Julia: October 2009 Archives
This is our backyard this afternoon. And it's still snowing! This is not as deep as it is in the foothills and mountains, however. It is 44 inches in some places up there and still piling up. (I know what that looks like because back in 2003, we had 44 inches at our house!)
Sigh...I live in Easy World where snow comes down with ease!
I miss those golden Octobers in North Carolina where people have outdoor parties and to be comfortable, you just have to wear a sweater and maybe a light jacket--not mukluks and parkas. (To be fair, I will admit it does rain there quite a lot in Fall, but it doesn't pile up like giant marshmallows and block your driveway!)
BUT...
...I am deeply grateful to have a warm dry house and a huge pot of organic chicken and brown rice soup underway in the kitchen.
...I'm also grateful not to have to travel--hundreds of flights out of DIA have been canceled and interstates are closed to the north and east and west.
...I'm really happy to have work to do and a great book to read--the satellites are not being picked up by our DirecTV dish. (I hope this changes by game time tonight--I want to see the Yankees make a comeback tonight in the World Series.)
...I'm very appreciative that I have a good voice-over guy in the house--Rick is doing an intro and closing for the recording of Tuesday night's teleseminar which will soon be uploaded and available--at no charge this time! Look for it on the homepage at www.JuliaRogersHamrick.com
...and the list goes on. I am a fortunate woman, even though the weather is not how I prefer it. As they say in my homeland, "I can't complain."
I can hardly believe I've been at this for five years. I let the actual
anniversary of my first blog entry just blow by, but at least it's
still October! I made my inaugural post October 4, 2004.
To help you help me celebrate (because I know you're excited to do so!), I'm giving you an opportunity to win prizes. Who doesn't like to win prizes?
Correctly answer the quiz questions below (the answers are found in my blog) and be entered into a drawing to win a grand prize package that includes an Easy World "magic wand,"
an Easy World mug, an Easy World button, and a signed first
edition of my first book, Recreating
Eden!
If you answer the questions correctly and your name isn't drawn as the grand-prize-package winner, you're still in luck. Just for answering the questions correctly, you will win an audio download of your choice from the Recordings page on JuliaRogersHamrick.com, and a mention on my blog (with a link to your website if you like).
You can either read my blog from beginning to end (believe it or not, some people have done this!), or, the answers can be researched using the blog's search window. The bonus question will require a little bit of extra research. (To access the archives organized by month, just click on the heading "Julia's Blog" at the top of each page and you'll find a list on the left side--you may need to scroll down a bit).
Have fun!!!
To help you help me celebrate (because I know you're excited to do so!), I'm giving you an opportunity to win prizes. Who doesn't like to win prizes?
Correctly answer the quiz questions below (the answers are found in my blog) and be entered into a drawing to win a grand prize package that includes an Easy World "magic wand,"
an Easy World mug, an Easy World button, and a signed first
edition of my first book, Recreating
Eden!If you answer the questions correctly and your name isn't drawn as the grand-prize-package winner, you're still in luck. Just for answering the questions correctly, you will win an audio download of your choice from the Recordings page on JuliaRogersHamrick.com, and a mention on my blog (with a link to your website if you like).
You can either read my blog from beginning to end (believe it or not, some people have done this!), or, the answers can be researched using the blog's search window. The bonus question will require a little bit of extra research. (To access the archives organized by month, just click on the heading "Julia's Blog" at the top of each page and you'll find a list on the left side--you may need to scroll down a bit).
- What geographical location did I go to when I went to "Happy Land"?
- How did my dog, Roly, get drunk?
- When I was seeking an elephant walking down a Colorado highway, what did I find instead that satisfied my need to see an elephant?
- Where was I kidnapped and by whom?
- What song was playing when I was at the gas station in Raleigh in 2006 that had everybody groovin' at the pumps?
- What kind of station wagon did I keep seeing that seemed to be evidence of being in a parallel reality?
- Which anniversary did Rick and I celebrate in 2008 and where did we celebrate it?
- Who says I can't have that? (2009)
- What musical instrument did I get in August of 2009 and why did I get it?
- Why did Rick and I stay at the cottage for an extra day this September?
- **And a bonus question--answer this one correctly and get an extra
entry in the drawing: Which blog post of mine had received the most
comments as of October 27, 2009?
Have fun!!!
As you may
already know, a horrific event occurred October 9th in the desert near
Sedona, Arizona at a retreat led by James Arthur Ray, well-known author
and personal development guru. Two people died immediately and another
died this weekend after participating in a questionably executed sweat lodge. Almost two dozen
others were hospitalized with illnesses ranging from dehydration to
kidney failure.
I don't wish to lay blame--others will be doing that, and it's strictly an ego exercise to do so. But I did want to communicate one important message in light of the outcome: Never, ever obey anyone's authority over that of your Spirit.
If someone seems to know more than you do, have achieved more than you have, have obtained what you want to have, or seems more enlightened than you believe you are, it is not a signal to abdicate your own sense of knowing to subject yourself to his or hers. Partake of their ideas, yes, if you're attracted, and try them on to see if they fit for you--or not.
If you are receiving any internal signals that something is wrong--or even not quite right, or just simply not a match for you--pay attention and heed those signals. You don't have to prove anything to anyone--even to yourself. Don't let your own fearful ego lead you astray in a quest for something it's telling you that you haven't got. Ego is a consummate liar and will sell you down the river in a heartbeat.
All knowledge is already yours. All your desires are already yours, even if you aren't yet experiencing that. But the way to realize and manifest them into your reality is to follow your Spirit to the vibrational level where you can claim them. And you can't do that if you're busy following someone else. Or a group of someone elses. Or your own ego. Following anyone other than your own Spirit will lead you down in vibration.
If you find yourself caught up in group energy, something that often occurs due to the longing to feel the energy of being at one with your fellow human beings, pay special attention. You may find yourself willing to do things and take risks you'd never take if your energy was centered within yourself and not in the composite mind of the group.
I am somewhat painfully familiar with that dynamic because I once found myself streaking naked across my college campus after getting so caught up in the pack mentality and energy, I was compelled to join the streaking crowd. In that case, the only deleterious effect was a photograph of the back of me in my birthday suit (blessedly, with a shirt over my head) that showed up on the front page of the city's newspaper.
And here's one I have been learning the hard way: If your body is telling you to back off whatever you are doing instead of pushing, listen and obey. Ease your way into growth--don't force your way into it.
As a spiritual teacher, I take my responsibility to influence very seriously. For me, having your attention is a sacred trust and I am intent on keeping my ego in check to keep that relationship clear. Starting with the experience I tell about in the introduction to Recreating Eden, I have been continually shown that rejecting all authority outside one's own being, and honoring the voice of Spirit within is the very key to reaching the highest level of vibration and experiencing enlightenment.
My Spirit has always made sure I understood that trying to assert any authority over a person's own inner guidance, no matter how right my ego may tell me I am, is a ticket to disaster. My desire is to empower you to listen to your Spirit and be yourSelf, not to get you to take what I have to say as being the gospel. You don't need a guru--you have one within.
I can only imagine the pain that James Ray is in right now, not to mention the loved ones of those who died or who were otherwise injured. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that all involved may have stopped listening to their inner guidance. Then again, that is an ego-based judgment, based on limited evidence. Everything is in Divine Order, even when we don't like what Divine Order looks like at any given moment.
The take-away as I see it is this: Anyone who urges you to deny your internal signals so as to expand and evolve may just be, without even realizing it, asking you to risk your life. Anyone who tells you they can show you the way to Nirvana who isn't emphasizing that your Spirit is your only true authority is under the influence of ego and can't be trusted (only your Spirit can be trusted). But don't take my word for it--ask your own Spirit if this is true.
I don't wish to lay blame--others will be doing that, and it's strictly an ego exercise to do so. But I did want to communicate one important message in light of the outcome: Never, ever obey anyone's authority over that of your Spirit.
If someone seems to know more than you do, have achieved more than you have, have obtained what you want to have, or seems more enlightened than you believe you are, it is not a signal to abdicate your own sense of knowing to subject yourself to his or hers. Partake of their ideas, yes, if you're attracted, and try them on to see if they fit for you--or not.
If you are receiving any internal signals that something is wrong--or even not quite right, or just simply not a match for you--pay attention and heed those signals. You don't have to prove anything to anyone--even to yourself. Don't let your own fearful ego lead you astray in a quest for something it's telling you that you haven't got. Ego is a consummate liar and will sell you down the river in a heartbeat.
All knowledge is already yours. All your desires are already yours, even if you aren't yet experiencing that. But the way to realize and manifest them into your reality is to follow your Spirit to the vibrational level where you can claim them. And you can't do that if you're busy following someone else. Or a group of someone elses. Or your own ego. Following anyone other than your own Spirit will lead you down in vibration.
If you find yourself caught up in group energy, something that often occurs due to the longing to feel the energy of being at one with your fellow human beings, pay special attention. You may find yourself willing to do things and take risks you'd never take if your energy was centered within yourself and not in the composite mind of the group.
I am somewhat painfully familiar with that dynamic because I once found myself streaking naked across my college campus after getting so caught up in the pack mentality and energy, I was compelled to join the streaking crowd. In that case, the only deleterious effect was a photograph of the back of me in my birthday suit (blessedly, with a shirt over my head) that showed up on the front page of the city's newspaper.
And here's one I have been learning the hard way: If your body is telling you to back off whatever you are doing instead of pushing, listen and obey. Ease your way into growth--don't force your way into it.
As a spiritual teacher, I take my responsibility to influence very seriously. For me, having your attention is a sacred trust and I am intent on keeping my ego in check to keep that relationship clear. Starting with the experience I tell about in the introduction to Recreating Eden, I have been continually shown that rejecting all authority outside one's own being, and honoring the voice of Spirit within is the very key to reaching the highest level of vibration and experiencing enlightenment.
My Spirit has always made sure I understood that trying to assert any authority over a person's own inner guidance, no matter how right my ego may tell me I am, is a ticket to disaster. My desire is to empower you to listen to your Spirit and be yourSelf, not to get you to take what I have to say as being the gospel. You don't need a guru--you have one within.
I can only imagine the pain that James Ray is in right now, not to mention the loved ones of those who died or who were otherwise injured. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that all involved may have stopped listening to their inner guidance. Then again, that is an ego-based judgment, based on limited evidence. Everything is in Divine Order, even when we don't like what Divine Order looks like at any given moment.
The take-away as I see it is this: Anyone who urges you to deny your internal signals so as to expand and evolve may just be, without even realizing it, asking you to risk your life. Anyone who tells you they can show you the way to Nirvana who isn't emphasizing that your Spirit is your only true authority is under the influence of ego and can't be trusted (only your Spirit can be trusted). But don't take my word for it--ask your own Spirit if this is true.
I got my copy-edited manuscript for Choosing Easy World
back from St. Martin's Press on Monday, and have been poring over the
pages of red marks! When I first saw them--not only the amount of them
but the foreign nature of the marks, many of which didn't match up with
those in my guide to proofreader's symbols--I'll admit that Easy World
is not exactly where I was.
I'm so glad I wasn't able to reach my editor when I first called her after looking at it as I was pretty freaked out. But after choosing Easy World and looking it over thoroughly in a kinder, gentler reality, I discovered that many of the marks I didn't recognize were instructions to the typesetters about spacing, types of dashes, and such. Once I really got into it, the rationale behind many of the changes the copy-editor (different person than my acquisitions editor) made began to make sense, too. She didn't really change anything about the structure or order of the book--that isn't her job. Hers is to make sure the grammar is correct, that there are no typos, and that there is no repetition and such. I never realized how much I use the term "indeed" until I saw how many of them she deleted!
Last night, as I stayed up way too late finishing my first pass through all 219 pages, I found myself feeling a closeness with this person I've never met. She really seemed to "get" the book which seemed more evident the farther into it she got. I surmised this by some of the suggestions she was making for word substitutions and such. I may be projecting this onto her, but I had the feeling she liked the book. Almost all of her corrections and suggestions will make it even more clear and effective.
It's funny, but the task I had thought was going to be so odious and overwhelming when I first saw the manuscript with all the markings and sticky notes on it turned out to be a pleasure. I love that book so much--not because it came from me, because it didn't. I was the midwife that birthed it. I love the Love in it and the clarity and ease of it. That all came from Spirit. Reading it--even with all the marks--has always put me in Easy World. I'm so appreciative that no one attempted to change it in any kind of major way and thus, diminish the powerful energy in it. I needn't have worried about that at all--Easy World had it covered and I'd have seen that had I been in Easy World all along!
I'm so glad I wasn't able to reach my editor when I first called her after looking at it as I was pretty freaked out. But after choosing Easy World and looking it over thoroughly in a kinder, gentler reality, I discovered that many of the marks I didn't recognize were instructions to the typesetters about spacing, types of dashes, and such. Once I really got into it, the rationale behind many of the changes the copy-editor (different person than my acquisitions editor) made began to make sense, too. She didn't really change anything about the structure or order of the book--that isn't her job. Hers is to make sure the grammar is correct, that there are no typos, and that there is no repetition and such. I never realized how much I use the term "indeed" until I saw how many of them she deleted!
Last night, as I stayed up way too late finishing my first pass through all 219 pages, I found myself feeling a closeness with this person I've never met. She really seemed to "get" the book which seemed more evident the farther into it she got. I surmised this by some of the suggestions she was making for word substitutions and such. I may be projecting this onto her, but I had the feeling she liked the book. Almost all of her corrections and suggestions will make it even more clear and effective.
It's funny, but the task I had thought was going to be so odious and overwhelming when I first saw the manuscript with all the markings and sticky notes on it turned out to be a pleasure. I love that book so much--not because it came from me, because it didn't. I was the midwife that birthed it. I love the Love in it and the clarity and ease of it. That all came from Spirit. Reading it--even with all the marks--has always put me in Easy World. I'm so appreciative that no one attempted to change it in any kind of major way and thus, diminish the powerful energy in it. I needn't have worried about that at all--Easy World had it covered and I'd have seen that had I been in Easy World all along!
In an average week, I am asked at least a couple of times to help
promote the books of other authors. You've read about some of these in
emails from me and on this blog. Because of the volume of requests I
receive, I'm having to become more selective about which books I help
promote.
These days, I'm saying "no" more and more often. Thus, when Richard Blackstone, an author I'd never heard of, approached me to help with his book campaign when I was already booked up with stuff to get done before leaving on vacation, I was pretty sure I was going to decline. But something nudged me to ask to see a copy of his book before making a decision. I read over it, and my mind was changed. I loved it!
Richard's book, Nuts & Bolts Spirituality, is a perfect book for those just awakening to their spirituality--but I'd also recommend it for you and you
r friends who have been
consciously on the path for awhile as it will affirm what you already
know and show you some things from a helpful new perspective. Nuts & Bolts Spirituality provides an
amazingly comprehensive and clear view of spirituality, showing what is
required to find alignment with Source and create your life by the
divinely implanted blueprint your Spirit administrates for you. I love
Richard's style of writing. It's very personal and friendly--very
accessible.
If this sounds like a book you'd love to have or give to someone you care about, you're in luck! If you buy a copy (or more!) of Nuts & Bolts Spirituality today--that is, October 8, before midnight-you will be able to download a boatload of great bonus gifts, including a chapter from Recreating Eden and a chapter of my upcoming book, Choosing Easy World, from me! Check out the bonuses and find out the easy steps it takes to gain access to them here: http://www.nutsandboltsspirituality.com/amazon.htm
These days, I'm saying "no" more and more often. Thus, when Richard Blackstone, an author I'd never heard of, approached me to help with his book campaign when I was already booked up with stuff to get done before leaving on vacation, I was pretty sure I was going to decline. But something nudged me to ask to see a copy of his book before making a decision. I read over it, and my mind was changed. I loved it!
Richard's book, Nuts & Bolts Spirituality, is a perfect book for those just awakening to their spirituality--but I'd also recommend it for you and you
r friends who have been
consciously on the path for awhile as it will affirm what you already
know and show you some things from a helpful new perspective. Nuts & Bolts Spirituality provides an
amazingly comprehensive and clear view of spirituality, showing what is
required to find alignment with Source and create your life by the
divinely implanted blueprint your Spirit administrates for you. I love
Richard's style of writing. It's very personal and friendly--very
accessible.If this sounds like a book you'd love to have or give to someone you care about, you're in luck! If you buy a copy (or more!) of Nuts & Bolts Spirituality today--that is, October 8, before midnight-you will be able to download a boatload of great bonus gifts, including a chapter from Recreating Eden and a chapter of my upcoming book, Choosing Easy World, from me! Check out the bonuses and find out the easy steps it takes to gain access to them here: http://www.nutsandboltsspirituality.com/amazon.htm
I just realized that I completely forgot to post about this! We're safely home now, but we were a day late leaving the cottage because the weather made it nearly impossible. There was rain and wind gusts to 50 mph + off the lake the day we were supposed to leave and our car was about a quarter mile away in the parking lot. For so many reasons, the idea of trying to pack the car and leave in the gale was too overwhelming, so we stayed put till Tuesday.
Here is a video I took on Monday, the day we'd originally planned to take off. I think it is fairly self-explanatory! The clanging you'll hear is the rooftop vent for the fan over the stove. Oh--and you do realize that's a lake (Lake Michigan) and not the ocean, right? The waves were reportedly up to 16 feet high some miles from shore!
Here is a video I took on Monday, the day we'd originally planned to take off. I think it is fairly self-explanatory! The clanging you'll hear is the rooftop vent for the fan over the stove. Oh--and you do realize that's a lake (Lake Michigan) and not the ocean, right? The waves were reportedly up to 16 feet high some miles from shore!
If you're a
perfectionist like me, you know the feeling of having sooooo much to
do, but not time to do it all perfectly, so you just don't do much or
any of it. I've been suffering from a combination of that, the
challenge of traveling and readjusting to being home, a body that is
intent on showing me that I'm in resistance somewhere within, and plain
old brain fog. The fog is finally starting to lift, and I realized
tonight I hadn't written a blog entry in awhile. So here I am!
My massage therapist, Melinda Wilkins, told me last time I was there that when I'm in Difficult World, I need to just say it's because I'm doing field research so I can know for sure what Easy World is not. Thought I was clear on that, but it would seem a little more research is being called for! I have been in the throes of rheumatoid arthritis, which is still embarrassing for me to reveal. After all, I'm the Easy World messiah, and there is nothing at all easy about R.A. I am so grateful to have Rick who is so devoted to making things as easy as possible for me! He's an EW angel for sure.
I am probing my psyche for what it is that needs to shift before I am fully comfortable in my skin, and after a phone session with Mary Mooney on Monday, I have some new clues I'm running down. Clearly, the closer I get to an expansion of my career, etc., the more scared and resistant parts of me are. When they dig in, it makes it hard to move forward both figuratively and literally. I am implementing some new ideas on helping those aspects feel okay about moving forward. I've got some nurturing sub-personalities holding hands with the scared ones, and I've asked the angels to be present with them, too. No, I do not have multiple personality disorder, but we all have various aspects of ourselves that have their own views and who will do whatever it takes to get your attention when they need to and do their best to stop you if they feel moving forward is dangerous!
One thing I know for sure is that this does not invalidate Easy World one iota. Just because I've been outside it more than I'd like doesn't mean it's not still there, making miracles, waiting for me to come and claim them! The trap that has been keeping me out is that I have been resisting the RA with all my might. I think I'm about ready to knock that off. It's always resistance that keeps you in Difficult World and always releasing resistance that moves you back into Easy World...
My massage therapist, Melinda Wilkins, told me last time I was there that when I'm in Difficult World, I need to just say it's because I'm doing field research so I can know for sure what Easy World is not. Thought I was clear on that, but it would seem a little more research is being called for! I have been in the throes of rheumatoid arthritis, which is still embarrassing for me to reveal. After all, I'm the Easy World messiah, and there is nothing at all easy about R.A. I am so grateful to have Rick who is so devoted to making things as easy as possible for me! He's an EW angel for sure.
I am probing my psyche for what it is that needs to shift before I am fully comfortable in my skin, and after a phone session with Mary Mooney on Monday, I have some new clues I'm running down. Clearly, the closer I get to an expansion of my career, etc., the more scared and resistant parts of me are. When they dig in, it makes it hard to move forward both figuratively and literally. I am implementing some new ideas on helping those aspects feel okay about moving forward. I've got some nurturing sub-personalities holding hands with the scared ones, and I've asked the angels to be present with them, too. No, I do not have multiple personality disorder, but we all have various aspects of ourselves that have their own views and who will do whatever it takes to get your attention when they need to and do their best to stop you if they feel moving forward is dangerous!
One thing I know for sure is that this does not invalidate Easy World one iota. Just because I've been outside it more than I'd like doesn't mean it's not still there, making miracles, waiting for me to come and claim them! The trap that has been keeping me out is that I have been resisting the RA with all my might. I think I'm about ready to knock that off. It's always resistance that keeps you in Difficult World and always releasing resistance that moves you back into Easy World...
