Thursday, March 27, 2008
Once you have gotten still and truly listened, how can you discern if what you are listening to is really coming from your Inner Guide? The main thing to check for is how that guidance feels to you. Guidance that is critical, judgmental, constrictive, discouraging, blaming, shaming, or negative in any way is NOT from your Inner Guide.
What you will notice with true guidance is that upon hearing it, you relax, feel comforted, resonate with it, feel a ‘ring of truth’ in it. It feels loving, supportive, compassionate, empathic, expansive. In other words, it feels good.
So once you have discerned that this is true guidance you are accessing, then what? Are you prepared to act on it? Really put your money where your mouth is spiritually? Oftentimes, ego gets in the way and wants to block your willingness to be vulnerable, be loving, compassionate, empathic with yourself and others. So how do you get that out of your way so that you can heed and act upon these precious messages, and in the process deepen your connection with yourself and others?
The process I have developed called “Quantum Questioning” will help you to cut through ego’s limiting thoughts and beliefs and position yourself solidly in the higher thinking of your Inner Guide as it comes through to you. In this process you examine and challenge the limiting thoughts and beliefs…the ones I call 3D because they are limited to the 3 dimiensions we’re most familiar with. When you are ready to change your thoughts and open to higher consciousness, you move your awareness into a multi-dimensional Universe in which you are a multi-dimensional being who can easily accept thoughts that defy ego’s logic.
Let me give you an example. A client of mine has a friend, a dear friend, to whom she routinely reacts with annoyance and irritability and judgment. Her ego totally supports and justifies this. She, however, never feels good or comfortable with this kind of response to her friend. Her Inner Guide urges her to see the person underneath the behavior, to feel the true love she has for her friend, to allow the natural appreciation she feels for this friend, to acknowledge her friend’s sweetness and love for her, to understand on a deeper level that while her friend may behave differently from her, they are connected at a heart and soul level and that what she really wants is peace in this relationship. Just hearing this kind of guidance softens and begins to release her annoyance, judgment and irritation. And allows her to experience love and peace with her friend. She has learned to recognize quickly when she is moving into judgment and ask for guidance immediately. Why? Because she knows that she has the power to access peace and appreciation in place of annoyance and irritation.
Using the quantum question WHAT IF…? to challenge the barriers to accepting and acting on your true guidance will move you through those obstacles quickly and allow you to move your thinking into action in your life.
WHAT IF I’m wrong about my friend and this behavior?
WHAT IF our relationship is based in Love and Love alone?
WHAT IF I’m safe no matter how much I open my heart?
WHAT IF my friend’s behavior is giving me a chance to evolve into a more compassionate person?
WHAT IF my only job is to Love?
Etc, etc., etc.
You get the idea…..try it for yourself and see.
I have developed an entire online course that takes you through this process of Quantum Questioning with the ultimate goal of eliminating unnecessary suffering and increasing your happiness. It’s called Transform with WHAT IF…? and will become available later this year. Keep an eye on this blog and sign up for my FREE ezine to get information on the launch date, discounts, free online mini-courses, and lots more.
In the meantime, be a braveheart and heed what your Inner Guide offers you. Act on it and change your life!
See you soon.
enJOY,
Jan Masters
The Everyday Joy Coach
http://www.everydayjoy.com/
My last blog entry talked about the importance of getting still to access your own inner guidance. This one is about what to do after you get still. It may not seem like rocket science but “hearing” and “listening” are two horses of a different color!
Hearing signifies that your left brain registers the words or thoughts coming in from your inner guidance. Listening means that your heart is open to allowing them in.
Big difference!
You can hear and not listen. And you can listen without hearing. Now I’m not trying to be clever. This is really true and really important, especially if you truly want to follow the thread of your inner guidance to allow your own truth to guide you on your life path.
So how do you open your heart to listening? You intend it. You decide that you WANT it.
And so even if what you are hearing is not what you thought you’d hear….or not what your ego, bless its heart, wants to hear, you let it into your heart anyway because you are totally invested in KNOWING YOUR OWN TRUTH.
You may find ego arguing against what you hear, but you keep letting it in anyway. You allow your heart to listen and absorb it anyway.
You give yourself permission to sit with it, without judging….simply observing what it feels like to have this guidance available to you. To know this new option.
So that’s how you listen to your inner guidance.
Tune in next time, when I’ll talk about how to HEED your inner guidance. That when you get to leap off the cliff and fly!
See you then!
enJOY!
Jan Masters
That’s right! You must get still every day in order to be guided on your path to peace, joy and abundance.
You may have read the books, listened to the cd’s, gone to the workshops, learned the various tools to use to manifest your dreams. But…if you don’t get still, ask for help and actually listen for your own inner guidance you will get stuck. Guaranteed.
We’ve all had those moments when we are confronted with a problem and rather than first asking for guidance, we start working it over in our minds, trying to figure out HOW to solve it. We keep trying to use logic, problem solving techniques, and get very creative in examining it from all possible angles to see how we can change it to our liking.
If you’ve been reading about the Law of Attraction, you know that the HOW of things is up to the Universe. So, at one point or another, you must surrender to the still small voice within you. That’s where your most priceless guidance comes from. Then, if you heed what you’ve heard, you’ll be moving on your path again, toward all good things. When you act on the inspiration you receive, then things will unfold gracefully and naturally.
We seem to have become a very “outer directed” culture; we want others to tell us what to do, how to do it, when to do it. We think the answers are “out there”. We have stopped trusting our own innate wisdom and intuition. And it’s this kind of disconnect that will NOT be overcome by all the sage advice and great teachings in the world.
Every spiritual tradition has its teachings, and every spiritual tradition admonishes us to get quiet and listen. It is about connecting to Spirit. Following the path to your heart. Valuing the channels of your inner wisdom. Inviting that inner wisdom to flow to the surface of your consciousness.
I got stuck the other day with a very limiting belief and it led to my feeling pretty bad. I was feeling down, kind of sorry for myself, and my energy was low. I cleared some time for myself, and I took the time to meditate and ask all of my guides, angels, teachers and friends in the non-physical world for help. And then I got quiet. And I listened. Listened for guidance. Listened for inspiration. And what I heard literally made me laugh out loud! It was so clear and so direct and completely blew my limiting belief out of the water instantly.
It made me laugh because the contrast between what I had been feeling and thinking, and what I now opened my mind and my heart to were in such enormous contrast with one another. And the contrast allowed me to see the silliness of giving my power away to the limitation I had aligned myself with. Pure silliness. Nonsense. And so I laughed. Once I allowed the lightness of the moment, and the enlightenment of the new thoughts, I was home free. The words from within that kept ringing in my mind were:
“Wait a second– you were allowing the way so-and-so is behaving to determine how you feel in this moment? You must be kidding! Get a grip, kiddo. You’re caught up in a control drama. Let it go. Remember you have no control over anyone…and that’s a good thing. Everyone gets to behave as they wish. And you get to choose joy and peace. Period. Got it? Good!”
That’s it. That’s all it took. Nothing airy-fairy. My inner guidance is very direct, has a great sense of humor, and tends to cut to the chase. I like her style. 
)
It literally took seconds for me to make contact with spirit, hear this priceless reminder, and shift my thoughts, vibration, and feelings. Voila’! Home free!! Made my day!
So ask yourself, how often do you get stuck in limiting thoughts, beliefs and feelings? Caught in a lower vibration? And end up feeling victimized and powerless to feel any differently?
The fact that you HAVE been reading, listening to, and your mind has been open to. higher thoughts; been intending higher consciousness; and been intending more peace and joy make it that much easier for you to actually access, hear and respond to this kind of precious inner guidance…your own brand of it. You have primed yourself. And your guidance is waiting for you to simply….ask.
So the next time you’re not feeling as good as you’d like to feel….for whatever reason. Stop. Pause. Go inside and get quiet. Listen. And what you will hear is the voice of your own inner guidance, your own sense of direction. You will receive succinct and valuable thought that will offer you inspiration, and clarity of intention and action.
You’ve got all you need inside of you. You always have. Be sure you actively choose to use it on this spiral path of life we’re all traveling together. It will lighten all of your steps and brighten all of your days.
Joy and Peace,
Jan Masters
The Everyday Joy Coach
That’s the title of the short article I found on msn.com today. Here is is.
HAPPINESS SUCKS: Why joy is bad for you.
By William SaletanUpdated Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008, at 8:02 AM E T(source msn.com)
A study suggests extreme happiness may be bad for you. Findings: 1) “The highest levels of income, education and political participation were reported not by the most satisfied individuals, but by moderately satisfied individuals.” 2) Extremely happy people “earned significantly less money” and earned lower school grades than moderately happy people. 3) They “may not live as long,” either. Theories: 1) Happiness makes you complacent and kills your drive. 2) It makes you slow to adapt. 3) It makes you too optimistic and insufficiently vigilant about your health. 4) It may overstimulate your cardiovascular system. Researchers’ conclusions: 1) “Happiness may need to be moderated for success.” 2) “Extremely high levels of happiness might not be a desirable goal.” Human Nature’s conclusions: 1) Success may need to be moderated for happiness. 2) Extremely high levels of success might not be a desirable goal.
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Let’s take a look at this because it’s such a great example of 3-D, limited, old paradigm thoughts and conclusions. In a logical, rational, left-brain world, this research and these conclusions may make perfect logical sense. However, in a quantum Universe with infinite possibilities waiting for you, it doesn’t hold water. Not even close.
Perhaps the researchers were equating happiness or joy with complacency. Then it would make sense, right? A lot of people feel that ‘if nothing is going wrong, then I’m happy’ An ‘under the radar’ kind of thinking. Or some folks may equate happiness with adrenaline stimulating activities that create a temporary high feeling. Fine and dandy, but not my definition of joy or happiness. And then there is the idea of ‘the lower your expectations, the happier you are.’ Right. What fun.
What I know from personal and professional experience is that there is a new breed of individual that has evolved into a place of recognizing and celebrating the magic of changing the way they think and believe, and then observing and experiencing how their lives change for the better. These people would not accept the premise that the happier they are, the shorter their lives will be. In fact, most of them would claim that the more joy they experience, the less stress they have, and that enhances health and longevity.
Why do you suppose it is that The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, and Happiness NOW! by Robert Holden,Ph.D in which he writes “…happiness doesn’t come and go; what comes and goes is your attunement to happiness.”, and other books about self empowerment, changing your thinking to change your life, and yes, increasing your joy quotient are finding their way into the big discount warehouse stores, like Costco, as well as being featured on the endcaps in Target, WalMart, Kmart, etc. Who you think is buying them, and why? And do you think these people experience that the happier they are, the more their health suffers? Do you think they believe that expansive, elevated thinking will make them sicker and shorten their lives? Come on!
This new thought paradigm is proposing that we are vibrational beings, and that the higher our vibration, ie., the more joyful we are, the more we are in sync with our True Selves, and the less stress, disease, conflict, ‘stuckness’, etc. we experience, and the more success and synchronicity or ‘happy coincidences’ we see occurring in our lives. The expansive, logic-busting new thoughts are based on very real research in quantum physics—research that tells us that we really ARE the creators of our reality. So if you get to choose which reality to create, will you really opt for less happy? Will you actually ‘moderate’ your joy? Even if the so-called research tells you to?
You decide. And then tell that to the woman whose tumor disappears before the doctors operate on her; or the man who finally meets his soul mate when he misses a flight to go on vacation; or the couple who decide they want to adopt a baby and have that baby arrive in their arms in record time, or the writer who dreams of writing a book for more than a decade and finally holds it in her hands…. We all know the stories, and we all get goose bumps of recognition because they activate our knowing about what magnificent, radiant, joyful beings we humans, are in our very nature.
Decide for yourself. Your thoughts become things. So choose carefully what to believe. Let yourself know what you know. Be your own expert. As for me I’m choosing joy and happiness every chance I get.
I’m The Everyday Joy Coach. Find me at www.EverydayJoy.com and let me help you create your own buzz about the power of joy and happiness to be the cause of dreams coming true, not just the effect!
© Janice Masters, 2008
Your ego is so clever. As soon as things get challenging, it sets about convincing you that you’re the one with the power to change those things. It dangles concepts and tools, like the law of attraction, visualization, affirmations, and action, in front of you and says “ok, here’s what you use to change what you don’t like about what’s happening in your life now.”
And in your humanness, you bite. You go for it. You start working furiously on figuring out what to do to change things to your liking. You begin using all the tools at your disposal to recraft reality. You become dedicated to figuring out how to change things.
Here’s the problem: when you do that, you’re forgetting all about Source, God, All That Is. You’re forgetting that part of the human experience is recognizing that there IS a power greater than yourself. And that the how of change belongs to the realm of Spirit.But the ego doesn’t want to know about ANYTHING greater than itself. It wants to be top banana and perpetuate the illusion of ultimate control over everything.
Talk about a great way to create suffering! You try harder and harder using all the things you know to do, and the reality stays the same. And you hurt more and more, and besides that, you begin to feel like a failure. You start saying things like, “I can’t believe with all the things I know to do and do every day, that things are still the same.” Or, “what’s the matter with me that I can’t figure out how to manifest what I want right now?” All part of the same game of illusion which is the only game your ego knows how to play.
So now, you are not only working hard, but you’re berating yourself for not being a good enough manifestor. And feeling irritated, angry, anxious, sad, maybe even depressed…and certainly, inadequate.
So what do you do to get around ego’s tangle of limiting, discouraging beliefs and judgments, and go back to KNOWING that Spirit is the source of all reality–that all good comes from God? That you can rest in knowing that you are supported and loved in every single moment? And that surrender is just a breath away? Yes, surrender. Surrender to what is is the answer. And finding your peaceful heart with what is. And trusting that the Universe knows what you want; knows your preferences, and for now, what is, is. And if it is, it’s perfect.
Oh man, does ego ever NOT go for that! But you must. Because your inner peace, your Everyday Joy depends on it–depends on your willingness to release resistance, stop pushing up against reality. That only causes you to suffer more and more deeply. The truth is you get to choose peace in every moment. You get to claim your Everyday Joy all the time. But in order to do this, you have to practice recognizing what ego is up to; practice acknowledging that ego is always trying to protect you from imagined harm; creating fear where there is none. and pretending to be invincible, rather than vulnerable.
Now understand, there’s no need to horribilize ego. Ego is not bad. Ego is your human mind working within its limitations. When you recognize these things, then you can choose to surrender into the NOW. You can choose to dwell in the expansive knowing of your spirit. Over and over and over and over and over, eternally. It’s what you have to do to finally claim the New World inside of yourself. Then and only then will it manifest outside of you.
You are capable of deep peace and radiant joy. Not just capable of them— these are your nature. Gently moving ego out of the way is just what you have to do to live there. Embracing your human vulnerability is what you have to do to experience your magnificent spirit. Yes, it’s a paradox. Keep practicing, it’s SO worth the effort. You, are so worth the effort.
Wishing you the peace and joy that are YOU!
Jan
I got this quote today in an email:
“…Do not give yourself more attention than you need, but take care of yourself and do not continually slay the God within you. Give opportunities in your daily life for the Christ within to manifest itself. This is what we mean by loving yourself, and this is what Jesus meant when he said ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. ‘ Love peace of mind, love doing the right thing, love living according to divine law.”~White Eagle
I think it’s beautiful. And it expresses perfectly how the law of attraction works. Put your attention on what you want and you will have it, and more of it as time goes on. The simplicity of what White Eagle says speaks to our ability to choose. Choose peace of mind, choose the right thing, choose to be guided by divine law.
Finding your everyday joy is a simple thing. It requires intention, attention, choice and commitment.
I had an interesting experience yesterday. I was feeling deep grief about something in my life. And my unconscious beliefs about these feelings were amazingly clear to me. I felt sorry for myself, I felt like a victim, like I shouldn’t have to feel these feelings, etc. I saw so clearly how what I say to myself can either release or intensify painful feelings. It is about my intention, attention, choice and commitment to love myself…..or not.
Look for your unconscious beliefs in the things that you do and the things that you say….and challenge them. And replace them with beliefs, thoughts that are about loving yourself. It will make a world of difference.
Wishing you a peaceful heart,
Jan
The Everyday Joy Coach
Okay, so I must have been the last person on earth lol to see the uTube video of Paul Potts at his audition with Simon Crowell (see post below). Yesterday, the entertainment section of the Miami Herald had a full page ad for Paul’s upcoming appearance at the Hard Rock Hotel here in South Florida! He made it. His dream came true. He’s living it. He’s traveling the world, from South Wales, singing opera–doing what, as he says, he ‘was born to do’.
Your job is to collect evidence and data that dreams DO come true. Put your attention on the things that you want. Put your energy there. Put your faith there. Pay attention to how the dreams of others come true.And then watch the magic happen in your life.
Paul Potts is living the magic and you can too. Anything you desire already exists in the quantum field of all possiblities. I’d love to help you participate in the possibilities you dream of, and collapse the ones you no longer resonate to. Call or email me if I can help.
Wishing you all the JOY your heart can hold,
Jan
The Everyday Joy Coach
A friend sent me an email with this video link today. I watched it and had goose bumps from head to toe the whole time. And then I watched it again, and again…partly because of the quality of the superb performance, but mostly because I was watching someone take the risk to step into his greatness. I will watch it many more times.
Watch the video and be inspired to pursue YOUR dreams. Don’t ever tell yourself you can’t! Paul didn’t, despite his confession that ‘confidence has always been a difficult thing for me.’
So here then, is what the email said:
“This is a story about a guy, who like most of us, sometimes questions his existence, measuring himself to others, not believing enough in his abilities or his worth. Then one day, his passion outgrew his fears as he stepped onto a stage, a stage that took him to a place beyond his self-imposed prison. Watch the faces of the judges as this guy walks out on the stage. You can almost see what they’re thinking as they pre-judge this guy based on his looks and the fact that he’s a cell phone salesman. Maybe this guy stopped believing in what people told him for so many years and ultimately started listening to his passion. “
Click on the link and watch… http://www.maniacworld.com/Phone-Salesman-Amazes-Crowd.html
enJOY!
Jan
My teen-aged son has big dreams for himself. He wants to be a professional musician, and perform on stage. Now, not everyone is comfortable with big dreams. In fact most people are very UNconfortable with big dreams. So when he talks about his dream, he gets a lot of comments like this: “get real, man!” or “come on! one in a million makes it big!”, or “you better have a plan B.” or simply “yeah, right!”
He’s getting much more discerning about when, where, and to whom he voices his dreams. I say, tell them, “Be sure I have your address so I can send you concert tickets when the time comes!”
He is a kid whose imagination is at work all the time. Sometimes that hasn’t served him so well… like when he imagines things that scare or discourage him. But this dream. He does not waver. Not one bit. That kind of certaintly overcomes others’ doubts. He simply doesn’t take in the negativity, he keeps his dream in close, and shares it with those who support him and believe in him. I believe in him, always have, always will. And not just cause I’m his mom. lol
I want to ask the nay sayers, “so what’s YOUR dream? Oh, you don’t have one? Or you don’t talk about it because no one around you believes dreams can come true? And you’re afraid they’ll make fun of you?” Sad but true, many people shut their dreams down long ago because they were made fun of, put down or just plain ignored. And then they forget that they ever had dreams in the first place.
It’s so important to find that dream that is uniquely yours. The one that only you can dream. And then give yourself permission to own it, dream it, see it, feel it, taste it, hear it, smell it, touch it….a lot. I’ve done that with my dreams and guess what? They come true!! My soul mate husband, my children, my books, and so many things, experiences, and relationships I have in my life now, once only existed in my imagination. I have a very long list of my dreams that came true! And in the meantime, do I ever have a great time imagining, dreaming, anticipating, feeling it as if it’s already true.
Quantum physics teaches us that EVERYTHING already exists in possibility. We simply collapse the realities we don’t pay attention to, and uphold those we do. So look at the realities you uphold…the ones where you put most of your attention and energy. And by the same token, look at the ones you have collapsed. Are there some of those—or completely different ones you want to align yourself with? Are they big dreams? Are they about your passion? Your intense desires? Would you like to shift your attention? Would NOW be a good time to do that?
Your thoughts become things. Your feelings create your reality. Your actions ignite the possibility you have chosen for yourself. Whether you believe this is true or not….it is.
So allot some time and energy this week, this month, this year, to investigating and clarifying what exactly YOUR dream is. When you discover it, cherish it, nurse it, spend time with it, KNOW it, and say to yourself “Already done!”. For it is, and all you have to do is line up with it and uphold it with your attention, your thoughts, feelings and actions. And so it is.
And by the way, go back over your life and ask yourself what dreams you’ve had that already came true. We all have dreams. They may be dormant, but they’re there. And we’re all very powerful manifestors, so start collecting evidence of that…. and DREAM BIG!!
Wishing you all that you dream of….or something even better!
Jan
I ask that because I observe how people sometimes dramatize things, energize painful experiences, convince themselves and others that they are a victim, and talk about it endlessly. I know that they’re simply trying to feel better, but what they’re doing is counterproductive.
Am I saying to not pay attention to the painful experiences in your life? No, of course not. I just suggesting that you give them fair air time, and then shift your focus.
Here’s the thing, we do need to grieve, to feel anger, to be sad when certain things happen. Just don’t let those feelings become habits. Feelings are an energy that is meant to come up, be felt, expressed in some way or another, and then be released. But if the most exciting thing that happens in your day is talking about something awful that happened, that will cause a spike in your endorphins, and your neurotransmitter receptor sites will want you to keep coming back for more, and more. In other words being a drama queen or king may be habit forming….and not in a good way!
Really, the drama is not worth it. By now you know that the drama will attract more….right! drama! So be conscious in your choices of where to put your focus, your attention, your emotional energy. Law of attraction doesn’t hear you when you think, “just this once, I’ll talk about it and it won’t attract more of what I’m talking about.” Nope. Law of attraction is like gravity…it just is…it does what it does…only ALL THE TIME…..so be mindful. That’s all I’m saying.
Just a thought…..
Wishing you all that you wish for yourself.
Jan
This quote from Al Gore found its way into my email box today:
“When enough unexplainable new phenomena pile up, there is sometimes a shift in consciousness that moves us quickly and suddenly to recognize a new pattern that explains all of these things that have been mysterious in the context of the old way of thinking. That’s what we’re on the cusp of right now.”
– Al Gore
Al is so right. There is so much both personally and globally that we have a hard time explaining and dealing with. I know there are things in my life that are changing at the speed of light, probably in yours too. And in the most perplexing ways and areas. Often we get discouraged because we can’t see the ‘why’ of it all, and it remains a mystery. And then if we’re in resistance to the mystery…look out….here comes pain and suffering.
The good news is that the light is shining more and more brightly. Soon it will be clear to us about why certain things had to shift and change, and how those changes position us for more peace, joy, harmony, better relationships, a better world.
And to paraphrase what Al says, that’s what our vibration is lining up with more precisely….until the light of consciousness and understanding reveals some of the mysteries and helps us to understand and embrace what is as we enter a New World.
My work as a coach and author is about helping us all to move out of that box of conventional thinking and into the possibilities that exist when we flip the switch that allows a rise in vibration, conscious awareness, and thought. What I know is that we don’t have to WAIT to traverse that cusp Al Gore refers to. We are able to hasten the arrival of the time when we willingly tumble over that edge into quantum thought, accessing quantum realities that we are dreaming of in all of our NOWs. Our intention to embrace what is, with faith in what it means, brings us closer and closer to the energetic shift he refers to.
So if this part of the path of your spiritual journey seems a bit….or a lot…dark, have faith. In fact, KNOW that you are the light, you are the healing, you are the new consciousness, you are the one you’re waiting for.
Think of it as perceiving something that you can’t quite make out, going on the the next room…but when you finally open the door and switch on the light….then, it’s all clear to you. You understand.
And allow yourself to anticipate with “already joy” the moment when you realize that YOU are the one!
I experienced a moment like that today while biking. I was repeating the phrase ‘already done, already done, already done’ knowing that God and the Universe knew what I was referring to. At that moment my faith was so complete, my trust so deep, and my joy so wide that all that I desire was ‘already done’, that I really understood the mystery that sometimes there is nothing to DO but simply BE JOYful. All the rest is ‘already done’. Somehow that got in deeper for me today. The truth of that is a place of higher consciousness, a place of unshakable knowing. And in that moment I knew that all that I had experienced in my entire life led up to that moment of faith and knowing.
Wishing you deep peace,
Jan
How about celebrating all of your successes of 2007? Often we make resolutions and promises and set our intentions for the new year without really assessing how well we did and how far we came in the year that just ended.
I suggest that you list several categories:
- Fun/Recreation
- Spirituality
- Finances
- Career
- Family
- Health/Wellness
- Primary Relationship
- Friendship
- Home/Office Environment
- etc.
…and rate yourself from 1-10 as far as how satisfied you are with that area in 2007.
Then list all of the things you are proud of, grateful for, and want to pat yourself on the back for and celebrate in those areas. Here is a list of just some of the things I’m pleased with from last year:
- My husband and I took some wonderful, fun trips to Alaska and San Diego as well as numerous trips to Utah.
- I took lots of long walks and bike rides.
- I remained healthy, strong and recovered quickly from minor injuries
- I dealt with very challenging family issues with strength and grace.
- We redecorated our living room, dining room and family room to be warm, beautiful and inviting
- Beautified the patio and yard with plants and fountains, etc
- Traveled with good friends
- Stayed in very close touch with my ‘soul sister’ friends
- Very strong, close, fulfilling, fun relationship with my husband
- Attracted the very people I have been envisioning to provide what I needed to take my coaching/teaching business to the next level.
- Hired a virtual assistant to support me in my professional life
- Attracted more new coaching clients and increased my income
- Published my first book
- My spiritual connection is even stronger and deeper than before
- etc, etc, etc
You get the idea. So do this for yourself. Make a long list of your successes and positive changes from 2007. From there you’ll be able to set clear, wonderful intentions for this year with a vibration that is high, grateful and appreciative. That will serve you very well…and it’ll feel terrific!
Take the time to celebrate yourself and how wonderful you are, and how far you have traveled on your life path this past year.
Wishing you JOY!
Jan
Joy is your reason for being. Joy is your nature. Joy is what propels you forward and upward. Joy is what aligns you with everything you desire. Joy is what allows you to tap into the quantum possibilities that already exist for your fulfillment! Joy is the fuel in the engine of your manifestation and participation in your desired reality. Joy raises your vibration to, what I believe is your natural state of being. Joy allows your well-being.
So how do you access more joy? I know that sometimes it seems like a long, hard leap from where you are, to joy. So let’s look at the easiest path.
The path of least resistance to joy for most of us, most of the time, is through gratitude and appreciation. And when you get into the habit of choosing appreciation and gratitude on a regular basis, you’re already in the process of inviting joy. Gratitude and joy are next door neighbors!
I carry small, pretty gratitude rocks with me in a beautiful little silk pouch so I can give them out as I go along in my life. Today I gave one to the young man who was my cashier at the discount store. After he handed me my bag and receipt, I held out the rock in my hand and said, “Here, this is for you. It’s a gratitude rock. Keep it with you, and every time you touch it, think of something in your life you’re grateful for.” He looked at me sort of blankly, so I repeated myself and he smiled, took the rock, and put it in his pocket. At the same time, the young woman behind me laughed and said, “I’ll take it if he doesn’t want it! ….just kidding!”
Right before I gave him his gratitude rock, I had opened my wallet to pay for my purchase, and took into my hand, my own gratitude rock, a tumbled amythyst stone about an inch long. It was warm and smooth and I recited to myself all the things I was grateful for in that moment: my life, my health, my soul mate husband, my children, my parents, my friends, my home, my money, my dogs, my car, my teachers, my spiritual path, my optimism, my work…even my current challenges. All of that required only the short time it took for the young man to ring up my item. No time at all. And a whole lot in a NOW moment.
I had raised my vibration to gratitude; that led me to feel my own joy; I was moved to share it; and then I multiplied it by giving him the stone and giggling with the young woman behind me. Easy. Simple. Powerful. And the point of it all! And totally delicious. I left the store with a full heart and a big smile.
There are so many ways to tap into your joy. Make a list of the ones that you like the best and make it a habit to use them daily. And watch your life transform!
Wishing you Joy, Peace and Well Being,
Jan
Did you know that complaining about something holds within it the intention of that very thing continuing? How could it not? The focus is on the thing you are complaining about. The emotional energy of complaining can range anywhere from mildly irritated to enraged. And the words usually stream forth for a while, especially if you’ve got a sympathetic ear listening to you. All the ingredients of manifestation. Oops!
Look, we’re all human. We all get snagged by the ego’s desire to blame others for the way we feel. But once we begin to work with metaphysical principles, we can’t do that with impunity any longer. We know what we know. and no matter how delicious complaining and blaming may feel to the ego, we’re much better off making a choice to identify and release what we’re feeling another way, and then focus on the desired outcome, as if it’s ALREADY happened.
Quantum physics tells us the the Universe listens to us, reads our vibration, and just like that genie in the fairy tale about Aladdin says, “Your wish is my command”. So how about making a commitment to catching yourself in the act of complaining, and maybe even make an agreement with someone close to us, to remind each other to shift the focus.
We consciously know that we don’t want more of what we don’t want; but our unconscious beliefs trump what we consciously desire and thus, the ego sneaks in the complaint factor. All you have to do is recognize it and shift your focus. And all you’ll be giving up is, let’s see…..self-pity, feeling victimized, the understanding and agreement about how awful things are from whoever will listen to your complaints…..and oh yes, manifesting more and more and more of exactly what you’re complaining about. Are you ready to give all that up for the opportunity to line yourself up more effectively with what you really really want…..with your desired outcome….even about, especially about the situation you’re complaining about? I’m guessing that you are.
So catch yourself every time the complaining starts and turn the dial in your mind, and change the channel of your thoughts and feelings. Choose a different program, and get some thoughts going that make you feel a whole lot better. Then you’ll see how marvelously you can participate in a friendly, abundant Universe that wants you to be happy! Empower yourself to be grateful and appreciative and see how things around you change, even perhaps that thing you were just about to complain about.
Joy and Peace,
Jan
I had a dream last night, long and involved— but at one point I am in a department store where I had bought two pairs of shoes before, with a 30% discount. The very same salesman who took care of my purchase last time comes over to me and takes the two pairs I am now going to buy and offers me the same discount card. Then suddenly he recognizes me, is overcome with joy by the coincidence that here we are again! And then he gets up on a platform and waving his arms around and talking loudly and happily, he informs the whole store that they should all get ready for exciting times, that this event signifies that we all will be experiencing lots of ongoing wonderful synchronicities.
He is very excited and everyone else gets excited too. It’s a very joyful feeling that is shared among all of us. Then he and I go over to the counter where the same cashier from the last time is there for me to pay for my shoes, but not before he shows me the very same funny stuff, cartoons and other fun things that he had shown me the last time. He says, “gotta do it every time, store policy.”
I love this dream and feel like it belongs to all of us! Hope you enjoy reading about it, and make it yours!
Happy, Blessed New Year!!
Jan
Have you ever noticed how impatient you can get when you’re working with metaphysical principles and you’re not ‘getting your stuff’, as Abraham says. You’re doing the intending, the allowing, the scripting, finding your joy, being grateful, etc., etc…..so where is your stuff, you ask? How come your desires haven’t manifested yet?
The Universe can only respond to your vibration, it’s a direct one-to-one relationship. You vibrate, and the universe responds in kind. It can’t be any other way….just like gravity. What you have in your life now, is there because it’s a match for your past and/or current vibe. It’s that simple.
The really, really good news is that all the spiritual practices and consciousness work you are doing is getting you ready for what you really want. You are in the process of getting ready to allow, and to receive those things. Every time you choose joy or gratitude or compassion, you rachet yourself closer to the frequency of the things you desire…and quite frankly, although you do live in a physical world and want physical stuff, what you truly want is inner peace and genuine joy. Sound cliche’? Well, maybe, but I know you’ve had the experience of getting stuff and still not being peaceful nor truly happy.
So continue the meditating, the scripting, the gratitude lists, the masterminding, and all the other beautiful, life-enhancing practices you do regularly. What they are doing is gently and steadily raising your vibration so that you become a match for the New World…a state of consciousness in which manifesting happens very quickly, if not instantaneously, and where people support each other in compassionate and cooperative ways, a world in which peace and joy are the rule rather than the exception.
The practices are worth the time and energy they take; YOU are worth the time and energy they take. Think of all that you desire and know that you are in the process of getting ready for it all…and you know what happens when you are finally ready. Things seem to occur out of the blue; synchronicity abounds; miracles happen; what was hard work is now effortless; shifts happen automatically, and we practically fall on our knees in gratitude for being allowed a glimpse of how life is supposed to be . All because we were willing to be in the process of getting ready for as long as it took. And being in that process required accepting and loving ourselves in the moment, in all our humanity. That’s the real gift in this!
I won’t tell you to be patient. Patience is about waiting for the future to arrive. What I will tell you is to live in the NOW….that’s where it all happens! And in the meantime, live your joy, have fun, embrace your humanity, and roll with the flow. Yes, certainly keep your eye on your dreams, they’re on their way, but you don’t need to obsess and work hard at it, instead gently embrace it and love it all now.
It’s a great time to be alive; conscious evolution is occurring, and rapidly. Evolution has always been a process in motion, but now we are consciously participating, and things are very exciting. Acknowledge your greatness, celebrate your magnificence, ascend to your worthiness….and keep getting ready for the miracles….they’re already happening!
Wishing you joy and peace,
Jan Masters
Today was a wonderful day. My husband and I took our boat out onto Biscayne Bay and cruised. The day was absolute perfection: endless blue sky, a few puffy clouds, the water was flat and clear, and the air was fresh.
We headed north towards downtown and enjoyed the skyline for a while, then we headed over to one of our favorite places–a small, quiet harbor on Key Biscayne, with a funky restaurant on the shore. We tied the boat to the seawall and enjoyed our delicious lunch on the porch overlooking the harbor. More perfection.
After lingering over lunch and conversation, we untied the boat and cruised south, enjoying the breeze under the shade of the Bimini top on our boat. Then we spotted them—a pair of dolphins. What a gift! Nothing makes a day on the water for us like an encounter with these gorgeous beings.
It was clear that they wanted to play with us. They moved up to the surface of the still water, and under, over and over, making large, lazy circles around our boat. We cut off the engine, and sat and watched, thanking them out loud for their magical presence.
It was like a meditation, sitting there in the shade on the boat, just being with them for over half an hour. And the message was clear in their repetitive, gorgeously fluid motions. SLOW, STEADY, GRACEFUL.
They were in perfect rhythm with each other. And their pace never varied. In and out, up and down, the perfect curves of their smooth, glistening bodies cutting through the surface of the water—over and over and over and over, in an endless symphony of one movement flowing into the next.
It was mesmerizing and, at the same time, very grounding in its simplicity. No rushing, no hurry, no worry, no flailing about, no trying hard. Just do what you know to do to get things done–slowly, steadily, gracefully.
Life can make us teeter off balance. We can become stressed, concerned, feel pressured about what needs doing, and how much time we have to do it.
They were feeding, no doubt. And their movements remained slow, steady, and graceful. Endlessly.
The effect of their presence and their energy was so calming, nourishing, comforting and reassuring. They seemed to be saying to us: Take it easy. You know what needs to get done. Move slowly and deliberately. Follow your instincts. Keep up a steady flow toward your goal. And be centered enough in yourself and your true nature to allow for true grace. Their ease and economy of movement, and the beauty of their natural flowing physical energies was so entrancing.
Their mystical presence is still with me. And their message means the world to me today since I had found myself feeling a bit pressured by a list of ‘to do’s’ after my computer was down for a few days—as well as some other pressures I was putting on myself. I’m so grateful for the blessing of them in an already perfect day!
Just look at what we attracted!! Not only the sublime experience of being with the two dolphins, but also the gift of clarity about how to proceed. SLOW, STEADY, GRACEFUL. I can do that.
Love and Joy,
Jan
I’ve been thinking lately about self-talk…you know,the things you say to yourself consciously and unconsciously. The words of self-talk shape your daily experience, and determine your reality. That may sound extreme, but there’s no way around this truth. Thoughts become words, become things. It’s that simple.
What I see in many of my clients and even myself at times, is that the self-talk contains a lot of criticism. Criticism you may not even be aware of. About all kinds of things. Big things,small things, important things, inconsequential things.
The ego is always busy striving for perfection, trying to convince us of our shortcomings and operating out of the idea that criticizing is the way to improve someone. Not helpful, to say the least!
Begin to listen to your self-talk and you’ll see what I mean. Listen for the stream of ‘you should’, ‘you shouldn’t', ‘you did’, ‘you didn’t', ‘why aren’t you?’, ‘why are you?’ You can fill in your own blanks and ask yourself how it feels, once you become conscious of this kind of self-criticism.
So, I’m offering you this MAGIC sentence. Honestly, if you begin to apply this whenever you hear this self-critical talk going on, it will transform the moment for you. And transforming a moment at a time will lead you to a transformed life.
Here it is:
“Even though I (fill in the blank with the criticism) I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
Here are some examples to help you understand how to use this MAGIC sentence.
- Even though I still haven’t met my soul mate, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
- Even though my job evaluation (or grades) was not great this time, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
- Even though I was cranky with my kids this morning, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
- Even though I am not where I think I should be in my spiritual development, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
- Even though I don’t have as much money as I would like, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
- Even though I don’t have as many friends as I think I should, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
- Even though I don’t love myself as much as I think I should, I deeply and completely love and accept myself. ( I love this one!)
You get the idea. For your Inner Being, hearing that you love and accept yourself NO MATTER WHAT,is what will bring you closer to a healed life, with much more peace and joy.
Try it and see what you think
Love and Joy!
Jan
PS This sentence is taken from an “energy medicine” healing practice called EFT–Emotional Freedom Technique–If you’d like to know more about it go to http://www.emofree.com/
If you would like to do some of this work with me to eliminate a variety of problems, call or email me. jan at everydayjoy.com , 305-273-7736
Did you ever notice how much time you spend waiting? Waiting for the next exciting life event? Waiting to meet that special someone? Waiting to get slimmer? Waiting to make more money? Waiting to have a better reason to be happy. It goes on and on and on, doesn’t it?
Everyone of us buys into the illusion of time sometimes. I guess it’s just human nature. But it’s so important to be reminded that all there is, is NOW! That’s it. NOW. and another NOW, and another and another. A delightfully eternal stream of NOW moments.
Here’s the thing—if you are waiting, you are not in this NOW moment. The ‘standing around tapping your foot waiting’ takes you out of the NOW. And once it’s gone, it’s gone. No getting it back. And I don’t know about you, but I want ALL of mine.
So what are you waiting for –to give yourself permission to know that NOW is enough? That it’s all enough. That YOU are enough.
So much of my work with clients, and my writing is about this. Remembering time after time that you are enough. I am enough. Without changing a thing. Without doing a thing. Without the new diet, the new job, the new clothes, the improved relationship, the better evaluation, etc., etc., etc.
It’s actually pretty sad when you look at how convinced you are of your ‘not enoughness’. I think it’s a modern day malady. And WHAT IF all along, you are not only enough, you are spectacular? What if you are are amazing? What if you are a miracle!? A total miracle!
So how about today, you start reminding yourself of that. Your spirit will clap its hands in delight each time it hears you say,’hey there, just wanted to tell you that you are ENOUGH, and I LOVE you. Right here. Right NOW!”
And believe me when I tell you that even if it sounds like bunch of silliness at first…in time, perhaps when you least expect it, you will take it in, and it will change your life. I promise.
It’s the simplest of things that make the most profound difference. This is one of them.
Ask me how I know. The fact is, I just remembered it myself!!
And the thing is, I don’t care how many times I lose my way along my path, I know that I can find my way home faster and faster. And I admit tht I’m sacredly selfish about my NOW. I want it to embrace and live it all. NOW.
If I can keep finding my way back to NOW, so can you.
How about it? What do you think might change if you made this a priority in your life?
Love and Peace,
Jan
That’s the phone call I got from a client the other day. He did something he considered screwing up, and was beating up on himself pretty badly for it. When’s the last time YOU did that?
If you’re human, you ‘screw up’ every single day. and it was my job as his spiritual coach to help him to see, accept and even, cherish his humanity. We set such high–sometimes impossible–standards for ourselves, and then when we don’t meet them, we feel like we’ve failed. Not so.
One of my greatest spiritual teachers told me there is no such thing as failure, there is only learning taking place. So the question is ‘What can I learn from this?’ That’s it. And then we move on.
No punishment, no berating ourselves, no slumping into giving up. No! Only moving on with the new awareness the lesson gave us.
While I was walking today in the beautiful, sunny, breezy morning, I was thinking about my own ‘screw ups’. And I was laughing as I thought to myself well, if I never ‘screwed up’, I wouldn’t be carrying around this extra weight, or ever argue with anyone, or have a judgemental thought, or….. Yeah, right!
Then I thought about the times that real change has occurred for me, for my clients—that moment when the thing you’ve been reaching for and ‘failing’ at, finally just clicks into place. And you’re there.
And the phrase that came to me is: It’s time!
That’s it, it’s simply time. So when we ‘fail’ to get there time after time after time, it’s not failure at all. We’re in the process of getting ready. This is so important that I’m going to say it again…
WE’RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING READY…UNTIL WE ARE FINALLY READY!
The Law of Attaction tell us that until we are aligned with something, we cannot attract it. So the ‘getting ready’ is about tweaking and tweaking and tweaking our alignment with that thing we want until we are so perfectly aligned with it that IT CAN’T NOT HAPPEN. It’s the next logical step, and at that point it feels like it just sort of falls into place. Effortlessly. We’re there.
When we can look at our life experience this way, as a living, breathing, positive process toward growth and change, then we can soften to our humanity and love ourselves in this very moment. Right now. Unconditionally.
We can pat ourselves on the back for persevering, we can count our past successes, and we can envision a wonderful future full of whatever it is we want.
We deserve all that. and more!
Love and Peace to you,
Jan
