I came across this wonderful parable, and realized that it really emphasizes that the importance of watching our thoughts. As we know, “Energy flows where attention goes.” Whatever you have your attention one, you’re telling the subconscious mind you want more of. What are you choosing to let into your life?

‘One evening, an old Cherokee was telling his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all.

“One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

“The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute, and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins this battle?”

The old grandfather simply replied, “The one you feed.”‘

inspiration

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I’ve been a Star Trek fan since the original series (and no, don’t try to figure out the Star Date of my birth), and this afternoon, Jeff and I went to see “Star Trek XI” I practically had to drag him, a Star Trek aficionado, because he didn’t believe it could be very good without the original cast. Well, he’s converted. It was very entertaining, humorous with lots of action. The characters were well developed, and you could see them as the younger versions of the original cast. The actors did a great job exhibiting the quirks of their older selves. It was also an enjoyable excursion through how they all met. Well, sort of – I don’t want to spoil the storyline. There were also cameos of actors from various other popular television shows. I rarely say this about a film, but I’d like to see this one again.

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Since the popular video, “The Secret,” came out, people have had the mistaken idea that all they need to do is mentally focus on their goal and it would magically appear. That implementing the Law of Attraction is all they need to do to make their dreams come true. Sometimes, in rare instances, that happens. But usually it does so only after other significant mental and physical foundational work has occurred.

Emerson said, “We become what we think of all day long.” What other definition of the Law of Attraction is needed? But when the tendency of your thinking also brings about activity around those ideas. You act on them, moving physically in the direction of your goal.

Someone who wants to be a musician knows they have to learn how to play an instrument, and then practice it, to actually be able to make music. They wouldn’t just focus on the end result without putting in some rehearsal time. However, once they learn how to play, they could use their imagination to rehearse, as well as physically play it.

The foundation needs to be laid in the physical world, through education, application and activity. This takes it out of the purely “mental” state, where it could simply be a wish, and into the “material” world, where the manifestation actually takes place. Both the mental and physical need to be addressed for success to occur and your dreams realized.

personal development, inspiration

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This past weekend, Jeff and I planned to go to the Prescott Farmer’s Market in Yavapai College parking lot to buy some specialty pasta that we could only get there. We planned to arrive an hour before they closed, but traffic was thick, and we were delayed. I began to worry that they’d begin to close down before we got there, and started using my Mom’s affirmation, “We’re always in Divine Time.” I wrote an article about it, “Tips To Achieve Your Goal In Divine Time,” last month.

We got there with forty-five minutes to spare. You’d think that would be plenty of time, except that they were closing up early because of a graduation on the grounds. I ran up and down the aisles of booths that were in various stages of being dismantled. Some were already gone.

Luckily, I found the specialty pasta location by seeing the sign for it leaning against a box. The tent was in the process of being folded up, and the merchandise was already packed. I asked, “Can we still buy some?” “Sure,” the vendor said, and opened up her boxes.

We bought what we wanted, and wandered to another tent that was still set up. A few minutes later, we walked by the pasta location, and she was finishing up loading everything into her car. If we’d gotten there five minutes later, I wouldn’t have been able to find her and we would have been too late. Once again, Mom’s affirmation hit the mark.

self improvement, self help, personal growth, personal development, motivation, productivity, inspiration

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Empowerment: You Can Do, Be, And Have All Things
by John Randolph Price

John Randolph Price is the author of my favorite prosperity book, “The Abundance Book,” which I recommend highly to anyone wanting more of that substance in their lives. In “Empowerment,” he goes into deeper exploration of cultivating a consciousness of abundance. Rather than just having abundance in your life, he delves into creating an awareness that you are abundance.

This is a powerful book, exploring mystical elements and spiritual laws. One chapter includes a booklet he’d written years ago, “The Manifestation Process.” If you follow the steps in this chapter, you will begin to manifest what you want. You will also discover at what point you’ve been blocking your desire.

At a time of economic difficulty in our world, this book is a guidebook on how to keep your thoughts uplifted and focused on your goal, so you don’t sink into the mire of bad news. This book isn’t just about abundance and manifestation, but about how to realize your greater spiritual identity.

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Question: How is the best way to do self-hypnosis when I’m concerned about distractions, both internal and external?

Answer: It’s best to do self-hypnosis in a quiet room, with the phone, television, etc. turned off. If you have distracting thoughts, simply recognize that and bring your attention back to the goal of your session. Self-hypnosis is a normal state of mind that you’re in several times during the day, as when you’re daydreaming. It’s simply focusing the mind, and it takes training. As you continue to practice, you’ll get better at being able to focus on the goal of your self-hypnosis. As with anything else, practice makes perfect.

First Published in the The Cedarfire Newsletter, May 2009

Copyright 2009 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

self improvement, self help, personal growth, personal development

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by Linda-Ann Stewart

You have the authority to change the circumstances of your life. They have no power over you, even though it may seem that you are powerless to change them. Sometimes, as events roll out of control, it could appear as though they’re stronger than the person who originally constructed them. But, as the co-creator of your life, you can always re-direct your energy and design something new.

Your thoughts and beliefs create a mold for the Universe to fill with energy, and that results in an effect or outcome. Therefore, your thoughts cause and attract events and circumstances into your life. This is the Law of Cause and Effect, which is the basis for the Law of Attraction.

Sometimes, once set into motion, those effects seem to take on a life of their own. It can feel like they begin to control you, and you’re helpless to change them. The tendency of your thinking can get you into debt, and then you use all your mental energy just to stay a little ahead of the tidal wave of insolvency.

However, an effect cannot have power over its creator. Let’s take the example of a sidewalk. The sidewalk was first an idea in someone’s mind, plans were developed, materials were decided upon and bought, and then it was poured. The sidewalk is the end result of a thought process and has no power over that person.

If that person is walking, and trips because they’re not looking where they’re going, or running too fast, or gets dizzy and falls, then they’ll get hurt. But the sidewalk has no ability to reach up and grab a person and pull them down. The creator is still impacting their own life by making the same choices about how to interact with the sidewalk.

For every cause, there’s an effect. The outcome cannot rule over the cause, or the creator. The result is passive. It has only as much power as you give it. For example, money is an effect. It’s created from some activity in the physical world that comes from some idea in consciousness. When you focus on money as being cause or powerful, then you shut off the energy of creation.

Each thought you have is like a drop of water. One drop won’t make a difference, but many drops of the same idea will fill a glass, then a bowl, then a pool. By that time, the thought has become manifest in your life as a situation or circumstance. You can drown in that pool of effect, feeling like it’s impossible to get out of it. But the form that thought has created, thought can change.

You’ll need to begin a completely new thought process to fill another pool, and let the water in the original one evaporate since it’s not getting any new energy to maintain it. Once the new pool has more water in it than the first one, then you’ll see a significant change in your life. Since thought can change the effect, the effect must be subject to the creator.

Take a look at some of the effects in your life. Do you need to create a healthier lifestyle, get out of debt, get a better job, have a better relationship? Consider the thoughts that caused or created them. By changing the cause in your mind, you’ll be able to improve the effect.

It may not happen overnight. It’s probably taken you years of the old ideas to get you to this point. But by changing the original cause, which is your old thought patterns, the old effect will fade away. And not only will you have a better result, but you’ll realize that you have the power to design your life into what you want it to be.

Affirmation

My thoughts create the conditions of my life. For there to be a new situation, I need to change the original thought pattern. I now recognize my power to change, and my authority over my circumstances. What thought has created, thought can change. The effects in my life are subject to me and I co-create a better life with Universal action. I now begin a new thought process to bring about a greater, higher and better experience of life.

Copyright 2009 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

A nationally known hypnotherapist, writer, speaker and life coach, Linda-Ann Stewart helps people recognize new possibilities and realize their full potential. Visit “Secrets To The Law Of Attraction” for a copy of her free ebook.

self improvement, self help, personal growth, personal development

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Jeff and I celebrated our fourteenth anniversary by painting the walls surrounding our flat roof after a pricey repair. What a fun weekend. We baked in the heat reflecting from the roof and were sore for days afterwards from all the bending. We postponed our anniversary dinner until the next weekend, when we did have a wonderful time.

This past month, I gave a presentation to the Tempe Charter Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association. I really enjoyed the meeting and the members. They’ve got great spirit and creativity.

I also began facilitating another Tobacco-Cessation class. This one is huge, filled to overflowing. I think it’s great that so many people are dedicated to improving their health.

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