy called life, lovingly breathed into us by the Spirit of Life, God’s presence.

Many think falsely that when aroused with anger, fear, anxiety or the myriad of negative emotions, frequent deep breaths is the panacea for the imbalanced state.

A deep and prolonged inhalation fires up and stimulates instead of gently calming and relaxing.  When in essence it is the slowing down and prolonging of the exhalation that brings one to their core and center.

Rather than the chest rising and falling it should be relaxed and follow the rise of the belly. Diaphragmatic breathing is the healthiest process.   Of course the exoteric role of breathing is to stay alive.  This occurs when the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide is in maximum balance.

Too much oxygen respective of the level of carbon dioxide sends the nervous system into a shaky state of disturbance.  Too much carbon dioxide relative to the amount of oxygen produces fatigue, listlessness, and sluggishness.

The practice of breathing from the diaphragm, which is natural for infants, is a necessary discipline to counteract the poor habits of bad posture, stress load, anxiety, negative thought patterns, and habits that pressure, overwhelm and overload the nervous system. Notice anyone in pain, panic, worry, anger, doubt or any other state that positions one in the fight or flight state.

Their breath is rapid and shallow, in the upper chest and the relative levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide are way off balance.  Cortisol is flooding the system and the adrenals are in total overload. This condition of over breathing leads to too much oxygen and not enough carbon dioxide, an imbalance in the two gases.

Carbon dioxide is a natural sedative. Upper chest breathing precludes more breaths than necessary due to the need to stabilize the all-important healthy formula of the two gases.  It depletes the supply of carbon dioxide, which leads to possible hyperventilation and definite shortage of carbon dioxide.

This over breathing stresses the respiratory system which dominoes onto the nervous and adrenal systems.

Diaphragmatic breathing combined with a gentler and slower rate of breathing safeguards the optimum level of carbon dioxide.It definitely takes practice to breathe in the healthiest manner, from the diaphragm, after years of upper chest breathing. Along with all of the other bad habits garnered, one must realize that it will take time, perseverance and patience to make the change.

It is well worth the time and effort to do so as it is the key and door to the health and well being of the  body and spirit.

With regard and respect to your individual needs, health and history of well being, the following exercises may assist you in beginning the journey to better breathing to enhance your well being. Understand that similar to a change in any excessive or under done lifestyle habit the framework for a new holistic approach to breath work must be done in baby steps.

The diaphragm is a muscle and like any other muscle must be developed and built with care and awareness.

Sit comfortably in an undisturbed environment.  Begin by placing one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.

Allow yourself to witness what your breathing process does to these two areas as you breathe comfortably and relaxed. Notice the area that rises first.   The stomach should rise first, followed by a  slight chest rise.

As you allow your body to breathe easily and permit the exhalation to be as natural as possible, you are permitting your breath to find it’s normal flow.

Your breath will then be conducive for the innate tranquilizer of carbon dioxide and will reverse the loss of the adequate amount of this sedative gas.

Attempt to practice this exercise for 10 to 15 minutes each day.  Acknowledge that you are rebuilding your breathing process that has been imbalanced for many moons.

If you feel that you are only comfortable practicing for a couple of minutes, than by all means stop and take baby steps.  Any effort will serve your state of well being.

Many people experience tiredness and want to sleep.  This is your body’s mechanism working towards wellness and providing the sleep and relaxation so sorely needed.

Once you get into the rhythm you will be able to use this exercise at night to put your body in a sleep state.  Practicing exhaling long and slowly provides the condition for adequate carbon dioxide storage.

Knowledge is power.  Knowing that diaphragmatic breathing is the healthiest choice and the science behind the balance of the inclusive gases gives us the incentive to change our breathing mechanism for the better.

The benefits of this discipline are too many to name along with the abundance of venues but suffice it to say of paramount noteworthiness.  Health, stress reduction, a cure for insomnia, spiritual growth,  meditation and prayer are just a few of the benefits of breath awareness and development.