September 2009 Archives
This was approved today! What do you think?
What is the ONE
thing that will be the ticket to having all your dreams come true?
That's what Peggy McColl asked herself over and over again on her way
to becoming the mega-success she is today. In her latest book,
The Won Thing,
she shares her journey from being a disheartened, small-town single mom
to becoming a highly successful business woman, Internet entrepeneur,
motivational coach and speaker, NY Times Best Selling author, millionaire and most importantly, someone who is living a deeply fulfilling life with a husband and child she cherishes.
I was privileged to read Peggy's book over the weekend, and found it inspiring and energizing. I love her voice in it and the loving energy that comes through her words. Over the last few years, Peggy has become a friend of mine, but even if she's not yours yet, you'll feel like she is from the easy, accessible way she speaks to you through her writing. Clearly, Peggy's intent is to take your hand and support you in finding your own "Won Thing." Not content to simply enjoy her own success, you can tell from this book that she won't stop until she has shared all she has learned with others on the path in service to their own fulfillment.
You won't find anything particularly cutting edge in this book, but I don't believe that's its purpose. Sometimes we need to be brought back to our foundation, and that's just what this book does. What you'll find is a really well-presented self-development primer, laid out in a very easy-to-assimilate fashion. For me, it is a reminder of the metaphysical and success basics I immersed myself in over the years but have not always kept in my focus. I needed to revisit some of them and this little book came right on time for me.
The Won Thing will make a really super gift for someone you know who is just opening up to a more metaphysical approach to personal development, and I'm willing to bet you'll find that it has just the reminder and energy boost you need!
It's the perfect time to buy it--right now, in celebration of the official launch of The Won Thing, there are all kinds of cool prizes (they're worth big bucks, too!) you're eligible to win when you purchase a copy! Be sure and visit http://thewonthing.com/ to find out what they are!
to becoming the mega-success she is today. In her latest book,
The Won Thing,
she shares her journey from being a disheartened, small-town single mom
to becoming a highly successful business woman, Internet entrepeneur,
motivational coach and speaker, NY Times Best Selling author, millionaire and most importantly, someone who is living a deeply fulfilling life with a husband and child she cherishes.I was privileged to read Peggy's book over the weekend, and found it inspiring and energizing. I love her voice in it and the loving energy that comes through her words. Over the last few years, Peggy has become a friend of mine, but even if she's not yours yet, you'll feel like she is from the easy, accessible way she speaks to you through her writing. Clearly, Peggy's intent is to take your hand and support you in finding your own "Won Thing." Not content to simply enjoy her own success, you can tell from this book that she won't stop until she has shared all she has learned with others on the path in service to their own fulfillment.
You won't find anything particularly cutting edge in this book, but I don't believe that's its purpose. Sometimes we need to be brought back to our foundation, and that's just what this book does. What you'll find is a really well-presented self-development primer, laid out in a very easy-to-assimilate fashion. For me, it is a reminder of the metaphysical and success basics I immersed myself in over the years but have not always kept in my focus. I needed to revisit some of them and this little book came right on time for me.
The Won Thing will make a really super gift for someone you know who is just opening up to a more metaphysical approach to personal development, and I'm willing to bet you'll find that it has just the reminder and energy boost you need!
It's the perfect time to buy it--right now, in celebration of the official launch of The Won Thing, there are all kinds of cool prizes (they're worth big bucks, too!) you're eligible to win when you purchase a copy! Be sure and visit http://thewonthing.com/ to find out what they are!
This is how it looked this evening here on the shore of Lake Michigan:
I feel I need to apologize to my
regular readers for just dropping off the radar for a bit. It was
unintentional. I hit an intense patch of Difficult World physical stuff
in the midst of getting ready to leave for our annual Lake Michigan vacation, and just didn't
have it in me to blog for awhile or do anything other than just what I had to. It was all I could do to just get packed and such. I've really been going through some serious challenges with the
rheumatoid arthritis, my honored, if not always joyfully received, teacher.
There were times in the days before we left that I seriously wondered if I would make it up here. I'm not proud to say that intense fear gripped me whenever I thought of how in the world I'd be able to walk after being cooped up in the car for so long at a time. When it was clear I needed to de-stress and that my body needed to rest, we postponed our trip a day, which took some of the pressure off, and gave me a chance to prepare at the turtle's pace I was able to move.
Then we had a wonderful--but long--journey, arriving the night before my dad headed back to North Carolina from his summer here. (He's 87 now and I hadn't seen him since last summer, so making it up before he left was huge for me.) Somehow, I managed to stretch my legs sufficiently whenever we stopped to be able to get to the restrooms and back. I spent a lot of time visualizing that and it worked!
Bless Rick's heart--he drove all but about 100 of the 1400 miles up here, not to mention all the schlepping and such. I am fortunate to have such a kind man.
Yes--I made it here to the cottage,
but apparently, I am not off the hook yet. My body has been letting me
know it's still not happy or at peace. It seems I'm being called into
greater integrity with mySelf and it's requiring me to be kinder,
gentler and more mindful and respectful with all aspects of me. Just as
in the article I sent out a couple of weeks ago, anything out of
integrity will crumble as we move to this higher vibration, so best to
reorganize if something needs to remain intact--like my physical body!
Time to come to terms with some things and shift some thinking and behaviors. Not completely clear on what that looks like, but I'm sure Spirit will continue to show me the way. I just keep surrendering and getting amazing feedback from that.
There is something so restful and healing and clarifying about being here by the lake's edge. I am deeply grateful to be able to come home to this place--grateful to have the time and space to rest. And to allow some solutions to present themselves as I am able to choose to be back in Easy World where all problems are already solved!
(For blog entries from past vacations on Lake Michigan, see the archives from Sept. 2007 and 2008)
There were times in the days before we left that I seriously wondered if I would make it up here. I'm not proud to say that intense fear gripped me whenever I thought of how in the world I'd be able to walk after being cooped up in the car for so long at a time. When it was clear I needed to de-stress and that my body needed to rest, we postponed our trip a day, which took some of the pressure off, and gave me a chance to prepare at the turtle's pace I was able to move.
Then we had a wonderful--but long--journey, arriving the night before my dad headed back to North Carolina from his summer here. (He's 87 now and I hadn't seen him since last summer, so making it up before he left was huge for me.) Somehow, I managed to stretch my legs sufficiently whenever we stopped to be able to get to the restrooms and back. I spent a lot of time visualizing that and it worked!
Bless Rick's heart--he drove all but about 100 of the 1400 miles up here, not to mention all the schlepping and such. I am fortunate to have such a kind man.
Yes--I made it here to the cottage,
but apparently, I am not off the hook yet. My body has been letting me
know it's still not happy or at peace. It seems I'm being called into
greater integrity with mySelf and it's requiring me to be kinder,
gentler and more mindful and respectful with all aspects of me. Just as
in the article I sent out a couple of weeks ago, anything out of
integrity will crumble as we move to this higher vibration, so best to
reorganize if something needs to remain intact--like my physical body!
Time to come to terms with some things and shift some thinking and behaviors. Not completely clear on what that looks like, but I'm sure Spirit will continue to show me the way. I just keep surrendering and getting amazing feedback from that.
There is something so restful and healing and clarifying about being here by the lake's edge. I am deeply grateful to be able to come home to this place--grateful to have the time and space to rest. And to allow some solutions to present themselves as I am able to choose to be back in Easy World where all problems are already solved!
(For blog entries from past vacations on Lake Michigan, see the archives from Sept. 2007 and 2008)
I received an email today from someone that said this:
"What puzzles me & what I do not seem to be able to accept is that I am totally responsible for everything that happens in my life. I do believe that thoughts are " things" however other people have thoughts also & I cannot seem to get beyond this " idea " If praying for others helps then so would others' malicious thoughts hinder don't you think ? And I understand about protection etc. But if one person wants good and fifteen want evil then it seems to me that evil will prevail. I suppose there are no pat answers but if you could shed some light on this issue for me I would be most grateful."
And here is my reply (I decided that if one person on my list had this question, there are probably others!):
I will do my best to help you come to a more satisfying understanding.
The following is an overly simplified explanation for a very challenging perception, but hopefully, it will help you see what I see that has been useful for me, and maybe it will be useful for you, too:
Even though you are, as a human, aware of only one reality at a time, there is not simply one unfolding reality, but an infinite number of them occurring simultaneously.
The reality you experience at any given time is determined by what you are a vibrational match to--which one you are tuned in to. Like tuning a radio or TV, if you want to watch a certain channel to see a particular show, you have to have your tuner set to the right wavelength and frequency to pick it up. If you have it set to a different frequency, you will hear/see a different show instead of the one you had hoped to see.
Likewise, to see what you want to see in your life, it's necessary to be tuned into that reality through your thoughts, emotions, and general vibration.
I'm going to include a part of a reply I gave on a forum some years back to someone else who was confused about the idea of competing intentions. In her case, she was wondering about runners in a race who all intended to win:"What I'm aware of is that there are infinite realities--INFINITE. Hard to grasp, eh?
So there's the scenario where you win the race, and the one where someone else wins the race--but there's also the one where you win the race in your red pants, and the one where you win the race in your green pants, and the one where you win the race in your green pants having eaten pasta beforehand and the one where you win the race in your green pants having eaten pizza beforehand and the one where you win the race wearing green pants having eaten pizza and having called your best friend for encouragement before the race and she wasn't there and the one where you win the race in your green pants having eaten pizza beforehand having called your best friend for encouragement before the race and she was there and was all excited for you and gave you a great pep talk.
AND, there's the one where you lost the race wearing green pants, having eaten pizza and having talked to your best friend--or not--and on and on and on and on and on...
When you think of all the possible tiny nuances and variables, they are truly INFINITE.
And how you determine which scenario you experience and are aware of is determined by where you tune your vibrational frequency at any given time. Like the radio only a LOT more selection! The Law of Attraction simply determines which of the infinite possible scenarios you're tuning in to based on your vibration. That's why it is so wise to be proactive with your focus and your feelings since they determine the vibration you're sending forth for matching up with a reality.
Basically, who wins the race depends on who is doing the perceiving and what reality they're in. Every racer involved could perceive a reality in which they won the race and it would be true. It would not negate anyone else's reality choice or even have anything to do with it."
It is also important to understand that by surrendering to a higher power, what you are doing is coming into proper alignment. The Divine Design dictates that your Spirit / higher power / God Self is the one to be in charge--not your ego. When you surrender to your Spirit, you are shifting your receptivity from the ego, whose job it is to keep you in resistance to the flow of Love, and lining up with the aspect of you that is flowing Love to you.
The more in alignment with Source you are and thus, engaged with and allowing of the flow of Love, the higher vibration is and the more appealing the potential realities you're a match to are. The more Love you're allowing to flow without resistance, the higher your vibrational frequency. The higher your vibrational frequency, the more harmonious the selection of realities you can access are.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter how many people there are in the world choosing evil, if you're aligned with your Spirit, allowing the flow of Love, and not in resistance to anything--not even the people who are choosing what ego labels as "evil"--you will experience harmony and joy. You will be tuned into a reality that is joyful and Light-filled. The more resistance you apply--to ANYTHING--the lower your vibration is and the closer a match you are to disharmonious realities so that what you experience is painful and not at all joyful.
Love flowing freely = joy. Resistance = pain. Joy is a vibrational match for the realities we like; Pain is a vibrational match for the realities we don't like.
No matter what reality anyone else is choosing, you choose your own reality and experience it as utterly true for you.
I know that is a lot to chew on. I hope it makes sense after you've had time to digest it!
I am going to post this to my blog (without your name, of course) so that it may help others as well.
Love and Joy,
Julia
If you're on my mailing list, then you received a mailing from me
yesterday
with an article I wrote a few days ago called "A Truly Transformational
Question." (If you're not a subscriber yet, you can remedy that by filling in the tiny form in the left side menu of this blog or of any page of my sites!) I've received wonderful feedback from this article, and I
believe that's, at least, in part, because I have truly been living
what's in the article. It has substance behind it, and that is why people are
resonating with it so powerfully.
Way back in 1987, I was in an intensive 3-week spiritual-development class in Southern California. There were about 35 people in the class and we met twice a day in the classroom as well as working in the intentional community that was hosting us (kitchen, garden, laundry, etc.). Our two class sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, were always quite information-packed and it was all I could do to keep up with note-taking.
One morning, in week three, just after our first class meeting of the day, I was approached by one of the instructors who said I'd been one of 5 people chosen to give a talk that evening at a community gathering--a sort-of closing ceremony for our session. This would be for a few hundred people--our class, the people who lived at the community, and a few people from the area.
My ego immediately soared, of course--I not only was pleased to be one of the "chosen," I love to speak in public and was excited to have the opportunity. But what would I talk about? It was my choice, but it was to be about something I had learned in the class. "Piece of cake," I thought. I had filled most of a college-ruled notebook with the new ideas we'd been given in the class. I was sure I'd come up with something great.
Then came the lecture after lunch. Something in it stood out in stark highlights for me, and, based on what I was facing, it made me just a tiny bit queasy. It was this: When you talk about something you have no real experience in; that you've generated no inner substance in and only have an intellectual knowing of, the words may sound right, but it will not have much true impact. Like a check written on an account with no money, the person receiving it may think it represents value, but when they go to cash it--to put it to use--it is worthless. So always talk about that which you have a true connection and experience with, not just something you think is a cool idea.
Yikes. I'd have to come up with something I truly knew about.
That afternoon after class, we were were busy doing some things to get ready for the program and with my work duties and dinner, that left me only a half hour to get my presentation together. When I went to the classroom to get my notebook which I had left in my chair, the door was locked! With no time to find someone to unlock it, I was on my own. No notebook to "cheat" with!
I could not think of one single thing to say! I successfully fought the urge to freak out completely, but when it came down to five minutes before I was to go to the auditorium for the program, and I still had not thought of anything, I began to get worried. I was drawing a total blank!
"The provision of Source is perfect, and I'll come up with something," I told myself. The thought of getting up there and drawing a blank was too horrifying to contemplate.
As I took my seat in the front row, one of the teaching staff came up to me and told me I was to go first (holy cow!) and that I was to thank the community for all that they had done for us and provided for us. Now that, I could handle. And still, I could not think of a thing that I had learned since I got there that seemed appropriate to share with the assemblage. "The provision of Source is perfect," I kept repeating, sure that a great topic would dawn at any moment.
As I got the signal to go on stage, my heart was pounding as I ascended the steps, still not a clue what my topic would be! So, I just kept reassuring myself with my new mantra.
And you know what? As I talked about how perfectly the community had provided for us and thanked them profusely, it dawned on me that I was talking about being perfectly provided for! It was the very mantra I'd been repeating! And then, it was clear as day. My topic was "The provision of Source is perfect."
Thus, I told the group--who seemed spell-bound as I spoke--about how I'd been totally stumped as to what to speak about but that I had realized that my topic was in the very words I'd been telling myself. I told them that the one thing I knew for sure was that the provision of Source is perfect. My 10 minutes at the podium flew by as I told them the story of my predicament and the cool synchronicities (that I could now see!) like the locked door, that had led up to me standing there being open to inspiration in the moment.
I don't know if I'd ever been that cogent and clear! By staying in the moment, without prior plans for what to say, I had been available to receive that insight in a most potent way and when I shared it, the power of it was transferred. The "check" I wrote was good, indeed, as was confirmed for me.
Many in the audience came up to me at the reception following the program and told me they'd had goosebumps as I was talking, and had really felt themselves opening to receive in a new way. So, it is true! By sharing that which you have actually experienced, you can make a profound difference with your words and the energy behind them.
Way back in 1987, I was in an intensive 3-week spiritual-development class in Southern California. There were about 35 people in the class and we met twice a day in the classroom as well as working in the intentional community that was hosting us (kitchen, garden, laundry, etc.). Our two class sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, were always quite information-packed and it was all I could do to keep up with note-taking.
One morning, in week three, just after our first class meeting of the day, I was approached by one of the instructors who said I'd been one of 5 people chosen to give a talk that evening at a community gathering--a sort-of closing ceremony for our session. This would be for a few hundred people--our class, the people who lived at the community, and a few people from the area.
My ego immediately soared, of course--I not only was pleased to be one of the "chosen," I love to speak in public and was excited to have the opportunity. But what would I talk about? It was my choice, but it was to be about something I had learned in the class. "Piece of cake," I thought. I had filled most of a college-ruled notebook with the new ideas we'd been given in the class. I was sure I'd come up with something great.
Then came the lecture after lunch. Something in it stood out in stark highlights for me, and, based on what I was facing, it made me just a tiny bit queasy. It was this: When you talk about something you have no real experience in; that you've generated no inner substance in and only have an intellectual knowing of, the words may sound right, but it will not have much true impact. Like a check written on an account with no money, the person receiving it may think it represents value, but when they go to cash it--to put it to use--it is worthless. So always talk about that which you have a true connection and experience with, not just something you think is a cool idea.
Yikes. I'd have to come up with something I truly knew about.
That afternoon after class, we were were busy doing some things to get ready for the program and with my work duties and dinner, that left me only a half hour to get my presentation together. When I went to the classroom to get my notebook which I had left in my chair, the door was locked! With no time to find someone to unlock it, I was on my own. No notebook to "cheat" with!
I could not think of one single thing to say! I successfully fought the urge to freak out completely, but when it came down to five minutes before I was to go to the auditorium for the program, and I still had not thought of anything, I began to get worried. I was drawing a total blank!
"The provision of Source is perfect, and I'll come up with something," I told myself. The thought of getting up there and drawing a blank was too horrifying to contemplate.
As I took my seat in the front row, one of the teaching staff came up to me and told me I was to go first (holy cow!) and that I was to thank the community for all that they had done for us and provided for us. Now that, I could handle. And still, I could not think of a thing that I had learned since I got there that seemed appropriate to share with the assemblage. "The provision of Source is perfect," I kept repeating, sure that a great topic would dawn at any moment.
As I got the signal to go on stage, my heart was pounding as I ascended the steps, still not a clue what my topic would be! So, I just kept reassuring myself with my new mantra.
And you know what? As I talked about how perfectly the community had provided for us and thanked them profusely, it dawned on me that I was talking about being perfectly provided for! It was the very mantra I'd been repeating! And then, it was clear as day. My topic was "The provision of Source is perfect."
Thus, I told the group--who seemed spell-bound as I spoke--about how I'd been totally stumped as to what to speak about but that I had realized that my topic was in the very words I'd been telling myself. I told them that the one thing I knew for sure was that the provision of Source is perfect. My 10 minutes at the podium flew by as I told them the story of my predicament and the cool synchronicities (that I could now see!) like the locked door, that had led up to me standing there being open to inspiration in the moment.
I don't know if I'd ever been that cogent and clear! By staying in the moment, without prior plans for what to say, I had been available to receive that insight in a most potent way and when I shared it, the power of it was transferred. The "check" I wrote was good, indeed, as was confirmed for me.
Many in the audience came up to me at the reception following the program and told me they'd had goosebumps as I was talking, and had really felt themselves opening to receive in a new way. So, it is true! By sharing that which you have actually experienced, you can make a profound difference with your words and the energy behind them.
