Choosing Between Love and Fear

We live in a world of contrasts: young and old, good and bad, right and wrong; but perhaps the most spiritually significant contrast is that of love and fear. If you are a student of A Course in Miracles you will immediately understand why working with this concept can be so very important to your spiritual growth and awakening. If not, here's how it works.

The relationship between love and fear is similar to the relationship between Higher Self and lower self (ego). The Higher Self is a spark of the Divine, which is pure love; and the ego (while critical to our survival and growth) is often conflicted, and is our primary source of fear.

Real love is not a feeling. It is not romantic or exclusive or reserved only for special people. Within this definition it's impossible to "love" one person while hating another. When you're in touch with the love that is your essence, you respect and honor all of life, not just your own children, friends, neighbors, and pets. A few of the many expressions of love are: joy, faith, acceptance, kindness, forgiveness, altruism, authenticity, patience and peace of mind. Love feels good.

Fear, on the other hand, is the absence of love. Fear is what we experience when we've forgotten who we really are, when we've lost touch with our Higher Self and are clinging---for dear life---to the lower self that we've developed in order to adapt to this world. Fear is expressed in anything that doesn't feel good:  insecurity, pettiness, worry, addiction, compulsion, low self-esteem, greed, prejudice, judgement, anger, jealousy, anxiety, depression, etc. Hate and violence are simply fear on steroids. 

Learning to distinguish between love and fear will help you consciously choose love more often, and the more often you choose love the happier, healthier, and more spiritually atuned you will be.

You can begin this practice today by simply recognizing that in every moment you are deciding to embrace either love or fear. Forgive someone who has made a mistake, and you've embraced love.Yell at your kids for not cleaning their rooms, and you've embraced fear. It's as simple as that. You don't have to choose love every time, but just watch and see what happens on those magical occasions when you do!

Everything You Need to Know About the Akashic Records

What are the Akashic Records?

The Akashic Records are an etheric library or data base of every thought, feeling, intention, action, and event that has ever occurred throughout the history of the universe. The information in the Records is alive and dynamic. The term Akashic Records was coined by the Theosophists, and the concept was made popular by Edgar Cayce, the foremost Akashic “reader.”

What does “Akashic” mean?

Akasha is a Sanskrit word describing the ether or non-physical substance that exists throughout all things, beings, places, and galaxies. Within the fabric of the Akasha is a living, ever-changing memory or record of everything that has ever transpired on an energetic or physical level.

What is the purpose of the Akashic Records?

According to the Akashic, the purpose of life is soul evolution, and the purpose of the Records is to guide this process. Every soul is on a grand journey, and every lifetime holds an evolutionary purpose within this journey. The Records assist in that they know exactly where the soul has been, where it is going, and how to get there.

Who oversees the Akashic Records?

There exists a collective group of beings, the Keepers of the Akashic Records, whose sole purpose is to gather and contain the wisdom and workings of the universe, which includes everything that has previously transpired, as well as the probable and possible future outcomes of all (present) situations. The Keepers speak as one voice, and do not have a personality or emotional body. They translate and interpret information for us, when asked, and selectively choose what to share to assist us on our individual path.

How are the Records organized?

According to Edgar Cayce and others, there exist three halls: the Hall of Learning, the Hall of Wisdom, and the Hall or Records. Not only can we receive information about our own soul’s history, but we can access scientific, technological, literary, creative, and planetary information, as well accounts of ancient civilizations and other historical information.

Do we have our own personal Records?

Yes, each individual or soul has its own file or book in the Hall of Records, which can be accessed only by ourselves or by someone who has our permission to access it. (However, we can only access content that is compatible with our current vibration. We will not be shown anything we cannot handle in our current state). Within our personal Records, there are four key areas or chambers: past lives, present lives, life between lives, and future lives.

How do we access the Akashic Records?

In reality, we access the Records all the time, through dreams, meditation, journaling, intuitive hits, creative inspiration, scientific inquiry, etc. We can also access the Records through conscious intention, hypnotherapy, past life regression, psychic readings, and Akashic Record readings. The caveat is that we must be compatible with the information we seek.

The following factors determine what information you have access to in the Records:

•  Your focus
•  Your personal vibration
•  Your capacity to understand and hold the information
•  Your intent for accessing the information

Scientists, inventors, and others inadvertently access the Records because they’ve met the criteria for tapping into certain bodies of information. Einstein, Tessla, Da Vinci, and others routinely accessed the Records for information and inspiration. 

Where are the Akashic Records?

The Akashic Records exist in holographic form, which means their entirety can be accessed through any small part of creation, but they also appear to people as existing in another dimension (in the form of a library, temple complex, super-computer, or other center of knowledge).

How are the Records safeguarded or regulated?

One can only enter the Hall of Records through the vibration of compassion and love. The specific intention and vibration of the individual or group seeking information determines what information will be revealed. (The Keepers of the Records are experts at knowing exactly what and how much information to release, and to whom.)

How should we address our requests to the Akashic Records?

Get in a relaxed, meditative state, and then make your inquiry:

General:  “I ask to be connected to the Akashic Records. I petition for the highest understanding and wisdom to be accessed at this time. I wish to learn and to know of my highest being.”

Specific:  “I ask the Akashic to help me understand the difficulties I experience with my spouse.” “I call upon the Akashic for help in sorting out my career direction.” I petition the Records for a deeper understanding of physics.”

Through dreams:  As you go to sleep, say:  “My dream state is a gateway to the Akashic Records. I will receive information for my greatest understanding and benefit. I will remember the messages of my dreams upon awakening.” (When you wake up, be sure to write down any dream impressions or messages in a notebook).

How do we receive information from the Records?

The most important thing is to be open and relaxed about how and when you receive information. You might get instant, specific answers, in the form of words, thoughts, feelings, or visions. You may not appear to get anything at all. Know that your request has been heard and will be answered when the time is right. It may filter into your consciousness gradually over time, occur through a series of events, or through a book, a movie, or a conversation you overhear. (Note: The Akashic Records responds best to open-ended inquiries, and “why” questions. Asking specific “when,”  “where,” and “how” questions may not yield the results you’re looking for). 

Gratitude: How to Fake It 'til You Make It!

If you're anything like me, you know the miraculous benefits of practicing gratitude, but perhaps fall short when it comes to applying it on a regular basis. Don't feel bad----it's human nature to notice what's "wrong" in our environment. After all, our survival throughout history has often depended on it.

But the experience of gratitude need not interfere with our ability to perceive threat or keep our families safe. Feeling grateful for all we have and all we are, in fact, boosts our immunity to all sorts of life's ills. In reality, gratitude has no downside (except that sometimes hearing the word evokes guilt). Not to worry----gratitude can be quickly and painlessly learned.

Someone recently told me that Louise Hay starts each day by opening her eyes and thanking her bed for giving her a nice place to sleep. Apparently she thanks her mattress, her pillow, her sheets and comforter, "Thank you, blankets, for keeping me warm." No-brainer, right? The bed didn't collapse or burst into flames in the night, and you're stoked. (And now you're actively engaged in the gratitude process!)

I liked this because no matter what's going on in your life, if you have a decent place to lay your head at night, at least you have that to be grateful for. And my experience is that once you start noticing things to be grateful for, it's hard to stop. Before you know it, you're appreciating your diagnosis, your thighs, and all the annoying people in your life!

So, this week I ask you to make a practice of appreciation. Keeping a gratitude journal is a beautiful and brag-worthy endeavor, of course, but if you can't muster the energy to write stuff down, at least spend two minutes at the beginning or end of each day noticing things you are grateful for. (Note that quantity is just as important as quality when it comes to appreciation, so feel free to list anything you are grateful for----bacon, short skirts, weekends, you name it! The more the better.

Thank you for stopping by and sharing a moment of your day with me. I am truly grateful.

"This Cup is Already Broken" (and Other Words of Wisdom)

© Tammy Mcallister | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Author Geneen Roth wrote of being on an extended meditation retreat. At one point, the guru held up his favorite tea cup and stated, "As far as I'm concerned, this cup is already broken." He went on to explain that nothing is permanent (the cup will inevitably break, fade in color, get lost or stolen), so we must appreciate it in this moment without attaching ourselves to it. Attachment, he explained, is the root of suffering.

I've heard a lot over the years about non-attachment and being present in the moment, but the analogy of one's favorite tea cup being "already broken" really spoke to me. I thought of  how we cling to youth, beauty, our parents, our children, our status, and how none of it will last, no matter how fiercely we protect it. We will get old, our parents and pets will die, our children will grow up and leave us. No matter what we do, things will change. And what if that was okay?

Seeing all change as ultimately okay and inevitable (like the tea cup being broken) is oddly comforting. There's nothing to resist, deny, or panic about when you accept life on life's terms. When we accept that change, decline, and brokenness are not optional, we experience freedom. We can feel appreciation and gratitude for having what we have right now. We also realize that with every ending is a new beginning (there are many amazing tea cups out there, when the time comes to buy a new one!)

This week, I ask you to consider what favorite tea cup you need to see as already broken. What do you worry about or cling to?

If your child is beginning kindergarten, middle school, or high school, and you're grieving the loss of your baby, take a moment to imagine that he/she is already grown up and gone. Feel the sadness or whatever it brings up for you, and then come back to this moment and enjoy what you have right now. 

If you are in your forties or fifties and worry about aging, imagine that you are in your eighties and have lost your good looks or health. Then return to this moment, and appreciate the body and life you have today.

Thanks for visiting, and I hope to see you again very soon.

Don't Just Do Something---Sit There!

                                                       © Alexey Lisovoy | Dreamstime Stock Photos

I just read an excerpt by the American Buddhist teacher, Pema Chodron about the futility of seeking pleasure by running from discomfort. In The Wisdom of No Escape, Pema writes:

We continually try to get away from pain by seeking pleasure, and in doing so, we just keep going around and around. I’m so hot I open all the windows, and then I’m so cold I put on a sweater. Then it itches, so I put cream on my arms, and then that’s sticky, so I go take a bath, and on and on.

This reminded me of waking up the other morning with an itch on my face. Normally I would just scratch my cheek and be done with it, but something told me to see what would happen if I resisted the temptation to make the itch go away, so I did nothing. Interestingly, the itchiness passed. Great.

But then it came back. I still didn't scratch. This on-again off-again pattern continued until I started wondering why I was allowing this (very mild) form of suffering to continue when I could make it go away in two seconds. Still I resisted taking action. I was curious.

Next came pictures of being stuck in a playpen as a child, unable to exercise my Godgiven freedom. Interesting. I didn't remember being in a playpen as a child, but come to think of it, my mother did encourage me to buy one when my own children were born. Hmmm...

Then I had an "aha" moment. I remembered a form of Indian meditation called Vipassana where you just observe and don't make any adjustments for comfort. Something scary surfaces: allow it. You're cold or get a leg cramp: just notice it. I tried this form of meditation once many years ago and learned more about myself in five minutes than I usually learn in a year.

For us Westerners, choosing to not run away from discomfort when we could is virtually unheard of, but Eastern thought has a lot to teach us about slowing down, finding some inner discipline and strength, and not creating newer and bigger problems through escapism.

This week, I invite you to notice what happens when you start feeling uncomfortable. Do you seek instant relief? If so, is the form of relief healthy and appropriate, such as resting when you're tired? Or is it escapism, such as eating a king-sized candy bar or drinking alcohol when you're stressed out?

Bottom line: it's important to take good care of our bodies, and honor ourselves as valuable human beings, but there's a fine line between self-care and premature rescuing of ourselves. A little discomfort is inevitable, to be expected, and actually helpful in making us better, stronger, and more compassionate people.

Numbing or Distracting Yourself from Life? Why It May Not Be Necessary Anymore

Lately I've been noticing the many ways we, adults, run away from normal feelings and everyday experiences, instead of facing them and moving on.

Those of us who aren't practiced in the art of mindfulness or presence, often (unconsciously) believe that we can't handle the ups and downs of life, such as experiencing disappointment, loss, rejection, insults, etc., so we do any number of things to numb or distract ourselves from what's in front (or inside) of us. Some of these behaviors include drinking, eating, smoking, spending money, pursuing romance or sex, nail biting, skin picking, working, and being glued to one's phone, computer, or television.

The funny thing is that a lot more time and energy are spent avoiding ourselves, our authentic feelings, and life, than it would take to look at what's coming up and deal with it. So why do we do it?

As infants, we had zero protection from incoming energies. All we could do for ourselves was close our eyes or turn our heads away if someone got in our face or something felt threatening or overwhelming. As a result we developed defense mechanisms to cope with these intolerable intrusions. They were important to our emotional survival when we were young and helpless.

But then we grew up and acquired some skills and smarts for dealing with life. And that was great, except that the inner-defenseless-baby-protector (in many of us) never got the memo. It continued to behave as if every stressor or difficult emotion had the power to destroy us. The numbing out, distracting, or running away mechanisms (fight, flight, freeze) continued to react to everyday challenges as if we were incapable of dealing with them maturely.

Do you know a strong, competent person who refuses to deal with his/her emotions? Or maybe a friend (not you!) who eats or drinks at night to zone out? Or maybe someone who is always too busy or problem-stricken to relax their weary body or mind? Addictions or obsessive/compulsive behavior, of course, are extreme forms of running away from oneself or life.

So, what about you? Are you peaceful and balanced, or do you have a tendency to run away, zone out, or try to control or rise above your feelings in any aspect of your life? If you're an escape artist, you might still be operating under the outdated assumption that you're not "big" enough to stay present and deal with what's going on in your life.

This week, I invite you to view yourself as strong enough to deal with whatever feelings or situations come your way, and to see what happens when you stay present in those moments when you would normally distract or numb yourself. If you feel overwhelmed by what comes up, by all means reach out for help, but know that in the long run you are better off facing whatever's there than running away.

Good luck, and have a great week.

"The Eating Guidelines:" A Spiritual and Physical Practice

If you struggle with food (regardless of your weight), I have a wonderful resource for you. Geneen Roth is the guru of food and weight issues. She leads powerful workshops and is the author of nine books, my favorite of which is Woman, Food, and God, a #1 New York Times bestseller.

Even though her work focuses on the deep emotional aspects of problem eating (such as using food to numb, distract, or punish ourselves, or to rebel), I'd like to skip ahead to the prescription for making peace with food. Geneen writes:

In the food and weight arena, the Eating Guidelines are both the spiritual and physical practice. They provide a precise path to the world of being in the moment as well as well as a concrete path to feeling well. They are descriptions of what eating would look like if you had no problem with it at all. You'd listen to your body. You'd eat to nourish yourself. You'd love yourself with food. The Guidelines are exactly what you will come around to when you are tired of aching joints. Of lugging yourself around. The Guidelines are nothing more than understanding that your body is yours and you can eat as a way to be yourself. After all these years, all these diets, all these pounds gained and lost and lost and gained, after eating to resist and rebel and fight, you realize that eating can finally be---and always was---for you, only you.

Geneen Roth's Eating Guidelines

1. Eat when you are hungry.
2. Eat sitting down in a calm environment. This does not include the car. 
3. Eat without distractions. Distractions include radio, television, newspapers, books, intense or anxiety-producing conversations or music.
4. Eat what your body wants.
5. Eat until you are satisfied [physically].
6. Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others.
7. Eat with enjoyment, gusto, and pleasure.

If you are intrigued (or at least tired of the fight), I would highly recommend that you check out Geneen's work. Why Weight? is an excellent workbook designed to get you in touch with your eating and food issues. Women, Food, and God then takes the conversation to a whole new level. 

Thanks for checking in, and have a beautiful week.